Integrated transport schemes
Sustainable transport package – Local Growth Fund
Swindon’s Flyer routes connect residential areas with the town centre. We improved these routes using funding from sustainable transport programmes.
Western Flyer
The Western Flyer runs for about two miles between West Swindon and the town centre. Most people can cycle the route in 15 to 20 minutes.
The route follows National Cycle Network Route 45 through:
- Mead Way
- Westmead Industrial Estate
- Barnfield
- Iffley Road
- North Star
- Sheppard Street
At North Star, the route uses subways beneath Great Western Way and Hawksworth Way.
The route is suitable for faster commuter journeys and leisure cycling.
Why we chose this route
We chose the Western Flyer because:
- nearly one-fifth of people working in the town centre live in West Swindon
- the route offers an alternative to congested junctions and Great Western Way
- the route is not easy to see from the road, so many drivers may not know about it
- Great Western Way is a strategic route into the town centre
Route audits in autumn 2011 identified opportunities to improve the Western Flyer.
Improvements to the route
We installed new lighting between the Mead Way subway and Barnfield. We also reconstructed uneven and worn sections of the path.
Other improvements included:
- upgraded lighting in the Sheppard Street subway
- full reconstruction of the cycleway and footpath between Great Western Way and Iffley Road
- a more user-friendly junction at the Iffley Road end of the link
- Western Flyer signs and branding on plinths, paving blocks, and timber bollards
These improvements repaired a section of the route that was in poor condition.
Download the Western Flyer route map and information from Swindon Travel Choices.
Southern Flyer
The Southern Flyer runs for about two miles between Farnsby Street and Middle Wichel. Most people can cycle the route in 15 to 20 minutes.
The route follows the old canal route. It runs alongside Wootton Bassett Road and Redpost Drive, ending near Waitrose in Middle Wichel.
The route is suitable for faster commuter journeys and leisure cycling.
Why we chose this route
We chose the Southern Flyer because:
- Wichelstowe is a strategic urban development site
- the route provides a short connection between Wichelstowe and the town centre
- the old canal route is not easy to see from the road, so many drivers may not know about it
- it connects with National Cycle Network Route 45 towards West Swindon
- it connects with the Old Town railway path towards Old Town
Improvements to the route
We installed new lighting between Farnsby Street and Wootton Bassett Road.
We also widened and reconstructed uneven and worn sections of the path. Southern Flyer signs and branding appear on plinths, paving blocks, and timber bollards.
Download the Southern Flyer route map and information from Swindon Travel Choices.
Eastern Flyer
The Eastern Flyer runs for about two and a half miles between the town centre and the White Hart roundabout. Most people can cycle it in 15 to 20 minutes.
The route uses quiet side streets between Whalebridge junction and the Magic Roundabout. Whalebridge junction is near the Leonardo Hotel, formerly Jurys Inn.
From the Magic Roundabout, the route follows the old canal alignment between Queens Drive and Greenbridge. It then continues alongside Oxford Road to White Hart roundabout.
The route is suitable for faster commuter journeys and leisure cycling.
Why we chose this route
We chose the Eastern Flyer because:
- the New Eastern Villages are a growth area
- the route connects the expansion area with Greenbridge and the town centre
- the old canal route is not easy to see from the road, so many drivers may not know about it
- it connects with routes serving Dorcan Way, Eldene, Liden, Covingham, and Dorcan
Improvements to the route
We installed new lighting between the Magic Roundabout and Drakes Way. We also widened and reconstructed uneven and worn sections of the path.
Other improvements included:
- upgraded crossing points at County Road and Garrard Way
- improved security
- Eastern Flyer signs and branding on plinths, paving blocks, and timber bollards
Download the Eastern Flyer route map and information from Swindon Travel Choices.
Other improvements to walking and cycling routes
The 2017 to 2018 Local Growth Fund Sustainable Transport package funded improvements to important walking and cycling links across urban Swindon.
The funded work included:
- widening the path beside Great Western Way at Barnfield, on the Western Flyer, for people walking and cycling
- widening sections of the paths on Pipers Way and Queens Drive to create a consistent shared-use route
- upgrading the pedestrian crossing near the ambulance station on Queens Drive to a toucan crossing for people walking and cycling
The Queens Drive crossing complements improvements made at the Magic Roundabout as part of the Eastern Flyer upgrade.