Date published: 2026-07-30 | Category: Delivering for local residents, Roads, travel and transport, Tackling the climate and ecological emergency
Work on three walking, wheeling and cycling routes to help people get across Bath safely and more easily is set to get under way this summer and autumn.
Work is starting on pedestrian and cycle improvements along the A36 Beckford Road and Sydney Place. Further work will start at Bear Flat from 30 July, where the measures will also help improve bus reliability on the A367. In Royal Victoria Park, improvements are planned to improve links between Weston and the city centre, and these are due to be delivered this autumn, subject to a 21-day statutory consultation from 30 July.
The proposals for Royal Victoria Park are designed to make it safer, easier and more accessible for people to travel actively through the park and ensure it’s welcoming for everyone.
The council consulted on earlier proposals last year and the revised design reflects residents’ feedback. It includes heritage-style, eco-sensitive lighting to support safety and year-round use, resurfaced pavements to improve accessibility, four new raised crossings to support pedestrian priority and slow traffic, and a new zebra crossing on Park Lane. Vehicles will still be able to access the park from Park Lane, as they do now.
A new cycle route features green surfacing and flexible ‘tulip wand’ separators to create a clear boundary from the road. Parking provision will be retained to meet demand, including at peak times, and new disabled bays will be installed close to amenities.
People can view the proposals and submit comments during the statutory consultation from 30 July via the project webpage.
Work to make it better to walk, wheel and cycle around A36 Beckford Road, Sydney Road and Sydney Place will support links between Bath city centre, Sydney Gardens, the Kennet & Avon Canal, Sydney Road quiet route, Bathwick St Mary’s Primary School and The Holburne Museum.
Included are a new pedestrian and cycle crossing over the A36 Beckford Road at the canal entrance, new shared-use paths, and upgraded crossings at Sydney Road, Sydney Place and the Great Pulteney Street/A36 junction to improve access.
Work at Bear Flat is part of the Somer Valley Links project to improve travel between Midsomer Norton, Radstock, Bath and Bristol. Measures will help reduce bus delays on the A367, make journeys more reliable, improve safety for children walking to nearby schools, and create a more attractive and accessible public space.
The scheme includes a safer, shorter pedestrian crossing on Wells Road, an extended northbound bus lay-by, an improved bus stop with seating and real-time information, raised side-road crossings, and an improved public space.
Councillor Lucy Hodge, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Transport Delivery, said:
“We want to make it safer, easier and more pleasant for people to get around, whether they are walking, wheeling, cycling or using the bus and these schemes will help achieve that. They will improve everyday connections and, at Bear Flat, help buses run more reliably.
“In Royal Victoria Park, we have listened to feedback and refined the plans, retaining vehicle access while delivering better facilities for people walking, wheeling and cycling through the park. The improvements will create safer crossings, better accessibility and a more welcoming environment for everyone.
“We will do our best to reduce disruption to traffic while these are installed and want to thank people for their patience as these improvements are put in.”
Funding for the schemes was secured by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority. More than half a billion pounds was awarded to the West of England through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), to improve sustainable travel across the region.
Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said: "By investing in better facilities for walking, cycling and public transport, together we're giving people across and around Bath more sustainable journey options. These improvements should all contribute to reducing congestion, improving air quality, and making it safer for children to get to school.
"With a record £752 million of further transport funding from the government, we’re working on even bigger plans to better connect our towns and cities in the future. With greater investment in better buses, more trains, mass transit, and active travel upgrades like this, we can get the West moving."
A further three-quarters of a billion pounds was secured by the combined authority last year, to be invested from 2027. A new Transport Vision for the region, which set out the direction of travel for a better-connected West of England in support of the 10-year Growth Strategy, was published in February.
Find out more
Royal Victoria Park and Weston to Bath city centre route:
https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/weston-bath-city-centre
City Centre to Kennet & Avon Canal route:
https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/city-centre-kennet-avon-canal
Somer Valley Links:
www.bathnes.gov.uk/somer-valley-links
To stay informed on the latest transport developments across Bath & North East Somerset, check out our interactive Transport Action Map: https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/transport-action-map.
Photo courtesy of Kilian O’Sullivan.