A number of north-east walking and cycling projects will benefit from £500,000 of government funding.
Nestrans made a successful bid for support from the Regional Transport Partnership Active Travel Grant which will be split between five different projects.
Vice-chairwoman Maggie Bochel said Nestrans, the transport partnership for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, is looking forward to working alongside partners to deliver the projects over the next year.
She said: “This was an ambitious bid to support a range of important and valuable projects.
“The funding will be used to help us invest in our paths to ensure that they are well-maintained, accessible, and enticing places for walking and cycling.
“It will allow us to support more people to take up cycling with schemes for affordable bikes and repairs, as well as providing access to essential cycle training to instil confidence.”
What are the projects?
Among the projects will be a “long-overdue” regional hub for recycling, repair and reuse. Discounted and affordable bikes will be available, as well as a referral scheme for children who otherwise may not be able to own their own bike.
The funding will be used to build on a successful Nestrans’ pilot from last year which supports the creation of a permanent signed cycling network. The North East Cycle Network aims to enable and encourage more people to travel by bike.
Repairs and replacements will be made to around 50 bridges on the Formartine and Buchan Way, which is actively used recreationally and by commuters. This follows the recent fabrication of ten bridges on the route.
Funding will also be used to carry out a survey on more than 440 miles of “non-road core paths”, with any future work aiming to allow “greater accessibility” and “greater confidence” for users.
Finally, a Provision of Adult Cycle Training project will offer free bicycle training for adults of all abilities across the north-east. One-to-one courses will be available, as well as small group training, with access to bikes and equipment if needed.
