Ian Southwell is a director at Vectos, Plasdŵr’s travel planning partner responsible for planning transport infrastructure including cycle routes.
“Plasdŵr has been designed with active travel at its core. A network of cycle routes, including three super cycleways, is key to this as well as working with Cardiff Council to encourage more people to travel sustainably.
“The cycle routes within Plasdŵr have been designed in line with the Welsh Government’s active travel design guidance. This means that they will be coherent, direct, safe, attractive and comfortable.
“Within the boundaries of Plasdŵr we’re working with a blank slate, which gives us more control over the scope and flexibility of the cycling provision. We’ve been able to design an outline transport infrastructure from scratch, with a carefully planned hierarchy which gives pedestrians, cyclists and public transport priority over private cars.
“Cycle routes within Plasdŵr will be designed to be safe and attractive to all users, and provide prominent, direct connections between key locations. Whether the cycle routes within Plasdŵr will be segregated (separate from pedestrian routes) or shared will depend on the route and location of the cycleway; for example, it wouldn’t be practical to have separate routes on narrower residential streets.
“Beyond Plasdŵr, where infrastructure is already in place, there are limits on what we can recommend, and Cardiff Council will be responsible for implementing many of the changes and improvements using financial contributions through the S106 agreement. The Council’s transport team is leading on a strategy for improved cycling provision across the city, including the creation of five cycling superhighways. Current proposals are for Plasdŵr to link directly with superhighway four shown on this map, which will allow residents to cycle into the city centre.
“Plasdŵr as a whole currently has outline planning consent, with detailed planning consent given to the areas currently under construction to the north and south of Llantrisant Road near Radyr, and the south of Pentrebane Road near St Fagans. As parcels of the land come forward for development, further detailed planning applications will be submitted to allow the infrastructure to be planned in more detail. This means we don’t have all the details at this stage, but the strategy that underpins the masterplan will remain the same and information will be communicated as it becomes available.
“As travel planners it’s been great for us to be part of such an important scheme for Cardiff, and one which places so much importance on active travel. Transport infrastructure in Cardiff is changing, sustainable travel is becoming more important and Plasdŵr is leading the way. “
