Greenway promotes a safe and clean way to travel to Games

The Commonwealth Greenway is an eight-mile path between Walsall Arboretum and Birmingham's Alexander Stadium, which will be hosting the opening and closing ceremonies and the athletics programme of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The greenway has been designed to be a safe place for cyclists and walkers to head to the stadium without having to travel on the busy A34 route into Perry Barr, with a route running out of the arboretum along the Rushall and Tame Bridge canals.

Andrew Moult and Rushall-Shelfield councillor Richard Worrall were among the team who came up with the idea for the Greenway, with Andrew, who recently completed the Trans-Pennine Way on a handbike, saying it was a way to involve Walsall in the Commonwealth Games.

He said: "We thought there had to be something that we could do for the town and to help people to get to the Commonwealth Games in a safe manner, so that's where the idea came from.

"The town has been helping with the Greenway by working to put up signs, although that won't be until after the Games, so we've navigated it ourselves and will put up a digital map on Facebook."

The Greenway was formally launched on Sunday, with a walk from the Arboretum to Alexander Stadium to show how the Greenway works and where people need to go to follow it.

Mr Moult said he wanted the legacy of the Greenway to be about healthy living and green spaces and added he and the team were very proud to have created something as a Commonwealth Games legacy.

"When you walk or ride down it, there's no fumes, no traffic and it's very scenic, very healthy and very therapeutic," he said.

"We're proud to promote this as a Commonwealth Games legacy and people can go along and have a nice ride, plus it's very accessible.

"I'm very excited about the Games as well as it's a huge thing to have in the area and it makes me proud to have the eyes of the world on our locality."