Sustrans blasts "incredibly dangerous" cycle lane - but councillor says cyclists should be "grateful" for it

I'm confused about what this lane is for (lack of local knowledge I think). Is it intended for use by cyclists turning right at the roundabout? It looks like turning right takes you onto the motorway?

If it is an additional approach lane to a roundabout it makes some sense (not much though), otherwise what will 200m of path do for you anyway? It would only be worth 10 of 20 seconds surely?

With a bit of luck Elfan Ap Rees testicals will turn square and rot in the corners.

An exercise in box ticking. Sadly it will likely end in someones death.

What a great idea. Put cyclists in a narrow cycle lane next to the fastest moving traffic on a dual carriageway. Its clearly designed to maximise the tow from passing vehicles so cyclists can improve their Strava times

Wow. That really is appalling.

North Somerset Council’s deputy leader, Elfan Ap Rees, said
"I think the cyclists need to bear in mind that the approach to this area has no cycleway at all, indeed it doesn't even have a pavement", and insisted: "We couldn't change it if we wanted to,” and said cyclists should be “grateful” the cycle lane had been put there.

So 1, he knows theres no cycleway before this point but is not going to do anything about it, 2, he clearly thinks that cyclists should not be on his roads and in the way of car drivers they should be on the non exsistant pavement, and 3, we should be grateful for something that seems very much like an after thought (probably after a "liquid lunch" as well).

Also if you come down the slip on the left of the picture how do you get across the slip lane to use the ATS to cross to the so called cycle path?

Gross negligence at the very best. In an age where I have to report a paper cut at work just how have we become so tolerant of blatant and engineered lethality on our PUBLIC highways?

This councillor is a disgrace...I say get him on there with his kids on a bike at rush hour and interview him on live tv afterwards in hospital. If he will not then this latest excuse for cycling provision is nothing more than a waste of public money and he should stand down for such bloody stupid use of funds.

These people should be forced to go with police liaison officers to the homes of road 'accident' victims and watch the utter devastation their ignorance and indifference is causing.

http://www.dft.gov.uk/ha/standards/dmrb/vol6/section3/ta5787.pdf

just been reading, quite incredible how far from the guidance cycle paths are most of the time, makes you wonder if councils bother reading any of it?

Three meters for a shared use ! My local authority (Gateshead) has one of half a meter and it is generally covered in leaves and is most annoyingly signed "cyclists join footway".

A lot of traffic groups inside local councils really have no clue when it comes to traffic junctions, I'm currently trying to get a response from Hounslow council about a new layout which is impressive because it seems rather dangerous to me as all the old road markings are slowly reappearing.

As someone noted above, the Road Safety Audit for this scheme would make interesting reading, particularly stage 3, post construction. I hope Halcrow's PI & PL insurance premium payments are up to date.

Cllr Clive Darke has the right idea, hopefully Ap Rees uses his cack infrastructure and can be buried under the tennis courts ASAP

http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/news/ap_rees_attacked_in_tennis_courts...

The times I've ridden out of Weston back to Bristol I have used Eldon Road/Wick Road which bypasses the motorway junction and brings you out on the A370 1.5 miles up the road.

I know that junction (even though I live in London) and I know how busy it gets. It'd be good if the councillor could be forced to ride a bicycle round the junction at peak period to make him realise just how utterly dangerous and pointless it is.

Cycle provision such as this is worse than no provision at all.

I live in W-s-M and use that section of road (in my car) most days. During the junction works, I spotted that they were putting in drop kerbs and making a narrow little path and I really couldn't figure out what it was. Only when I saw the Points West article on telly did the penny drop.

Yesterday I drove along the right hand lane, and looked at the surface of the 'cycle lane', you cannot believe how poorly laid the tarmac is, and anyone using it is putting themselves in real danger. Not that I think anyone will use it as there are almost no cyclists going out of the town on that road. Even at the weekend, any rider coming from the town and heading out towards Bristol, will just ride on the road.

It's a shame this has been done, as the North Somerset access officers are really very good and we do have an extensive cycle path network, but this is, as someone has said, a box tick exercise.

As for App Reece.... I best not express my feelings about the man here. His comments about pavements should give you an insight into how much he knows about highways and who can use them......

WIll anyone actually use it? That has to be the most pointless "path" ever and a cert for Facility of the Month!

The cynic in me says that lanes such as these were never intended to be used, rather the length of such pointless bits of paint can be added together to help meet 'cycle provision' targets at virtually no cost nor inconvenience to motor traffic.

Just watched the video. Could not believe it. The cycle way seems to be covered in debris, the Camber wants to make you lean into the traffic. I am assuming you have to cross 2 lanes of traffic just to get to it (I don't know the road at all). Cyclists should be "grateful" says the idiot of a Councillor, but then refuses to ride on it. These schemes are worse than no cycle lane at all. If I was a local rider I would feel safer on the main carriageway. A new leader in the Chart of "Crappy & Dangerous Cycle Lanes". This attitude to cyclists has got to change, we pay as much tax as motorists in the normal taxation system (anyway don't most cyclists have a car and pay Vehicle Tax?-are there official figures for this?). This is an accident waiting to happen.

"From the drawings, there seems to have been significant carriageway widening in several parts, so they clearly weren't being squeamish about concreting over green space."

exactly my feelings when I looked at the plans - I thought that maybe this was a misguided attempt to do good in a situation that had very little space* but no plenty of space was found for new vehicle lanes and now the inevitable driver hostility to cyclists using "their" lanes

*I'm ignoring the politically impossible option of actually taking road space away from vehicles

Quote:

until cyclists “are better behaved I can understand why there is opposition to new cycletrack schemes,”

Ah, by that logic motorists should get no new roads or infrastructure until they're better behaved...

I know that junction, it's bad enough in a car, even now after all the work. I wouldn't dream of trying to negotiate it on a bike.

FOI request for the design and completion safety audits required by CDM regulations.....

Elfan Ap Rees is a dangerous buffoon and is clearly not fit to hold a public office. Just Google his name and see some of his anti cycling nonsense. He has history when it comes to the provision of cycling infrastructure.

I don't live in North Somerset, I live in Bristol, so can't do this but please someone start a petition to North Somerset Council to demand that Ap Rees makes good his word and cycles on this cycle lane. 10,000 signatures means the council should debate it.

His response when asked if he'd like to cycle it now summed it up. He'll never cycle there. It's an insane bit of box ticking lunacy.

From the drawings, there seems to have been significant carriageway widening in several parts, so they clearly weren't being squeamish about concreting over green space.