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Seaford says ‘yes’ to seafront cycling Seaford beach huts (CC licensed by Tom Lee via Flickr)

Seaford says ‘yes’ to seafront cycling

Not one incident recorded during entire nine-month trial
by Alex Bowden
Wed, Jan 07, 2015 17:33
6

The Eastbourne Herald reports that a trial scheme allowing cycling along Seaford seafront has now been made permanent. Residents raised a number of concerns when the shared space was first proposed but East Sussex County Council said the majority of those who took part in the consultation were in favour of the scheme.

Cycling will be allowed on the promenade between Edinburgh Road and the Martello Tower in a space that will be shared by cyclists and pedestrians. The promenade forms part of Sustrans’ National Cycle Route 2, which runs from Brighton to Camber. Prior to the change, cyclists were obliged to use the busy A259 coast road.

Cyclists had been illegally using the promenade before the trial began and concerns were expressed by residents that they did not use the promenade considerately and that there was not enough space. Some called for a separate cycle lane while others demanded that cyclists use bells.

However, the consultation, which closed on October 17, revealed that the scheme was working well and so it has now been made permanent. Extra signs and a code of conduct will be introduced to make elderly pedestrians feel safer.

A spokesperson for Cycle Seahaven said:

“We are thrilled that the people of Seaford have supported cycling on the seafront with such a resounding majority in favour of the scheme. The survey results are conclusive with 83 per cent of those interviewed saying they were happy for the trial to be made permanent.

“This is excellent news for young, inexperienced or less able people who were looking for somewhere flat and safe to cycle. There have been no reported incidents, and levels of cycling remain unchanged since the ‘Share With Care’ scheme was adopted.

“We are pleased to see that good-natured sharing of this wonderful resource is something that comes naturally to the residents of and visitors to our seaside town.”

The trial began at Easter 2014 with Councillor Carl Maynard, East Sussex County Council’s lead member for transport and environment, explaining that this would enable the public to try it out and give feedback based on their experiences before any decision was made.

No incidents were recorded during the entire nine month-trial period.

Cycle Seahaven
East Sussex
Seaford
Alex Bowden

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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6 comments

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Initialised | 9 years ago
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Shock horror: Pavement cycling doesn't hurt anyone!

How about relaxing the rules so any pavement/footpath over 2m wide is fair game for cyclists unless signs say otherwise?

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Daveyraveygravey | 9 years ago
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Ridden along there a few times in the last few months and hadn't realised there was any debate about it. The road surface leading up to it is that gorgeous new smooth black stuff and then it's all really wide. It could maybe be a bit busy in the middle of summer but otherwise its so wide I can't see how there could be any agro on the prom or the road that is parallel to it.

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ibike | 9 years ago
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This is really good news (and an outbreak of common sense). I've ridden the prom a few times and I probably wouldn't have visited Seaford had it not been open to people on bikes.

Along with the recent opening up of proms at Worthing, Littlehampton and Bognor Regis and the improvements at Shoreham and Bexhill the entire south coast is becoming a great place to cycle.

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richiewormiling | 9 years ago
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common sense has prevailed 1

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LarryDavidJr | 9 years ago
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Good for the bairns like the press release says (I taught my boy to ride there when he was about 5 or 6), but no use really to anyone actually going anywhere, unless they want to travel at the approx 5mph you'd have to crawl through there at with all the pedestrians on it. It's not very long either (though there is a dedicated cycle path which continues a bit further).

http://tinyurl.com/n4z9nqv

You can take the main road alongside if you want, but I wouldn't recommend it, many of the parking spaces there are perpendicular to the kerb, and most people park in them forwards, meaning most cars reverse out of the spaces with a poor view of oncoming traffic.

I suppose its a nice place to stop for an ice cream if nothing else 1

The ride through the town is fine (the A259 it may be but it's through a town and 30mph there). It's pleasant enough, a nice wide road, and you get the nice mini downhill blast of the Buckle Bypass 1 Theres a handy bike shop right opposite the train station too 1

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Municipal Waste | 9 years ago
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I did get some idiot in a very cheap Vauxhall shout at me and try to run me off the road for NOT using the path though. Which was mainly annoying on account of that at the time the promenade was 2 inches deep in shingle from a storm the previous night (yeah I was playing on Strava).

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