New commuter route to airport
WORK has started to provide a complete four-and-a-half mile walking and cycling route from Luton to Harpenden along a former railway line.
Although much of the former Luton, Dunstable and Welwyn Railway route, which last saw trains in 1965, is already a public path, thanks to county council funding and a new bridge over the Lower Luton Road at East Hyde, it is about to be extended an extra mile to the Bedfordshire boundary, where the path is planned to continue on to Airport Way in Luton once sufficient cash becomes available.
Councillor Stuart Pile, cabinet member for transport and rural affairs, said: “We’ve long been committed to the provision of safe, signed, convenient cycle and walking routes that enable people to travel in and between our town centres quickly and easily, so we’re delighted to see the finishing stages underway on this major partnership scheme.
“As well as the environmental benefits of cycling and walking, there are also proven health benefits, especially if you do it regularly. We anticipate that the work will be completed later in the spring – when hopefully people will be keen to try leaving the car at home and go by bike.”