Active Travel Forres group inviting community to Forres House on Saturday discuss improving routes for cyclists and pedestrians
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A group aimed at improving local routes for cyclists and pedestrians is inviting the community to suggest and hear ideas.
Volunteers Active Travel Forres (ATF) will discuss improvements around the town and encourage others to join their efforts to gain access to grant funding at an open meeting at Forres House Community Centre from 11am on Saturday, April 15.
Local resident and retired physiotherapist, Judith Binney, explained that the Scottish Government sees active travel as a key priority in tackling climate change and improving the public’s wellbeing - and significant funding is available to groups to help achieve this.
She said: “Imagine that you and your family could walk and cycle safely to school and the shops without the stress of avoiding cars and other vehicles.
“We formed ATF to help make that a reality.
“We’ve persuaded Moray Council to fund important improvements but their funding is limited.
“We are inviting the public to help us make active travel in Forres a reality.
“We look forward to welcoming people and hearing their ideas.”
ATF started in 2020 in response to a planning consultation carried out by the local authority which found a need to improve active travel for wheelchair users, cyclists, pedestrians and those with young children.
The group’s aim is to help create a network of interlinked, traffic free routes throughout the town, including safe routes.
Judith said: “Waiting for Sustrans-quality routes to be planned and built takes forever but small changes to existing routes can make a big difference.
“We identified lots of these places and have discussed them with the council’s active travel officer and traffic engineer,
“Many alterations are part of bigger reviews, such as the High Street redesign, but the officers agreed that this year some of the kerbs we identified can be lowered to help pushchairs, trollies, scooters and bikes.”
She added: “At the moment we are concentrating on children having safe cycle routes to school, and improving access to High Street, Forres Health and Care Centre and the railway station.”
ATF is meeting with council officers again in this month. Meanwhile, its Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/785618812545475/?hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen&multi_permalinks=876170750156947 is raising awareness.
“We currently have 140 followers,” said Judith. “When we become a formal organisation at the meeting on April 15, we will have members. Applications to suitable grant funders will be discussed once we have a proper committee in place.”
Email activetravelforres@gmail.com for more information.
