Integrated transport schemes

The Swindon 'flyer routes' 

With funding from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund, we have been developing a network of “flyer routes” in Swindon. These involve upgrading off road cycle routes from residential areas into Swindon town centre.

Our first flyer route runs from West Swindon into the town – it is called the Western Flyer. Following the success of the Western Flyer, we developed the Southern Flyer, linking Wichelstowe to the town centre without hills or traffic.  

For 2017, we are completing the Eastern Flyer, which will link the New Eastern Villages with Greenbridge and the town centre.

Western Flyer

The full route of the Western Flyer follows the designated National Cycle Network Route 45 (Link) network from Mead Way – Westmead Industrial Estate – Barnfield – Iffley Road – North Star (through subways beneath Great Western Way and Hawksworth Way) – Sheppard Street.  Audits were undertaken in autumn 2011 highlighting opportunities and weaknesses of this route.

The Western Flyer is suitable for high speed commuter journeys and as well as for leisure purposes for all abilities.

Reasons for this route being chosen:

• Nearly a fifth of town centre workers live in West Swindon
• The whole route is about 2 miles long and can easily be cycled in around 15 to 20 minutes
• Car drivers currently don’t see the “hidden” route from the road and therefore awareness of the alternative is low amongst our target audience
• Employees driving to the town centre from West Swindon travel through congested junctions and along Great Western Way, which is identified as a strategic route into the town centre.

The works involved new lighting along the stretch from Mead Way subway to Barnfield and there has also been reconstruction of the uneven and worn sections of the path. There was a lighting upgrade in the Sheppard Street subway and the off-road cycleway/footpath running from the subway beneath Great Western Way to the end of Iffley Road was enhanced following full reconstruction. These works address a section of the route which was in a poor state of repair and now includes a more user friendly junction arrangement at the Iffley Road end of the link. This part of the route also incorporates street furniture bearing the Western Flyer logo, in the form of plinths, paviors and also timber bollards.

You can download a copy of the map and information about the route from the Swindon Travel Choices website.

Southern Flyer

The 2 mile route of the Southern Flyer follows the old canal route from Farnsby Street, alongside Wootton Bassett Road and Redposts Drive to Waitrose in Middle Wichel.
The Southern Flyer is suitable for high speed commuter journeys, as well as for leisure purposes for all abilities.

Reasons for this route being chosen:

• Wichelstowe is identified as a future growth area
• The whole route is about 2 miles long and can easily be cycled in around 15 to 20 minutes
• Car drivers currently don’t see the “hidden” route from the road (especially the old canal route) and therefore awareness of the alternative is low amongst our target audience
• The route links in with other strategic cycle routes, such as Route 45 into West Swindon and the Old Town railway path to Old Town.

The works involved new lighting along the stretch from Farnsby Street to Wootton Bassett Road and there has also been widening and reconstruction of the uneven and worn sections of the path.
The route incorporates street furniture bearing the Southern Flyer logo, in the form of plinths, paviors and also timber bollards.

You can download a copy of the map and information about the route from the Swindon Travel Choices website.

Eastern Flyer

The 2 and a half mile route of the Eastern Flyer uses quiet side streets from Whalebridge (opposite Jurys Inn) then goes around the Magic Roundabout and follows the old canal route from Queens Drive to Greenbridge. The route continues alongside Oxford Road to the White Hart roundabout.

The Eastern Flyer is suitable for high speed commuter journeys as well as for leisure purposes for all abilities.

Reasons for this route being chosen:

• The New Eastern Villages are identified as a future growth area
• The whole route is 2.5 miles long and can easily be cycled in around 15 to 20 minutes
• Car drivers currently don’t see the “hidden” route from the road (especially the old canal route) and therefore awareness of the alternative is low amongst our target audience
• The route links in with other strategic cycle routes, such as Dorcan Way to Eldene, Liden, Covingham and Dorcan.

The works involved new lighting along the stretch from the magic Roundabout to Drakes Way and there has also been widening and reconstruction of the uneven and worn sections of the path.
The route incorporates upgraded crossing points at County Road and Garrard Way, improved security, as well as street furniture bearing the Eastern Flyer logo, in the form of plinths, paviors and also timber bollards.

You can download a copy of the map and information about the route from the Swindon Travel Choices website.

Transport package – Local Growth Fund

Upgrades to key links

The 2017-18 round of the Local Growth Fund Sustainable Transport package upgraded a number of key links in the Swindon urban cycle and footway network.

The schemes that were delivered through this grant-funding included:

• widening of the footway on the Western Flyer-branded route, where it runs parallel to the Great Western Way at Barnfield, to enable shared use by cyclists and pedestrians   
• widening sections of the footway on Pipers Way and Queens Drive to create a consistent width to enable shared use by cyclists and pedestrians 
• upgrading the pedestrian crossing by the Ambulance Station on Queens Drive to a Toucan facility. This complements the works at the Magic Roundabout junction, delivered as part of the upgrade to the Eastern Flyer route.