TRANSPORT

Cycling

Cycle routes can be good, but are limited.

Investment is needed to link these into a joined-up network to allow safe cycling for pleasure and commuting, and to keep them maintained.

Letting more people cycle in safety will bring health benefits, attract tourism, and remove cars from the roads.

Ashbourne bypass

Given the extremity of the problem that Ashbourne is experiencing with HGV traffic, with some reluctance the Dales Green team have decided to support the bypass in principle.

Ashbourne also urgently needs smaller changes such as enforced speed restrictions, better signage, protected footpaths. The cost of these will be a small fraction of the cost of the bypass.

Ideas like this were presented to the council last year by a non-political town team (RAFT). Some changes, such as footpath-widening, were implemented to enable social distancing in the pandemic. We need these changes to be made permanent, and for the other proposals to be acted on.

***add 6-point statement when agreed***

Buses

Bus services in the division are insufficient. Even for the largest town (Ashbourne) evening and weekend services to Derby are limited. This is far worse for journeys between villages.

For a fraction of the roads budget, subsidies to buses across Derbyshire could be significantly increased. Better buses would reduce the clogging of our roads and avoid some road projects.

20 is plenty

I back the ’20 is plenty’ campaign. 20mph speed limits will not only slow traffic, but also encourage some of it to stay on the major roads where it belongs.

These will need to be enforced, particularly outside schools.

As a councillor I would be keen to hear from and support residents wanting 20mph speed limits in their own neighbourhoods.

Electric vehicles

Electric cars are coming, and again Derbyshire is being left behind. We need charging points.

​

I've written a 'transport' blog post, which goes into some of the above in more detail.