We have already done a lot to encourage cycling and want to improve on that by building safe cycling routes into and across the city. We have been awarded £5.7m from the Department for Transport’s ‘Cycling City Ambition Fund’ to develop these routes and encourage more people to cycle. This will not only benefit cyclists, but bring environmental improvements and health benefits for everyone and support a city wide road network fit for the future.
What this means for Benwell Lane
We want to invest in the area, improving existing and creating new cycle lanes along Benwell Lane, between Condercum Road and Delaval Road. These cycle lanes will form part of our Strategic Route 1 (SR1) that links Benwell, Scotswood and your surrounding neighbourhoods to the city-centre. We also want to make other road improvements in the area that will benefit pedestrians and bus users. There will be some short term disruption but this will lead to long term benefits for Benwell, Scotswood and the whole of the city.
Improvements include:
- Introducing new cycle lanes along Benwell Lane
- resurfacing some roads and footpaths
- replacing most of the pedestrian islands with new, safer Zebra crossing. Some of these will have road humps that slow traffic down
- a Road Safety Scheme between Hodgkin Park Road and Pendower Way
- tightening-up side road junctions which will also be raised (road hump)
- introducing a School Safety Zone and 20mph speed limit between Rushie Avenue and Delaval Road
- introducing some waiting restrictions to make the road safer for all road users
- improving the existing signalised junction at Adelaide Terrace / Atkinson Road / Benwell Lane / Condercum Road
