Flintshire commuters urged to get on their bikes

Image source, Colin Pyle | Geograph

Image caption, Cycle paths on Deeside are already proving popular, officers say

Transport chiefs hope it will be second time lucky for attempts to persuade commuters to leave their cars and get on their bikes in Flintshire.

The county council says its route between Mold and Broughton will link big employment sites with communities.

A similar proposal in 2007 was hampered by land ownership issues.

Flintshire's chief transport officer Steve Jones said the Welsh Government was "fed up" of schemes that "start nowhere and end nowhere".

"They're looking for high-profile schemes which link major communities," he told councillors on the environment scrutiny committee.

Image source, Flintshire County Council

Image caption, Cyclists would be given priority on certain roads

Mr Jones said the "exciting" ideas included traffic lights that prioritised cyclists.

"I want to get to a position where when you get to [age] 17 you don't need to buy a car because the infrastructure is there to cycle to work or to the shops," he added.

One cycle path on Deeside Industrial Park is already said to be attracting more than 11,000 cyclists during peak months, officers said in a report to the committee.

The proposed new route includes a revamped bridge over the A55, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillors backed the plans, which will now be submitted to the Welsh Government for funding under its Active Travel plan to promote walking and cycling.