Students saddle up after new bike sheds installed
Students are saddling up after new bike sheds were installed at their school, with hopes that the wheels could be set in motion for safer travel.
Priory School in Longden Road, Shrewsbury, invested in the huge new sheds after many more youngsters wanted to cycle to school this term.
Head teacher Alison Pope puts it down to a bigger focus on health and wellbeing during the first lockdown and the summer months, and hopes the surrounding roads can be made safer for pupils to cycle on.
"We've been trying to push more of our students towards active travel," she said. "A lot more of them wanted to cycle to school after the first lockdown after there was more focus on health and wellbeing. We just didn't have enough space so we found money in the budget to to install the new bike sheds. We want to encourage them to cycle to school."
The school is backing a petition launched by the Meole Traffic Group, which is calling for a review into the road issues in the area including poor maintenance, heavy congestion, lack of parking generally and on Shrewsbury Town home match days, narrow roads and a lack of safe cycling provision. When the petition hits 1,000 signatures, the group plans to submit it to Shropshire Council for debate.
One issue of concern is the fact the lack of a cycling lane on the Priory side of Longden Road means children have to either cycle a narrow pavement and navigate past pedestrians, or cross a road which is notoriously busy at the start and end of a school day. Ambulances are also regularly rushing up and down the road to emergencies.
