South Gloucestershire Council is making a number of improvements to cycle and pedestrian routes thanks to a £900,000 grant from the Government’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF).

The LSTF is awarded to schemes which promote sustainable travel measures with a primary focus of supporting economic growth and reducing carbon as well as reducing car-based commuting on key routes across the West of England. The main focus is on improving three key cycle and pedestrian routes: Parkway to Cribbs Causeway, Lockleaze to Cribbs Causeway and Lockleaze to Parkway.

By enhancing existing paths, the routes will link up residential areas with key employment and travel hubs, such as Bristol Parkway Station, and further education centres like South Gloucestershire and Stroud College in Filton.

Cllr Brian Allinson, executive member responsible for planning and transport, said: “Work has started on a range of measures to enhance the pedestrian and cycle routes which link our communities and employment areas in and around Parkway, Lockleaze and Cribbs Causeway. Filton College is already benefiting from the investment with secure lock cycle pods introduced on their campuses to encourage more people to travel by bike.”

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College’s location on Filton Avenue, just off the A38, is on one of the district’s major commuter routes. To encourage more staff and students to cycle to college, we helped them secure an LSTF employer grant worth £16,000 which was match-funded. The money has funded more than 260 cycle pods which are helping to improve bicycle security. The new security devices have a mechanism which is specially designed to allow both wheels to be securely locked within a few seconds.

The pods have been installed across three campuses and provide students and staff with peace of mind that their bicycles are securely locked during the day.

Joe Tripp, health and safety advisor at the college, said: “The grant from South Gloucestershire Council has not only enabled the college to increase cycle storage facilities, but it has also vastly improved the security of cycles at all our main campuses. I’m sure this will encourage more staff and students than ever to cycle into college – with fuel costs ever rising, traffic hold ups and concerns regarding climate change, we all need to review how we travel. The college is certainly doing all it can to make sustainable choices easier for us all.”

John Griffin, 17, and George Sowden, 16, are both studying A levels at the college. George is feeling the health benefits of cycling in from Winterbourne and John, who cycles in from Southmead, said: “I like the new cycle pods. They are much better than the metal ones we had before as they are more secure.”

The LSTF work will be carried out over two years and builds on the infrastructure put in place as part of the Cycling City project. More information on this fund is available at www.travelplus.org.uk