Montrose folk have been urged to get on board with an active travel consultation to improve the town for walkers and cyclists.
Angus Council has just launched a community consultation to seek ideas.
And locals will have two upcoming opportunities for face-to-face engagement with council officials.
The idea is latest stage of a scheme to improve walking, cycling and wheeling in the area.
It could lead to things such as dedicated cycle lanes, improved paths and better links around the town.
Angus Council said: “The Montrose active travel consultation is a project that follows on from a previous study carried out on 2021 – 2022.
“This project will allow for in-person engagement which we couldn’t do previously due to Covid restrictions in place at the time.
“The project aims to look at where people travel to across the town and help identify where some of the missing links are.
“Ultimately, we’re looking to make it easier and safer for people to walk, wheel or cycle across Montrose.
“The online and in-person engagement will aid us in identifying possible future projects which we can look to deliver as and when funding allows.”
The survey has been launched through the Engage Angus section on the council’s website.
It runs until March 4.
And there will be two community engagement sessions in Montrose.
Those will take place at:
Tesco, Montrose – Friday February 2 and Sat February 3 from 10am to 4pm.
Montrose Library – Wednesday February 7 from 2pm to 8pm and Thursday February 8 from 10am to 4pm.
What does the survey ask?
The short online survey includes questions such as:
- What would you like to see happen to the environment in Montrose that would allow you to make more active everyday journeys?
- Do you have a disability that makes travelling around the town more challenging?
- Would you support making the environment in Montrose better for walking, wheeling and cycling?
The survey features a map where people can drop a pin to highlight areas they think could be improved.
That could include upgrades such as better signage, surfacing improvements, benches, cycle parking or new lighting.
‘Reality check’ warning
Funding sources for possible projects will be investigated by the council.
But it comes against a previous warning from the authority’s finance spokesman there needed to be a “reality check” over active travel ambitions.
Montrose councillor Bill Duff said a £2.5 million estimate for a path linking Hillside and Craigo was “jaw dropping”.
And a Brechin to Montrose active travel link has been costed at almost £10m.
Mr Duff said the council was “behaving like we’ve almost got a bottomless pit of money” when the active travel topic came up for discussion last summer.
The Montrose consultation comes as the council finalises contractual details for Arbroath’s £14m Place for Everyone project.
Work was due to start on the A92 active travel scheme this month but has been delayed until at least mid-March.
