A £225m emergency active travel fund has been launched by the Government to support temporary improvements to sustainable transport during the pandemic, and views on congested walking and cycling routes are being sought.

Dorset Council has been awarded £577k and is now considering what measures could be taken to help residents with social distancing while travelling around towns, and in preparation for the restart after lockdown. Temporary solutions could include:

1. Widening footways, especially on high streets, to ensure that those walking and queuing for essential goods can keep apart from each other
2. Installing measures to restrict through-traffic from some streets to ensure that physical distancing can occur, especially on access routes to local amenities
3. Installing temporary cycle lanes separated from traffic, particularly on routes where cycle use is high

To help plan and focus areas of work, the council is asking residents to make suggestions using an online map to highlight areas of concern and see what issues have already been raised. All suggestions will be examined but, due to funding limitations, not all submitted ideas can be progressed.

Submit your suggestion by visiting www.dorsetsafestreetsmap.commonplace.is by the end of July.

Suggestions will continually be analysed by Dorset Highways as they are submitted and prioritised by their benefit to walking, cycling and wheelchair users, with likely impacts on parking, access and delivery services taken into consideration before final schemes are submitted for funding approval.

Of the £577k awarded, £115k is for the short-term immediate measures needed to support social distancing and ensure safer town centres when shops reopen from 15 June.

A further £462k is available for medium-term or permanent measures, with residents being asked to highlight concerns of pavement and cycleway pinch points.