People in Watford will soon have a chance to view one of the town’s newly proposed cycle routes in a whole new way - through a cutting-edge virtual reality bike ride...
The immersive experience – led by Watford Borough Council, Hertfordshire County Council and Digital Urban – will be available to all residents free of charge. Sessions will take place at Big Sports on Saturday 9 September and Oxhey Activity Park on Sunday 10 September from around 11am to 5pm.
Using the virtual reality technology hosted by Digital Urban, visitors will be able to cycle through Watford along the route and get a chance to provide their feedback on the proposals. The experience will be complete with sounds, people and 360-degree views of Watford.
It will focus on the eastern part of the Green loop, a quiet route that connects 6.7 miles of green space and heritage assets in the town. The whole loop includes key locations such as Watford Junction, Cassiobury Park, East Watford and part of National Cycle Route 6. It will help to connect schools, workplaces, shopping and leisure facilities, railway stations and Watford’s finest beauty spots.
Participants will also be able to explore the town’s proposed new stretches of cycleway, widening and resurfacing existing cycleways and footways, improvements to cycle crossing facilities at key junctions and adding markings on roads and cycleway signage.
The initiative is part of Watford Borough Council’s ongoing efforts to promote sustainable transportation and engage residents in the planning and development of cycling and walking infrastructure.
Simon Mabey, Founder of Digital Urban, said: “We aim for people to have fun and try using the latest VR technology for free, whilst also making a real difference to the future of the place where they live, work and play. The experience is a great way for people of all ages to really visualise and experience potential ways that cycling routes in Watford could be enhanced in future. We look forward to welcoming you to the experience.”
Elected Mayor of Watford, Peter Taylor, said: “We're excited to launch this new initiative and provide our residents with a unique and engaging way to experience our town’s cycling and walking improvements. By using virtual reality technology, we hope to make it easier for residents to visualise and understand the benefits of sustainable transport and encourage more people to choose cycling and walking as their preferred mode of transport.”
Cllr Ian Stotesbury, Portfolio Holder for Transport and Sustainability, said: “We believe that this virtual reality experience will be a powerful tool for educating and inspiring residents about the benefits of cycling and walking infrastructure, and help residents inform the council plans about how we can continue to improve Watford’s infrastructure. These routes will be used by Watford residents and through this and other forms of consultation we aim to make sure people are able to get involved in shaping its future.”
These improvements will all combine to make it easier for cyclists and pedestrians to get around the town using a cohesive network. For more information, including all the proposals within the 20-year Transforming Travel in Watford programme, please visit www.watford.gov.uk/futuretravel.
