Abbey Road (Ramsden Square to Park Drive), Barrow-in-Furness

Our scheme to improve active travel in the town, connecting residential areas to key services.

Status: Construction complete
Funding: Active Travel Fund 3 (ATF3)
Policy Framework: Barrow-in-Furness Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP)

Project description

The Abbey Road Active Travel route creates a safe and continuous 1.1 km route through the town centre of Barrow-in-Furness between Ramsden Square and Park Drive. The route improves connectivity between nearby residential areas with employers, education, shops and other services. 

Funding for the scheme was secured through the government's Active Travel Fund 3 alongside additional funding through the #BrilliantBarrow Town Deal, part of the government's Towns Fund. 

The scheme successfully completed on 30 September, marking the occasion with a launch event that brought the community together for a mass walk, wheel and cycle to celebrate the improvements.

About the scheme

The Abbey Road scheme runs from Ramsden Square to the junction with Park Drive. It was shaped by feedback from local residents following a public consultation in 2023. The active travel route was designed in a way that can support active travel journeys for people of all ages and abilities.

We designed the scheme around the tree lines on the street. To minimise changes to existing traffic lanes and reduce impacts on journey times for motorists, we have: 

  • created new one way cycle lanes within the existing wide pavements on both sides of Abbey Road
  • installed cycle lanes in both directions around Ramsden Square and at key junctions, to assist the directness of movement for cyclists 

These changes provide dedicated space for pedestrians and cyclists. They will make the route safer and more comfortable for everyone that uses it. 

We have upgraded crossing points on the route more convenient, accessible and safe. These changes include:

  • new parallel crossings and priority for pedestrians and cyclists at side-road junctions
  • mini zebra crossings, so that pedestrians can cross the cycle lane

The cycle lane route is behind the bus stops. We have installed mini zebra crossing to let pedestrians to access public transport safely. 

We've also installed improved lighting throughout the corridor, including new heritage-style lighting columns. This creates a safer and more attractive environment for all users.

Active Travel have published information about the types of improvements we have made. This includes the different types of cycleways, parallel crossings and side road crossings on Abbey Road. The information also explains how pedestrians, cyclists and motorists should use them. 

Read Active Travel's guide to safer roads for travelling actively. 

Drawings

You can view the scheme at the preliminary design stage in our Abbey Road route plan (PDF , 8.7MB).

Consultation and engagement 

We held a public consultation between 19 May and 9 June 2023, to gather feedback on preliminary designs for the project. 

We presented two options for consideration, options A and B. Following consultation, Council members endorsed a preliminary design based on option A. This option includes the addition of new one-way cycle lanes, primarily within the existing space for the footways.

You can read full details about options A and B, along with our analysis and summary in our Abbey Road Consultation Report (PDF , 592KB). 

This report may not be accessible using assistive technologies. Please contact us if you would like an accessible version.

Contact us

If you have any queries or comments about the project or would like to be added to our mailing list for updates, please contact our project team. Email: abbeyroad@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk.