New protected cycle lane – in city where cyclist was fined for riding on bike path – slammed as “accident waiting to happen for pedestrians” that will “cause carnage on the roads”

A new protected bidirectional cycle lane in the centre of Colchester – where earlier this year a cyclist was handed, incorrectly, a £100 fine by a council warden for riding on a shared use path – has the potential to “revolutionise people’s journeys” in the city, local cycling campaigners have said.

However, the infrastructure’s completion this week has also been met with scorn and fierce criticism from motorists on social media, who have branded the two-way bike lane a “big load of wasted money” and “an accident waiting to happen for pedestrians” that will “cause carnage on the roads”.

On Tuesday evening, the Colchester Cycling Campaign posted a video of the newly opened two-way cycle lane – segregated from motor traffic by bollards – on Head Street, where work has also been carried out to install new road markings and cycling-specific traffic lights to enable people on bikes to ride against the flow of the one-way traffic on the street.

Great to see the new bidirectional cycle lane on Head Street open. pic.twitter.com/gDKNURgiUA

— Colchester Cycling Campaign (@CampaignCycling) April 30, 2024

The cycleway was funded by Active Travel England and completed this week despite a gas leak on the road delaying other parts of the scheme, such as the upgraded crossing which will allow cyclists to navigate the junction seconds before other road users.

The active travel project, which Essex Highways hopes will encourage “safer, greener, and healthier” travel in Colchester, has been roundly praised by local cyclists who have long criticised the city’s firmly established “car-oriented” centre, its lack of “desire lines”, and the increased travel times for cyclists thanks to its plethora of one-way streets, often forcing locals to walk with their bikes.

And, while the Colchester Cycling Campaign noted the need for drivers to look out for cyclists while attempting to turn right at one specific, non-protected part of the cycle lane, the new infrastructure was praised by locals on social media as “glorious”, “really great”, and “probably the best” space for cyclists in the city.

Drivers pulling into Culver Street West over the cycle lane present a hazard - hopefully all will follow the example of this driver. pic.twitter.com/VzSzBhUWcp

— Colchester Cycling Campaign (@CampaignCycling) April 30, 2024

However, befitting the confusion emanating from some local motorists prior to the bike lane’s completion last month, the Head Street cycle lane hasn’t received universal praise.

“Shockingly bad and dangerous design,” one social media user wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

“Looks like an accident waiting to happen for pedestrians,” added Tristan.

Agreeing that the protected cycle lane will make things more dangerous for pedestrians, Timber wrote: “A two-way cycle lane in a one-way street with traffic lights for pedestrians will result in pedestrians being hit by cyclists as the former will look left, not right, and the latter disregard lights.

“It will happen. Poor design.”

“What a big load of wasted money [that will] cause a whole load of carnage on the roads, defeating the very thing it was set out to do,” said Marcus.

“Goes along with every project this stupid local council/county council does. Only interested in lining their pockets with brown envelopes.”

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Nevertheless, despite the rather inevitable online criticism of the scheme, the Colchester Cycling Campaign believes that the new bike lane marks the first phase in creating, for the first time, a safe route for cyclists through Colchester, that will encourage people out of their cars, and potentially “revolutionise” their journeys in what has been, for decades, a resolutely car-focused city.

“We’re delighted that this cycleway is open and we thank everyone who supported it,” the group’s vice-secretary William Bramhill told road.cc today.

“Now we must bring pressure on the councils to extend the two-way route across Headgate and up Butt Road, which was the intention when Essex won £4 million from Active Travel England.

“If we can achieve that it will be the first time since cars took over our streets that cyclists will have a safe, high-quality route between the north and south of the city. It will give people an alternative to jumping in the car.

“Incidentally we never say ‘everyone has to cycle’ – merely that if you want to ride a bike you should be able to do so without feeling under threat. The key word here is ‘choice’, especially for the thousands of children and teenagers going to school and college each day.

“The Head Street cycleway is a step towards giving them that choice. It will in itself revolutionise people’s journeys.”

Bramhill continued: “It will allow cyclists to ride from the top of North Hill to Headgate for the first time since the city centre one-way system was installed in the early 1960s.

“It cuts out a big loop – High Street, Queen Street, St Botolph’s Street, Osborne Street and St John’s Street – and makes it easier for lots of people riding to and from Colchester General Hospital, the railway station, the VI Form college, and the Institute. It also links into St John’s Street and Crouch Street for those heading east or west.”

> “Why pick on a lone female cyclist?” Cyclist slapped with £100 fine – for riding on a cycle path

This first apparent shift away from Colchester’s seemingly ingrained car culture, towards one that provides clear and safe choices for active travel, comes just two months after a cyclist in the city was left stunned after she was handed a £100 Fixed Penalty Notice by a council warden, ostensibly under a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) designed to prevent anti-social or nuisance behaviour, who claimed that the cyclist was “riding on the footpath” – despite the path in question being designated as a shared-use cycle route since 2011.

Helge Gillmeister was cycling home from work in March, along a path located next to the city’s busy Southway, when she was issued with the fine for breaching the PSPO. Describing her punishment as “ridiculous”, especially due to the presence of signs indicating the path’s shared-use status 30 yards from where she was stopped, Gillmeister quickly and successfully appealed the FPN, with the council agreeing to waive her fine.

Nevertheless, the debacle has inspired the Colchester Cycling Campaign to adopt a policy of “non-cooperation” with the council, while urging cyclists to refuse to give their names or addresses if stopped by wardens for riding their bikes in what campaigners such as Bramhill have described as a “city designed for cars”.