The awards come from a £10 million national fund which the Scottish Government set up to achieve the outcomes of Transport Scotland’s National Transport Strategy, the Active Travel Framework, and the Cycling Framework for Active Travel. 

The funding will support active travel projects in Easthouses, Penicuik, and Bonnyrigg, with all projects set to be completed by March 2025. A grant of £485,138 will support proposals to improve the safety of journeys to school at Easthouses Primary School. 

As part of this project the footway will be widened to create a shared-use path along Morris Road and Easthouses Road, with a safe walking connection to Kippielaw created. 
A second grant of £140,975 was secured for proposed improvements at the junction of Carlops Road/Bog Road, Penicuik including new pedestrian crossing facilities. 

A new zebra crossing is proposed to be installed on Carlops Road, near to the junction with Bog Road in Penicuik. The project will also see the tightening of the junction at Bog Road and Carlops Road where road safety concerns have been raised by local residents and via School Travel Plans. 
 
The consultation for this is live and applicable consultees have been notified and have until Friday 22nd November to provide any feedback. Finally, a third grant of £126,949 was awarded to introduce traffic calming measures and improve crossing provisions at Sherwood Crescent, Bonnyrigg. 

Speed calming measures are proposed along Sherwood Crescent as are improved crossings to link footpaths on the walking and wheeling route to Bonnyrigg Primary School and Start Bright Nursery. The consultation for this is live and applicable consultees have been notified and have until Friday 22nd November to provide any feedback. 

In addition, a new uncontrolled crossing strip at the northern end of Cockpen Road will be delivered, with pavement extensions also planned on the north-western corner. A further uncontrolled crossing strip will be provided on Sherwood Crescent too. 

Traffic calming measures including raised road tables over the entire junction area and three points along the length of Sherwood Crescent will also be installed. 

Councillor Colin Cassidy, depute leader of Midlothian Council and cabinet member for transport, said:  “I am delighted that Midlothian Council has been successful in receiving three active travel funding awards from the Scottish Government. Communities in Easthouses, Penicuik and Bonnyrigg stand to benefit from proposed projects which will deliver safer and calmer active travel routes for residents, which is especially important around our school estates. 

“Additionally, the installation of new crossing facilities and traffic calming measures can significantly boost the appeal of active travel, as well as helping the council achieve our net zero ambitions too. I look forward to all three projects being completed by the end of the current financial year.”