Have your say on how we can improve physical distancing on our streets
Residents can now help East Ayrshire Council decide on some temporary measures it can take to protect public health and support physical distancing on our streets.
The Council has received £555,000 following a bid to Spaces for People, a new, temporary infrastructure programme in Scotland which offers funding and support to make it safer for people who choose to walk, cycle or wheel for essential trips and exercise during Covid-19. The Spaces for People programme is funded by the Scottish Government and managed by Sustrans Scotland.
Web pages have been created on the Sustrans Spaces for People website through which residents can leave comments on proposals put forward by the Council, or suggest any locations in which they think improvements could be made in relation to physical distancing for people who are walking, cycling or wheeling. On the website at https://spacesforpeopleeastayrshire.commonplace.is/ residents can learn more about or comment on:
- Plans for Kilmarnock cycle routes
- Plans for enabling social distancing at bus stops
- Making school streets safer (details on this will follow soon on the website)
Residents can also leave comments on improvements that can be made in Kilmarnock town centre specifically, and East Ayrshire as a whole, by pinpointing locations on interactive maps.
Priority areas for temporary pavement widening and enhanced waiting areas will be considered at:
- Pharmacies and health centres
- Key services and public buildings
- Access to shops
- Access to schools
- Pinch points on pavements
Other measures could include:
- Selective road closures using planters or cones
- Reallocating road space for wider footways
- Reallocating road space for cycle tracks
- Reallocating parking and loading
- Reduced speed limits and/or traffic calming measures
- Cycle parking
Kevin Braidwood, Interim Head of Roads for Ayrshire Roads Alliance, said: “We are looking forward to receiving suggestions and comments from our residents about how physical distancing can be made easier and safer for everyone who uses our streets, schools, bus stops and cycle lanes. Although we won’t be able to implement every request or recommendation we receive, we need our residents’ input to identify areas where physical distancing is most difficult. We can then direct the funding to where it is needed most. I would encourage everyone to take part and have their say.”
ends