Plymouth Secures £4.3m to Boost Pedestrian and Cycle Safety
The Government has awarded more than £4.3m to Plymouth City Council to improve safety and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists across the city.
The funding comes in response to continued concerns over road safety in Plymouth. Of the six road fatalities recorded in the city during 2024, four involved pedestrians. In total, there were 524 road casualties, including 90 pedestrians and 51 cyclists, according to reports highlighted by Rayo.
A key element of the programme will see up to £500,000 invested in cycle safety improvements at the roundabout east of Stonehouse Bridge. The junction has been identified as the city’s worst location for pedestrian and cyclist road traffic collisions.
The funding package will also support a long-awaited active travel connection between Ponsonby Road, Alma Road and Central Park. The scheme will connect with previous infrastructure upgrades at Somerset Place and complete what the council describes as a “missing link” within the city’s walking and cycling network.
The project has already been included within the council’s capital programme of more than 300 schemes but had previously been dependent on securing external funding. Officials say the completed route will provide an important final connection into Central Park and strengthen wider active travel links across the area.
Council reports also highlighted that insufficient cycle parking provision across Plymouth is discouraging more residents from choosing cycling as a regular mode of transport. Additional investment will therefore support measures aimed at improving facilities and encouraging greater uptake of active travel.
Council leader Tudor Evans formally accepted the funding offer and approved its inclusion within the authority’s capital programme under delegated powers.
Of the total allocation, £3.519m in capital funding will be used to deliver infrastructure projects over the next four years. A further £828,000 in revenue funding will support the development of future schemes, maintenance of existing active travel routes, removal of barriers to walking and cycling, and initiatives designed to encourage safer road user behaviour.
The investment aligns with the Government’s wider ambition for 2035, which aims to make walking, wheeling and cycling safe, accessible and convenient options for everyday journeys, helping communities benefit from improved health, reduced congestion and lower environmental impacts.
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