A Lancaster campaigner whose dad was seriously injured in a road accident while cycling on the Bay Gateway has hailed news of a £6m boost for cycle lanes and walking routes.
Josh Brandwood said he was "thrilled" that Lancashire County Council will receive money to deliver high quality cycle tracks and footpaths as well as safer crossings and junctions for all road users.
Josh has been calling for years for a segregated cycle lane along the Bay Gateway from Heysham.
His dad Mark Bryan was seriously injured when he was struck by a flatbed truck while cycling home from work on the A683 near Heysham in 2018.
Mr Bryan suffered multiple life-threatening and altering injuries - 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, and was diagnosed with type-2 diabetes and brain damage as a result of the trauma caused by the incident.
"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," said Josh, who is also Beyond Radio's official photographer.
"They have allocated nearly £6m in funding to Lancashire County Council for cycling and walking routes across the county.
"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 (LCWIPs) for the area."
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.
The money for Lancashire was part of a national £291m package from Active Travel England (ATE) which will allow the construction of more than 300 miles (483 km) of new walkways and cycle lanes across the country.
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