More bike lanes could be installed and certain roads blocked to through traffic under fresh plans to encourage cycling and walking across Southport.
Key roads could see changes as Sefton Council considers plans for routes between Hesketh Park and Crossens and between Birkdale, Hillside and Ainsdale, passing Birkdale and Greenbank high schools.
The local authority has launched a consultation on proposals which would include creating bike lanes across the entire routes and introducing more quiet streets - roads which are open to cars and bikes but which can only be used by cars for access rather than as through routes.
According to the consultation documents, the changes “will make the street a nice place to be and to walk or cycle along” and forms part of the ‘Healthy Streets’ initiative.
If carried out, the work would take advantage of almost £1m of government and EU funding which can only be used for enabling active transport and must be completed by a deadline of March 31 next year.
The plans are designed to extend from similar plans rolled out last year which replaced parking spaces with cycling lanes on Hoghton Street and Talbot Street and block traffic through Queens Road.
The Hesketh Park-Crossens route would include new crossing points to access the park and the addition of a separate, family-friendly two-way cycle lane on one side of the road around. As a result, car parking would then only be available on the opposite side of the road.
The pavement would be widened along Cambridge Road and, in one of the biggest changes for motorists, the number of lanes at Churchtown lights would be reduced to create a safe space for cycling.
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Preston New Road’s cycle lane is to be improved to meet national standards and a traffic light junction is suggested to replace the mini-roundabout at the Fairhaven Road and North Road.
On the Birkdale-Ainsdale route, York Road, Trafalgar Road, Greenbank Drive, Alma Road, Dover Road, Hillside Road are all earmarked to become quiet streets, while Liverpool Road is to benefit from family-friendly cycle lanes on both sides and new benches for pedestrians to stop and rest.
The cycle lanes are also planned to extend across Waterloo Road, with one side moving onto the pavement over the bridge as it “would be too expensive to move the edge of the road to make enough room on the road for people cycling”.
Aughton Road and Upper Aughton Road could be narrowed “make sure the people walking and cycling feel safer”, while parking bays could be added to the latter to discourage drivers from stopping on the pavement.
The proposed walking and cycling route will link directly to both Greenbank and Birkdale high schools.
Plans are also being considered to make improvements and additional facilities to enable cycling around the Crosby coastal path.
Cllr Paulette Lappin, Cabinet Member for Regulatory, Compliance and Corporate Services said: “Active travel is a key part of our response to the climate emergency. It is vital that we facilitate green travel, reduce our emissions and allow people to make greener travel choices.
“Cycling and walking reduces the amount of vehicles on our roads, improving our air quality and minimising our contribution to climate change.
“We encourage all residents to participate in this consultation to shape our plans and make Sefton cleaner and greener.”
No decisions have yet been made and residents and interested parties are invited to have their say online or via phone by June 27.
It would also tie into the council’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions across the borough.
As well as the proposed intoduction of ‘quiet streets’, ideas for making walking safer include removing poles and street signs which are no longer needed, widening pavements, improving crossing and junctions, adding in rest points and new shelter.
Cycling would be made safer and more attractive through the addition of wide cycle lanes and cycle parking.
Simon O’Brien, Walking and Cycling Commissioner for the Liverpool City Region said: “Cycling is great for air quality and the environment, and brilliant for our physical and mental health and wellbeing. But we shouldn’t just think of getting on our bikes as exercise – it’s also a cheap and easy way to commute to work, travel to school or college and even pop to the local shops.
“But to encourage more people to leave the car at home for short journeys we need to make cycling a really attractive option by building safe, separated routes where people can ride their bikes with confidence. That’s why routes like the one being planned in Crosby and Southport are so important.
“We know that across our city region support for new, safer cycle lanes is really high – about 70% of people back this infrastructure being built – but it’s vital to get feedback from residents, road users and cyclists about specific routes, and that’s why we’re asking people to take part in this consultation let us know what they think.”
