Connecting Sheffield: New £50million Project To Encourage Active Travel

Sheffield City Council have launched a new project aimed at encouraging sustainable active travel around the city.

Active Travel for new Connecting Sheffield scheme

A new project to encourage active travel in Sheffield has been launched today by city leaders.

The ‘Connecting Sheffield’ project will focus on promoting better sustainable travel links, such as walking, cycling and public transport across areas of the city.

£50million of funding for the project is to be provided by the Department of Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund following a successful bid by Sheffield City Region, supported by Sheffield City Council.

Works are subject to public consultation and must be completed by March 2023.

“Connecting Sheffield is a major first step in overhauling our transport network to put walking, cycling and public transport at the forefront of travel choices available in our city.

“We know that for lots of people, travelling by car is sometimes the only feasible way of getting from A to B, but we want to make sure that walking, cycling and public transport  are realistic options, especially for getting to work and for shorter journeys.Councillor Bob Johnson, Cabinet Member for Transport and Development at Sheffield City Council

Funding for Active Travel Projects, encouraging walking, cycling and public transport

The project aims at improving travel infrastructure in various parts of the city in order to promote walking, cycling and public transport over unnecessary short car journeys.

Sheffield City Council state that reducing the level of reliance on car journeys is a major priority for the city’s future.

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Key objectives are to ease congestion on Sheffield’s roads, improve air quality and to assist the city in addressing climate change issues.

“The Transforming Cities Fund will help to achieve our ambition of a transport system for South Yorkshire that is fit for the 21st century.

“By enabling walking and cycling, and improving public transport, these Connecting Sheffield schemes will reduce congestion, improve air quality and allow people to live more active lives, which will improve their mental and physical health.

“Revolutionising how we travel to include modes which are beneficial to the health of both the planet and our people is vital as we develop a stronger, greener and fairer economy and society for South Yorkshire.”Dan Jarvis, Mayor of the Sheffield City Region

First phase to include Neepsend, Kelham Island and Nether Edge

The initial phase of the project will look at areas identified as locations where people make short car journeys.

Neepsend, Kelham Island and Nether Edge are areas identified to contain a lot of short car journeys from homes to workplaces in the City Centre and the Lower Don Valley.

Proposed schemes will enable safer cycling for those journeys as well as improving bus routes to be quicker and more reliable.

Travel links are proposed to be improved in the following key areas:

• Sheffield City Centre
• Neepsend & Kelham to the City Centre
• Nether Edge to the City Centre
• Magna to Tinsley
• The City Centre to Attercliffe and Darnall
• On Abbeydale Road and Ecclesall Road

“Our cities are evolving. Both investors and people living and working in cities are increasingly looking for quality of life, a city that’s easier to get around and people friendly, with a cleaner environment. Sheffield is ideally placed to deliver on this but it needs the right infrastructure in place. That’s why we wholeheartedly support this new vision for Connecting Sheffield and look forward to hearing more about the detailed proposals.”Martin McKervey, Chair of the Sheffield Property Association

How the Connecting Sheffield project is proposed for each area

The Connecting Sheffield scheme has proposed improvements for each area as follows:

Sheffield City Centre

New cycling routes will be implemented across the City Centre, linking with cycling corridors to enable cross-city active travel.

Additionally, improved walking routes will make the City Centre more accessible and will be complemented with green spaces.

Bus Routes to/from the City Centre will be made more direct, speeding up journey times and reducing congestion.

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Neepsend/Kelham Island

Proposals include a Low Traffic Neighbourhood implementation for Kelham Island, resulting in an improved public space.

Better connections with the City Centre are set to be implemented including a high quality cycle lane and walking paths.

Additionally, bus routes will be given more priority.

Nether Edge

A new easy-to-follow cycling route will connect Nether Edge to the City Centre.

Similarly, new crossings and pedestrian walkways to allow easier crossing of the inner ring road will be introduced.

Abbeydale Road & Ecclesall Road

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Public transport routes are planned to be improved.

Bus journey times will be reduced, allowing for further improvements to frequency and reliability.

Attercliffe, Darnall and the Lower Don Valley

A new cycle route is proposed to better link Attercliffe, Darnall and the Lower Don Valley to the City Centre.

Bus routes improvements are also planned, along with ‘environmental improvements’ in the centre of Attercliffe.

Meadowhall, Tinsley and Magna

A further new cycle route will connect Tinsley and Meadowhall Interchange, along with improved pedestrian access.

In addition, links towards Rotherham will be improved and plans for walking and cycling links to the new tram/train Park and Ride at Magna are included in proposals.

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“Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic we have seen an increase in walking and cycling as people have taken the time to get outdoors and explore both their local communities and our wonderful parks and countryside, and we hope to make it possible for more people to continue to do this.

“Despite current restrictions, bus services will also remain a crucial part of our transport infrastructure into the future, helping thousands of people to get about. Although improving travel infrastructure may not seem like a priority right now, this work is vitally important in making sure our transport system is fit for purpose so that people can get to work, access services and visit family and friends now and in the future.

“We know we have a long way to go to get where we need to be, but we are excited to be able to make a start.”Councillor Bob Johnson, Cabinet Member for Transport and Development at Sheffield City Council

Ongoing updates can be found on the Connecting Sheffield project website.

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