Bike train ready to roll along busy Brighton road

A 'bike train' proposed for a busy road in Brighton has been proposed by a local campaign group.

The Lewes Road for Clean Air group are hoping to encourage a large group of cyclists to ride between The Level and Falmer in a bid to cut the number of vehicles using the stretch.

The group has announced trial runs will be carried out during the next few weeks and hopes to fully launch the scheme in April.

According to theArgus, Roger French, managing director of Brighton and Hove Buses, has labelled the idea “crazy” stating it would bring traffic to a halt.

But if successful, it will look into other routes such as The Level to Dorothy Stringer School and Varndean College.

Duncan Blinkhorn, of Lewes Road for Clean Air, said: “Bike Train aims to create a safe space in the form of scheduled mass rides, where cyclists are highly visible and able to hold the road for each other on routine journeys to work, school and university.

“While it’s great to see the effort invested in cycle training at schools, many parents are uncomfortable with letting their children cycle to school.”

Initially the idea, which will see mass rides every 15 minutes during rush hour, will run one day a week.

Every train of cyclists will take up one lane of road on the four-mile route.

Mr Blinkhorn said: “We don’t anticipate holding up traffic. North of the Vogue Gyratory cars and buses will be able to overtake in the second lane.”

He believes out of up to 50,000 journeys on Lewes Road every day, only two per cent are by bicycle.

A spokeswoman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: “Our aim is to balance the needs and safety of all road users.

“We are in contact with the campaign group and are interested in their ideas for encouraging more people to cycle.”