£70m to improve transport and highways in Barnsley

The schemes will be funded via the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement, of which Barnsley received an overall £70m.

BMBC’s cabinet is set to accept the funding during its meeting tomorrow (November 2), and two schemes have so far been identified for funding.

The first is improvements to the A628 and A635, between Town End and Penistone.

In a bid to improve bus journey times on the route, improve air quality,reduce congestion and support access to employment, the council will undertake “highways and bus priority interventions”.

A report to cabinet states: “The interventions are intended to make public transport more attractive by making bus services quicker and, therefore, more attractive over the private car.”

Active travel schemes will see walking and cycling infrastructure built across the borough, to “provide a safe and attractive alternative toprivate car use, thus reducing congestion and improving air quality and furtherencouraging healthy activity”.

Schemes proposed include off-road segregated footway level cycle tracks, improved crossing facilities, decluttering “unnecessary” street furniture , and utilising disused railway lines.

The report adds that this will “provide a more cohesive network that is far more effective for road users, is inclusive for mobility users, and attracts a higher number of walking and cycling trips to employment hubs, schools, town centre, and recreational usage.”

The report, if approved, will grant permission for the council’s head of property to make compulsory purchase orders to acquire privately owned land or property where necessary.