17/04/20

A temporary one-way system for pedestrians around Roath Park Lake is being introduced this weekend to help local residents follow social distancing guidelines when they go on their daily exercise.

The pilot scheme, which will start on Saturday April 18, is in response to concerns raised by local residents and will involve a clockwise one-way system around the path by the lake, so that the lake is on the right with the road on the left, and will remain in place seven days a week until further notice.

Signs will be placed in the park to show local residents and visitors how the new system will work and staff will be on hand this weekend to help bed in the new arrangements.

Two-way traffic will be maintained on Wild Gardens, Lake Road East and Lake Road West, between the Wild Gardens and the promenade. Here, all visitor parking will be removed, nearest to the lake, which will provide additional space for cyclists and joggers.

The changes to the layout of the highway are designed to discourage people from making non-essential trips by car to the area.

Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, Cllr Peter Bradbury said: "Generally park users have been doing their best to follow the two metre social distancing guideline set out by the Government, but Roath Park Lake is one area where the size of the paths, coupled with its popularity, have made this more difficult in practice.

"By keeping people moving in one direction and increasing the space available to them, we hope it will allow people to use the park responsibly, which in turn will help us keep the park open for people to enjoy during the outbreak."

To make sure that the newly available road space can be used safely, and to encourage active travel from surrounding neighbourhoods to the lake, an emergency 20mph zone is also being introduced.

Cabinet Member for Transport, Cllr Caro Wild, said: "Encouraging active travel by providing more space for pedestrians and cycling is something we're already establishing across the city. With a lot less vehicles on the road, and restrictions in place on non-essential journeys, it makes sense to reallocate this space to alternative forms of transport.

"We know from the successful introduction of 20mph schemes in other areas of the city that they can be a really good way of making our streets safer for walking and cycling and hopefully it will encourage people living in the surrounding neighbourhoods to walk or cycle to the lake for their daily exercise."

The one way system around the lake is due to be introduced on a pilot basis for the weekend commencing 18^thApril. If successful the scheme will be extended until at least 26^thApril with a view to implementing more durable measures to cover a longer period of COVID-19.