It is hoped the opening of a £1m cycle path will help bring an area of Nottinghamshire on par with Holland. The new route for cyclists has been completed in West Bridgford and will eventually link to a £9m bridge over the River Trent.
Holland is noted for its world-class cycling infrastructure, with more than 37,000 kilometres of cycle paths. One such route stretches across the Dutch coastline for more than 600km.
The new cycle route has been built in Regatta Way and links the A6011 Radcliffe Road to Adbolton Lane. Nottinghamshire County Council says it allows cyclists to be better connected to facilities at Holme Pierrepont Country Park as well as other cycle routes in the wider area.
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It is a dedicated two-way path which is fully segregated from both traffic and pedestrians and cost £1.24m to build. The county council was recently criticised for its spending of £500,000 on a cycle lane in the north of the county.
Residents however have welcomed the route. Cyclist Richard Nicholson, 59, a mental health nurse from Lady Bay, said: “I love it. I cycle regularly as I live close by.
"A lot of people use it, it’s been used quite a lot over the last two weeks as they’ve been building it in stages since July. I think the council want to build a school on the fields so they’ve added the infrastructure first but I’m not keen on that idea.
"The cycle lane encourages more people to come to Lady Bay and if you turn half a mile you can get to the River Trent. They are meant to be building a cycle bridge over River Trent soon, they have the funding for it.
"I’m in favour of this new cycle path though it encourages people to get out of their cars and cycle. I was on holiday in Holland not that long ago and they had cycle paths everywhere. It was great, I’d love there to be more put in over here."
Eventually a route dedicated to cyclists will cover West Bridgford and Lady Bay, at the south of Nottingham, with a new pedestrian and cycle bridge running over the River Trent. The £9.27 million bridge is being funded by Nottingham City Council’s bid to the Government’s Transforming Cities Fund.
Stanley Chan, 57, retired from West Bridgford, added: "Its very good cycling along it as it's very smooth. We saw there was a new cycle park on the Nottingham information site.
"We bought the bikes today so it’s our first time on the new cycle path and the bikes, it’s good for our health, it’s perfect."
Nottinghamshire County Council says it received funding from the Government’s Active Travel Fund to complete the scheme, which has upgraded the old path previously shared by pedestrians and cyclists. Via East Midlands began working on the scheme in January this year following two rounds of consultation with residents.
Councillor Neil Clarke, cabinet member for Transport and Environment who represents Radcliffe-on-Trent for the Conservatives, said: “The opening of this new route on Regatta Way is a big step forwards for cycle safety in the local area.
“We work closely with Via East Midlands to deliver cycle safety schemes including the Bikeability programme, and we are pleased that this project will deliver a safe route for people of all ages and cycling abilities to enjoy on their bikes.
“With the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham bringing cycling onto our TV screens and the Tour of Britain coming to Nottinghamshire next month, there’s never been more cycling inspiration and so we’re hoping that the new route will be well used by seasoned cyclists and those new to it alike.
“There are so many benefits to walking and cycling, including cleaner air and less congested roads and I am pleased that there was so much local support for this scheme which will bring numerous benefits to the area.
“Local people will also be pleased to know that resurfacing works have taken place on Regatta Way to coincide with the opening of the new cycle route.
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