A611 Derby Road cycle scheme frequently asked questions

There is currently no cycle route along Derby Road between the A60 and Cauldwell Road. There are shared use footways/cycleways along the A60 Nottingham Road and Derby Road south of its junction with Cauldwell Road, and the scheme will provide a valuable link between these facilities. Once complete, pedestrians, cyclists and other footway users will benefit from new cycle tracks on both the north and south sides of Derby Road, which run adjacent to Vision West Nottinghamshire College. The scheme will provide better connections from the residential areas to the college for pedestrians and cyclists. 

The route has been included in the D2N2 Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) and has been identified as a priority route through analysis undertaken as part of the LCWIP. The scheme forms part of the strategic cycle network plan as illustrated in the LCWIP, and the route connects to other parts of the network prioritised for delivery, subject to securing further funding and Cabinet Member approval. 

Pedestrian and cycle surveys have shown that there is currently cycling activity along Derby Road but the project isn’t intended just to provide for the current level of cycling: it is hoped that creating a route on Derby Road will help to encourage cycling in the area. The scheme will be supported by a set of behaviour change packages, which look to promote cycling, with a view to increasing the amount of cycling over the longer term.  It is also anticipated that cycling activity will increase as we look to further develop our cycle network over time in accordance with the LCWIP.

We will be undertaking pedestrian and cycle surveys along the route after it is constructed and will monitor flows over the longer term.

We are investing £27million into highway maintenance this year. The Active Travel Fund is a separate fund allocated by central government specifically for councils to invest in walking and cycling infrastructure, to be designed in accordance with the governments cycle infrastructure design standards. The council therefore cannot use it for other purposes.

In 2020 the Government issued new cycle infrastructure design standards and created an executive body, Active Travel England, to ensure that councils design and build projects to these standards. These new standards state that cycles must be treated as vehicles and not as pedestrians. Therefore, new cycle infrastructure must look to physically separate cyclists from pedestrians, as well as from motor vehicles, giving cyclists dedicated cycle lanes. This is because it has been shown that shared use facilities are not favoured by pedestrians or cyclists. The Government is therefore providing funding to authorities to build schemes to these standards, which will provide the opportunity for all people of all levels of cycling ability, including children and people with protected characteristics to cycle.

Yes. The scheme has been designed in accordance with the Government’s design standards and guidance on how to ensure that everyone can use the facilities. We have also carried out an equality impact assessment to ensure that the route is accessible to everyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or disability and does not create hazards for vulnerable pedestrians.

Yes. The visibility of accesses has been taken into consideration by the designers (Via East Midlands Ltd) and the layouts have been designed to provide better visibility for vehicles and cyclists. The scheme has also undergone a safety audit to address any safety concerns identified as part of the design process. There will be a further safety audit once the route has been built to identify and address any issues that arise. Residents along Derby Road are being contacted and sent a copy of the latest design proposals prior to the start of construction.

Since the consultation, we have been informed that from September the college will no longer be served by dedicated bus services. Instead, students will be using existing local public transport services. This means that buses will no longer be coming to the site to drop off or pick up students and, as a result, there will be far fewer pedestrians congregating on the pavement outside the college.

The designers (Via East Midlands Ltd) have advised that the new crossing outside the entrance to the college will not detrimentally impact capacity along the route.

There will need to be traffic management, including temporary traffic lights, in operation during the works but the contractor will maintain access to properties and will aim to minimise disruption to traffic, residents and businesses throughout the works.