In the latest Liverpool Baltic Triangle podcast, Liverpool’s cycling and walking commissioner Simon O’Brien talks about the hope of a greener, healthier future for the city region. Tony McDonough reports 

Liverpool City Council’s plan to install seven ‘pop-up’ cycles lanes represents the “chance of a lifetime”, according to the city’s cycling and walking commissioner.

In an interview with latest Baltic Triangle podcast, former Brookside star Simon O’Brien said the relative low cost of the scheme will allow the city council to see “what works and what doesn’t”.

Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson unveiled the £4m plan earlier this month, funded by a combination of council and Government cash, as part of a drive to persuade more people to cycle post-coronavirus.

Simon got involved with the council back in 2012 when he started to campaign against proposals to build on areas of parkland. He was them tasked with investigating how the city could preserve its green spaces.

During the interview he described Liverpool’s current cycling infrastructure as “woeful beyond woeful” but sees the pop-lanes as a golden opportunity to herald a new era of cycling in the city.

He told the podcast: “This is the chance of a lifetime to put in lanes all over the place and find out what works… every mile of permanent cycle lanes costs around £1m but the temporary lanes costs just £60,000 a mile.”

Simon believes the city could become a world leader in cycling and traffic management. “if we can keep everyone on board”.

Click here to listen to the full interview with Simon O’Brien on the Baltic Triangle podcast