Cycleway to help reach the new station
Plansfor a six-mile cycleway between Buckingham and Winslow will be revealed by Buckinghamshire County Council next week.
They’ll go on display at two public exhibitions at Winslow, on Tuesday (September 22) and Buckingham on Thursday (September 24).
The aim is to link the two towns with a safe cycle and walking route ahead of the arrival of East West Rail in 2019 andin time to serve thenew railway station at Winslow.
For County Council Transport Cabinet Member Mark Shaw, the planned cycleway is a vital link in the sustainable transport chain for north Buckinghamshire.
And he wants residents to feed into the planning process at an early stage by visiting the exhibitions.
‘We want to share our preliminary drawings with residents early on in the process,’ said Mark. ‘It’s important that we listen to people’s feedback now, before we start detailed design work and before we even think about laying any tarmac.
‘The new railway will provide an excellent sustainable transport artery connecting Winslow with Aylesbury, London, Oxford, Milton Keynes and Bedford. We want Buckingham and its villages to have sustainable access to this.’
The proposed cycleway, which has the support of local County Councillors, and of district, town and parish councils on the route,would follow the main A413 Winslow to Buckingham road, using mostly land already owned by the County Council.
The scheme’s £1.75 million cost, will metfrom the government’s Local Growth Fund, through the Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership.
The money will also pay for free Wi-Fi hubs and real-time passenger information on selected Buckingham bus stops, to encourage residents who don’t wish to cycle to the station to use the bus.
The public exhibitions – at St Laurence Room off WinslowMarket Squareon Tuesday, and at Buckingham Old Town Hall on Wednesday – are open between 4.30pm and 8.30pm. Residents can also feedback online from Monday September 21 until October 30 at www.buckscc.gov.uk/buckinghamcycleway
?Once residents’ feedback is collated, detailed design work will start, and the aim is to complete construction by Spring 2017.It will not only connect with the new Winslow station but also with the existing Sustrans cycleway from Winslow to Milton Keynes.