Sandwell Council has approved a new cycling and walking plan – to get more people active and healthier and help tackle pollution and reduce congestion on the roads.
The Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan has been approved by the council’s cabinet and proposes to provide a safe and convenient network of routes.
The proposals include cycle and walking routes to provide cost effective and sustainable access to public transport hubs, education, jobs and services throughout Sandwell.
Councillor Jackie Taylor, Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for sustainable transport, said: “It is vital we do more to encourage people to cycle or walk to work, school or leisure activities in a bid to improve people’s health and reduce pollution-producing car journeys in the borough.
“Walking and cycling are some of the cheapest ways of moving around and we have come up with a plan to spread the routes across the entire borough to benefit as many Sandwell people as possible.”
Councillor Taylor said inactivity could lead to poorer health, less productivity at work, a more isolated society and to reduced educational attainment.
The new plan has been drawn up as a long-term approach to developing local cycling and walking links, ideally over a 10-year period, to increase the number of trips on foot or by cycle.
The plan was approved by the council’s cabinet earlier this month (5 February).