Two Welsh Government grants totaling £470,000 are being used to make it easier for people to walk and cycle in Cwmbran.
A grant of £420,000 is being used to make it safer and easier for pupils to get to Llantarnam Primary School.
Earlier this year a 180-metre path was built from the Oakfied estate across the edge of the former Llantarnam comprehensive school playing fields to Llantarnam Primary School. Now a 400m path will be installed around the other two sides of the field.
The council also secured £50,000 from the Safer Routes in Communities fund to assess the roads and streets outside all Torfaen schools. This will find ways to improve road safety and could include restricting vehicle access during school start and finish times.
Additional funding has also been awarded for smaller projects such as dropped kerbs, new bike racks and benches.
It comes work to widen the 600 metre path along Edlogan Way in Cwmbran has finished.
The work included resurfacing the path, replacing the old crossing with a new Toucan crossing, improving other crossing points, and installing new benches and bike racks at the local shops and school. The first part of the route was completed at the end of the Covid restrictions, and together with the most recent work, over 1000 metres of Edlogan Way has been upgraded.
Work along the Cwmbran Drive active travel route also took place last year, which included improving the path from Grove Park roundabout to Pontnewydd Working Mens Club (near Aldi roundabout). This involved widening the narrow footpath alongside the main road to become a three metre wide shared-use walking and cycling route over a length of 1200 metres. Phase 2 of this project will cover Grove Park up to Bevans Lane.
Councillor Mandy Owen, Executive member for the Environment, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Welsh Government for once again awarded us this funding. It really makes a difference to our active travel networks and helps us to plan for more in the future.
“We are committed to reducing climate change and improving residents’ mental health and well-being, and being able to offer more active travel routes we hope that residents can ditch the car more and get outside in the fresh air.
“We know not everyone can actively travel all of the time, but by cutting down the odd car or bus journey can really make a difference to the environment.”