Safer routes for people walking and cycling in two locations in the city are being created by Portsmouth City Council.
The first is on Alver Road in Fratton which links with Guildford Road and Olinda Street to connect St Mary’s Road with Fratton Road. This is a major route for all traffic coming in and out of the city. Creating a cycle cut through on to Alver Road, which is currently a dead end leading directly on to Fratton Road, would allow people to walk and cycle down these quieter roads, making them safer for everyone, with cyclists no longer needing to use the major junction of St Mary’s Road to access Fratton Road.
The council plans to install dropped kerbs to replace those that currently restrict all access to Fratton Road, whilst keeping the bollards in place to act as ‘modal filters’. This will allow for those travelling on foot or on bicycle to access this new easier route.
The new route means that people on bikes and rental e-scooters (during the rental e-scooter trial) will have the option of turning left on to Guildford Road or Olinda Street and right onto Alver Road in order to take a quieter route on to Fratton Road. They will then be able to link up with the East to West cycle path that runs from the bottom of Fratton Road as well as access quieter routes to Southsea and the seafront.
The other change is to Henderson Road in Eastney which is a major route to the sea for people walking and cycling and links up to the cycle path along the seafront. The council wants to encourage safety for people cycling to the seafront by installing cycle defenders that will keep the cycle lane separate from traffic and provide a connected route to the sea.
The proposals tie in with the council’s transport strategy that is committed to making journeys for residents, visitors and commuters in Portsmouth safer, greener, and better-connected by investing in improving the connectivity of our existing cycle and walking network.
Cllr Lynne Stagg, cabinet member for traffic and transportation, said: “It’s so important that all road users feel safe and confident on Portsmouth roads, and I know these small changes will make a big difference for people walking and cycling in the city. We’re committed to making sure there are easy and logical routes for people to use away from main roads where possible, and this is another part of the overall plan for walking and cycling in the city.”
For more information on transport schemes and to view the Transport Strategy please visit https://travel.portsmouth.gov.uk