Hull roads to be blocked off this month under radical cycling plans

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Hull's roads will never be the same again under radical plans to promote cycling in the city.

Several one-way roads in Hull city centre will be blocked to drivers while two lanes on Ferensway will be shut.

Work will get underway on a host of major routes around the city this month, which also include a lane on Spring Bank being closed to motorists temporarily.

With more commuters and visitors expected to use their bikes to avoid public transport as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the likes of Holderness Road, Spring Bank, Anlaby Road and Beverley Road will all also be transformed.

In some places, the carriageway available to cars will be narrowed for the new lanes to be introduced.

As reported previously, existing cycle lanes on routes such as Freetown Way will also be expanded. Among the changes that will be made during the work will be contraflow lanes for cyclists on all one-way streets, while bolt-down kerbs and green lines will be added to many other routes.

Drivers will be physically blocked from using Wright Street and Baker Street as a short cut between Freetown Way and Prospect Street and a lane in each direction of Ferensway, between Paragon Interchange and Anlaby Road, will be temporarily sealed off.

Instead, the latter will become a cycle route and offer space for pedestrians. Parking bays could be suspended on South Street to loading only and Silver Street may be pedestrianised to encourage businesses to make use of the outdoor space.

The plans will be discussed at the council’s overview and scrutiny management committee meeting on Thursday.

Councillor Daren Hale, portfolio holder for economic investment, regeneration and planning on Hull City Council, said: "The city is experiencing a cycling renaissance and we want to make sure we can maintain that momentum. “That’s why schemes such as the one in Freetown Way are being progressed at speed so that we can meet the requirements for this vital DfT (Department for Transport) funding.

"This means we will be changing our usual consultation process and inviting the public for comments once the work has been carried out.

“Hull currently sits at number eight in the top 10 league table for cycling to work outside of London, with eight per cent of our residents cycling to work, compared to just three per cent nationally. "This is a league table we want to get to the top of and as an authority we will do all we can to sustain and encourage this trend going forward.

“We want to ensure the upgrades we make to our cycling infrastructure such as segregated lanes and increasing road space for cyclists are measures which allow cyclists to feel safe and confident when using our city’s roads.�

Plans were already in place to add cycle lanes to Holderness Road, Spring Bank, Anlaby Road and Beverley Road under long-term proposals but they will all be sped up as a result of the pandemic.

https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news...-plans-4209157