Lancaster man welcomes £6m funding for safe cycle routes after dad survives serious collision on Bay Gateway
A Lancaster man campaigning for safe cycle route plans after his dad survived a serious collision on the Bay Gateway has welcomed news that £6m in funding has been allocated towards improving cycling and walking routes across the county.
Active Travel England have allocated nearly £6m in funding to Lancashire County Council for the initiative.
In partnership with Lancaster City Council, Lancashire County Council commissioned AtkinsRéalis to develop stages 1 to 4 of the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) for the Lancaster district.
The LCWIP report, published by Lancashire County Council last April, identifies the Heysham to Lancaster Greenway Route as the highest priority, and highlights the already significant demand for this link.
Josh Brandwood, whose dad Mark Bryan was left for dead at the side of the road after a collision with an HGV as he cycled along the Bay Gateway, said: "After years of campaigning for a segregated cycle lane along the Bay Gateway road stretch from Heysham, following my father's accident, I am thrilled to hear yesterday's announcement from Active Travel England.
"For years, I’ve worked closely with officers from Lancashire County Council’s Highways Team, who have dedicated tremendous time and effort to developing Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans for the area.
“The availability of this funding is a major milestone for this campaign, presenting a key opportunity to advocate for a portion of it to be allocated to the Heysham to Lancaster route.
“The campaign has strong support from the public, as well as from MPs Cat Smith and Lizzi Collinge, along with many county councillors, so I remain hopeful for a successful outcome."
As we reported at the time, cyclist Mark Bryan was hours from death after a serious collision with a drunk driver who forced him off the road on the Bay Gateway in December 2018.
He was left for dead at the side of the road, and suffered multiple life-threatening and altering injuries, giving doctors no choice but to place him in a medically induced coma for two weeks to allow his body to recover.
The crash left Mark, then 57, with lacerations to his liver and kidneys, multiple fractures to his arm, ribs, shoulder blade, spine, neck, pelvis and skull. He also fractured his femur which ruptured the main artery in his leg.