A new Preston Cycle Superhighway proposal aims to make cycling and walking safer for residents.

The proposal involves a junction upgrade known as CYCLOPS that will improve facilities for those cycling or walking the mile between the Cop Lane junction and Preston Railway Station.

Residents, local businesses and road users have been invited to a public engagement event from 16 November until 14 December 2021 to offer feedback on the proposal.

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Cabinet member for highways and transport County Councillor Charlie Edwards said: “It is exciting to be one of the front-runners in delivering innovative cycling and walking infrastructure, as this junction would be the first of its kind in Lancashire.

“Currently, pedestrians and cyclists have no option but to cross the traffic, which can lead to conflicts with vehicles and can be intimidating to pedestrians and cyclists. This often creates a barrier to walking and cycling.”

Edwards said the junction maximises the opportunities for safe cycling and walking as it separates cyclists, pedestrians and vehicles and removes conflicts.

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Lancashire County Council is delivering the scheme, and it will also provide safety improvements for users of the Preston Guild Wheel route, which crosses the busy junction.

The council said they want to provide safety improvements that will encourage residents to switch to active modes of travel and leave the car at home, facilitating health and environmental benefits.

The CYCLOPS junction improvements at Broadgate form a part of the active travel corridor between Penwortham and Preston and are funded by the Department for Transport’s Active Travel Fund (Tranche 2).

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CYCLOPS is an abbreviation of Cycle Optimised Protected Signals, a junction type that separates pedestrians and cyclists from motorised traffic, reducing the risk of collisions or conflict.

Transport for Greater Manchester first developed the award-winning concept, and it will be the first in Lancashire.

The main feature is an external orbital cycle track, which circles the junction and protects cyclists from general traffic, allowing all to use it safely.

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Cyclists can make a right turn at the junction and complete it in one movement (dependent on signal timings). It will remove the need to cross traffic lanes or make the turn in multiple crossing stages.

The public can send views to the council by email or post to Broadgate Junction Improvement Engagement, Lancashire County Council, PO Box 78, County Hall, Preston, PR1 8XJ.

For more information, visit – lancashire.gov.uk/activetravel

A video of Cllr Edwards discussing the new scheme is available to view below.

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