PLANS to allow cyclists to ride the “wrong way” up a one-way Hereford city centre street have been given a £300,000 funding boost.

Herefordshire Council’s scheme for a contraflow cycle lane along St Owen Street is set to benefit from the Government’s investment.

The council will receive £750,000 from the Towns Fund for projects across the city which help boost the economy and protect the environement.

This contraflow would mean cyclists who currently have to travel along Bath Street and the inner ring road to get to the city centre can instead travel along St Owen Street.

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“We have identified significant demand for a contraflow facility for cyclists into the city centre to access employment,” a council officer said.

“It also provides a valuable link for cyclists across the city in the morning and evening peak periods, avoiding the higher traffic flow routes and the A49 trunk road network.

“The scheme will provide a segregated contraflow cycle lane along St Owen Street from Bath Street and will provide enhanced pedestrian crossing points, including the introduction of a controlled crossing, along the street to improve the pedestrian permeability across this wide street.”

The county council will receive £750,000 for a range of different schemes and £200,000 of this will go towards a grant scheme to cover 80% of the costs for eCargo and to expand the eBike scheme provided by Beryl Bikes.

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Council officers say the existing Beryl Bikes scheme has been extremely popular with more people using them than they had expected.

“Increasing the number of bikes within the scheme and the type of bike available will improve accessibility, increase the impact and degree of modal shift,” a council report reads.

“The eCargo and eBike elements will operate as a grant where businesses purchase a bike using a set specification from one of a number of suppliers of eCargo or eBikes.

“The grant provides a subsidy of this cost providing that the purchase meets the scheme specification and other eligibility criteria.”

The council says the project will promote and encourage low carbon means of transport and help reduce congestion and improve air quality.

They hope it will also encourage people to make healthier travel choices and help reach the carbon neutrality target by 2030.