Faversham Cross Town Walking Route
The Faversham Cross Town Walking Route is a step towards making Faversham an Active Travel Town.
Building on the foundation of a town-wide 20 mph limit, this scheme will create a clear, distinct and safe walking route across the town. This route is included within the adopted Faversham Local Cycling and Walking Plan (LCWIP).
This scheme is the first of a series of proposed improvements in Faversham, identified in the LCWIP, which include:
- town centre pedestrianisation
- traffic management
- protected cycle provision
- wayfinding
- active travel connections into surrounding rural communities.
Wider walking and cycling networks will stem from The Cross Town Walking Route in the next phases. This will help encourage behavioural change away from the town’s car culture.
This scheme will include:
- new speed tables and tightened junction geometry
- new field maple trees at various locations
- a new zebra crossing and improved lighting at the junctions of Napleton Road and Newton Road
- new bus border kerbs and stop markings at Lower Road bus stops to protect parking Monday to Friday between 8am and 3pm
- widened footway areas and improved road surface drainage to encourage all user groups to participate in active travel.
Read more information and plans on the Faversham Town Council website.
By 2028, Faversham is expected to have 50% more homes than it did in 2010. To make this happen, we need to prioritise a high quality pedestrian and cycling infrastructure.
Faversham is already a great example of an Active Travel Town for other smaller towns in the UK.
The town already has a walking culture, some existing traffic restrictions in the town centre and a 20mph town-wide speed limit. But, similar to other towns in the UK, the street layout makes encouraging a walking and cycling culture a challenge because:
- Two railway lines, a river creek, and main roads surrounding and within Faversham divide active travel.
- Streets are often narrow.
- Despite a relatively high level of walking, there is also high car-dependence.
- Areas of deprivation need transport alternatives to cars.
- New development on the border of Faversham will lead to the town increasing in size by 70% within 30 years. People living in those new developments will need to reach jobs and services, without using a motor vehicle.
Active Travel England (ATE) is the government’s executive agency sponsored by the Department for Transport. It is responsible for making walking, wheeling and cycling the preferred choice for everyone to get around in England.
ATE has provided a total of £900,000 towards improving the walking and cycling facilities of the town.
Last updated: 26 April 2024
This project is due to start construction in May 2024. The completion date is to be confirmed.
The traffic regulation order was published on 26 April 2024.
To contact us or for further information about this scheme email activetravel@kent.gov.uk.