New measures to improve walking, cycling and bus journeys in Foleshill

Measures to improve pedestrian crossings, provide a high-quality cycleway and improve bus service reliability are to be introduced along the Foleshill Road in Coventry under a £4.5 million investment in sustainable transport.

The package will be used to encourage more people to cycle, walk or take the bus for their journeys contributing to a greener and better-connected city.

The measures include a high-quality segregated cycleway along the Foleshill Road, extending south to the A4053 ring road at Junction 9.

The scheme will also aim to reduce through traffic using Foleshill Road and improve bus journeys as part of the All Electric Bus City scheme, which will see all buses in Coventry become zero-emission by 2025.

Upgrades to the A444 Blue Ribbon roundabout will, with new crossings, improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists and allow bus priority to further support public transport. Some measures will be taken to reduce pavement parking in the area to further improve safety.

The package is being developed by Coventry City Council in partnership with Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

The £4.5 million funding comes from the City Region Sustainable Transport grant, awarded by the Department for Transport to TfWM last year.

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA chair, said: “This funding gives us an opportunity to supercharge public transport and active travel in Foleshill, a busy corridor which will hugely benefit from better connectivity. We know that one of the biggest barriers to people swapping their cars for public transport, walking and cycling on those shorter journeys is journey reliability and road safety.

“These measures tackle both. By offering more people the opportunity to cycle and walk and making bus journeys more reliable, we can cut traffic congestion, reduce the impact on our environment and improve our air quality and health.”

Binley Cycleway in Coventry

With funding now in place, the detailed plans are being drawn up by Coventry City Council and will be presented to the local community.

Cllr Jim O’Boyle, Coventry City Council’s cabinet member for jobs, regeneration and climate change, said: “Foleshill Road is a thriving street with a true community feel. But for too long it has felt the weight of too much traffic.

“We want to make it easier for people to walk and cycle. Swapping the car for shorter journeys is good for health and well-being, good for the air we breathe and, of course, as our segregated cycle ways begin to connect up – an excellent way to travel to work or school.

“Working with local people will be critical to getting this right and we have started that work but there is more to do, and I hope we will have some plans to discuss later this year.”

Adam Tranter, the Mayor’s cycling & walking commissioner, added: “Improving Foleshill’s transport connectivity is an important task that will bring many benefits. Foleshill is the most deprived ward in Coventry and providing cheap and reliable transport choices, through this public transport and active travel investment, is going to be transformative.”