Tyneside residents up in arms over 'excessive' cycle path that will mean less parking for residents' visitors and tradesmen

I was one of the residents who applauded the idea and today i received an official letter from the council explaining the reasons why they have given the go ahead. Well chuffed its getting put in, well done the council and sutrans

https://twitter.com/TyneTom/status/520272222267928577?s=03

yes, cracking on with this one, so well done north tyneside council.

Not far wrong in the reasons listed above, also aiming straight at metro station.

Just read in the local paper that the plan has been approved. Well done council.

Oozaveared: the road itself is not particularly wide but it is bounded by wide verges and for some length there are access roads in front of the houses. The reasons for this particular scheme in this location are three fold really

1- the council has a grant that needs spending
2- the route links a number of local schools and residential areas
3- the road is so bloody wide it has enough room to put an actual proper segregated lane in, so why the hell not?

I'm all for cycle lanes and that but why (if this road is nice and wide) is this a priority. We want lanes preferably with some knind of physical barrier where cyclists need protection. I guess all the narrow roads where cyclist need a bit of designated space are all sorted and this street is now top priority,

There is no obligation on a roads authority to provide parking on the highway - anywhere. So if those frontagers want to park additional cars beyong those they can place on their own land, they will have to do what those of us who live in towns in places without spare space on the street that has conveniently been provided, at taxpayers expense.

I pay tax for roads, and I reckon from the breakdowns I read I'm paying £800-£1000/yr in tax for roads ... and I don't pay VED

Phillip Jackson and the Broadway Action group sound like a right bunch of NIMBYs.

How does a cycle lane "destroy the environment"?

Also I think that the safety of children riding to school every day is probably more important than on road parking for the occasional visitor or tradesman.

Kudos to the council and to Tom, I wish we had stuff like this round me.

Hi AJ,

The Keelman's is owned and maintained by Gateshead & S.Tyneside councils, and yes there is plenty of scope for upgrading. The last big project that Sustrans got involved in was around Tyne Dock that finished in 2012, although we have helped Gateshead building an underbridge on the Derwent which links to NCN14 and has just opened. Nearly all funding that Sustrans get involved with is transport money at the moment, so we are tending to focus on the last mile or so into town centres or big employment sites. Often its development or other LA highway schemes which are the trigger for something to happen. Biggest project this year up here is with Sunderland around the Nissan plant, most of which is now open. The tynemouth scheme started out as a fairly small project around John Spence school but has kept growing, will eventually become NCN102 running up coast road to Silverlink. Now if we only had access to more reliable long term funding.....

Moronic.

I ride this road regularly and as well as being horrifically busy at times, there is ample room for the proposed path. I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would object to what is being proposed. It defies belief.

That aside, it would be nice if Sustrans did some work on the Tyne cyclepaths (especially Keelmans way) as they're in horrendous condition despite being incredibly popular.

I digress, NIMBYs: I shit 'em.

Quote:

“This proposed cycle path is over the top, it’s excessive, will destroy the environment and will create traffic hazards."

And providing them with free public storage for their motor vehicles is good for the environment and doesn't create traffic hazards then? Wankers.

“No decision has been taken and we are actively seeking feedback on the plans and would encourage anyone who has not yet got in touch to contact us before consultation closes on Friday, September 12."

That'll be a the day before this article was posted then...
Hopefully it's a done deal - good on the council and sustrans.

Just written to support this scheme.

This is a great scheme designed by Tom & the NE Sustrans team, and North Tyneside.

It will be a flagship and best practice example to LAs across the rest of Tyneside (& god knows mine needs showing) and beyond. http://cyclingsouthtyne.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/bollocks-infra-with-still... is the sort of stuff which is being currently built in the region after consultation with residents. The North East deperately needs something better

Hopefully this will light the way

Here is a street view shot of the road in question. As you can see, it's not exactly cramped.

Sickening that people put their own convenience and ability to store their property in a public place above the safety of kids cycling to school. Safety should always be prioritised above personal perks like parking a car.

"Not only that but tradesmen would be MILDLY INCONVENIENCED"

Oh no surely we can't inconvenience some arseholes in white vans.... What a nightmare!

This is the sort of thing we have to put up with on the seafront they want us to cycle on the video below taken this week was on the stretch of sea front that runs parallel to this road https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9yvbMagVrw

This is the sort of thing we have to put up with on the seafront they want us to cycle on the video below taken this week was on the stretch of sea front that runs parallel to this road https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9yvbMagVrw

There's clearly a long way to go to get the UK cycling instead of driving everywhere. We can be incredibly resistant to change sometimes

Hi folks,

this was intended originally as a very low key consultation of residents fronting onto the scheme so info is not very easy to find on the Council's website.

This drawing sums it up pretty well:
http://www.northtyneside.gov.uk/pls/portal/NTC_PSCM.PSCM_Web.download?p_...

Essentially its what you get if you kidnap a set of politicians and local government officers and take the over to the Netherlands, but that's another story.

To be fair on the residents they are seeing something that looks very different from any transport scheme they've seen before. They have no local reference points to assess impact on public realm etc. I hope that in the end comments from them e.g. on motor traffic speed will end up improving the project.

From a cycling point of view its what a lot of people have been asking for, priority protected tracks that can be used by all types of bike and all types of cyclist. Will it be perfect, probably not, but is it an important project for UK cycling, undoubtedly. If you live on Tyneside you are free to drop the council an email and they will listen, don't worry too much about the date in the article.

I cycle that area regularly and have to say it's one of the roads I routinely avoid at school run times. The attitude of the people who think that the only way to prove they're good parents is by carting them to school in a Chelsea tractor is not conducive to road safety for cyclists.

Grass verges are only used by dog walkers to hide their hounds' shit anyway.

I use a great cycle path that runs alongside a major road, and crosses other roads, driveways, and house fronts with no problems at all. It's quite popular.

They'd have to move lamposts so children can ride to school!? THAT'S OUTRAGOUS RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE