FAQs

Enabling more people to walk, wheel, cycle or use public transport to travel into and around the city centre will help to improve local air quality. Especially if people made these trips by car before. 

We have developed this project alongside wider plans to improve air quality across the city and contribute to Sheffield’s move towards becoming net zero carbon.  

This project is closely linked to the new Castle site park. This will bring more people to the area. So it's important that we make it easier for people to get to the park on foot or by cycle, reducing the number of trips by car and reducing emissions.

We have looked at best practice elsewhere. In the Netherlands they use  cycle routes that are separated from traffic with kerbing. They are designed to keep cyclists away from motorised traffic where it's busy, or where larger vehicles like buses regularly use these routes. Other streets are designed to reduce vehicle speeds, and the number of vehicles are reduced to a safer level. This approach makes cycling less daunting and more attractive.

On this project, we are adding a two-way cycle route on Castle Street which will be separated from traffic to make cycling safer. We’ll make room for this by moving the taxi rank from Castle Street to Haymarket and adding signal controlled pedestrian crossings at the junction of Castle Street, Haymarket and Waingate.

We know that safe and secure cycle storage in convenient locations is important to enable more people to cycle. The City Centre Cycle Hub is now open at Charter Square. It offers secure cycle storage for a small monthly fee and has an integrated workshop space for repairs and changing facilities. There are also cycle storage hubs at Sheffield train station and at Meadowhall Interchange. You can find our more on the Sheffield City Council website. 

As part of this project, we will add cycle stands on Castle Street to complement stands we’ve recently added at Angel Street. We will also provide cycle stands in the new park once it's open to the public. You'll need your own bike locks, and the stands won't be monitored.

The money for this project comes from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement from central government. We can only use this money to make improvements to walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport. It sits outside the council’s day to day budget for services and isn't paid for by council tax.

Improving walking, wheeling and cycling routes can help Sheffield to thrive. Evidence shows that people who travel on foot, by cycle, or by public transport spend more money in local businesses than drivers. This supports local shops, attracts investment and makes the city a better place to live. The transformation of Sheffield’s Peace Gardens is an example of how turning roads into a public space with seating and landscaping boosted footfall. It improved Sheffield’s image and supported nearby shops, cafes and offices. 

We’ve seen the same positive impact from our Grey to Green projects. We have transformed streets, enabling people to walk and cycle more and spend more time in the areas they travel through.

We have good evidence from engagement on our Transport Strategy that lots of people want to cycle. But they don’t feel that our roads currently provide the facilities to make this an attractive choice. Our aim is to make cycling easier and safer, and to provide improved routes that are clearer for people to follow so that more people can make the choice to cycle.

For shorter trips, cycling can be an efficient and quick way to get around, and there’s strong evidence to show that large numbers of people take this option in places where the right facilities are provided.

The more people who cycle, the less traffic congestion we have, which can help reduce trips across the city and the impact on communities living on main routes. Being more active while travelling also significantly improves our general health and wellbeing.

TROs are legal notices that allow councils make changes to how roads are used. They help us to manage the highway network for all road users, including pedestrians, and they aim to improve road safety and access to facilities.

You don’t need to send a separate email unless you'd like to specifically share your support for, or objection to, our proposals. We'll consider your feedback whichever channel you use to share it.

A new loading bay will be introduced on Haymarket. The taxi rank adjacent to the proposed loading bay will be restricted, with no stopping for traffic between 10am and midnight. Otherwise, servicing and delivery rules in the area will stay the same as they are now.