Work to create easier and safer access for pedestrians to a section of one of Dundee’s most historic thoroughfares is set to get underway next week.
As part of the latest Spaces for People project the pavement on the west side of Hilltown between Kinghorne Street and Constitution Road will be temporarily widened and new dropped kerbs and “build outs” put in making it easier to cross.
Mark Flynn convener of Dundee City Council’s city development committee said: “These plans have come out of considerable work and community engagement to find out what residents and local businesses want.
“The design responds to concerns about pedestrian bottlenecks on narrow pavements, lack of room to queue outside the more popular businesses and fears about loss of parking expressed by traders.”
Work will begin on Monday (May 17) to widen the west footway on Hilltown by around a metre, removing one lane of southbound (downhill) traffic.
Access will be maintained to the shops and premises on the west side of the road and the traffic will continue to flow while work is going on.
As part of the Spaces for People programme the UNESCO City of Design Dundee team hosted a series of workshops with community members and stakeholders online which influenced the final scheme.
As well as creating more space for pedestrians the new temporary lay out maintains parking bays outside shops and at the “pergolas”.
The £80,000 project, which will be completed in phases, is expected to be completed by the middle of next month.
Funded by Scottish Government and managed by Sustrans Scotland, Spaces for People is a temporary infrastructure programme in Scotland offering funding and support to make it safer for people who choose to walk, cycle or wheel for permitted journeys and exercise, while physical distancing is in place during Covid-19 and as we transition out of lockdown.
The changes in Hilltown are temporary and will be kept under review.
Dundee City Council
Dundee draws skilled workers from a 60-minute catchment population of 640,000 and has a local population of over 140,000. The availability of a large pool of highly skilled labour is a key feature in the Dundee economy. Flexibility in the labour force is currently more prevalent in Dundee than in Scotland as a whole. All forms of labour market flexibility - part-time, temporary employment, self-employment and shift work - are widely operational within the city. Labour force stability in the city is excellent, enabling companies to plan with confidence. Labour turnover levels are less than 5% and absenteeism averages 2%.
