People in West Sussex are being urged to respond to a public engagement which closes next week into plans for a major cycling and walking route, including sections of cycle lanes segregated from motor traffic.
The six-mile long route is being funded by National Highways (formerly Highways England) and will link Chichester with Emsworth on the A258.
It aims to improve air quality and promote active travel including to schools and train stations along the route.
Currently forming part of National Cycle Network route 2, it will also link to the Centurion Way railway path cycling and walking route as well as other routes on the Manhood peninsula near Chichester.
The current detailed engagement process being held by West Sussex County Council follows an initial engagement last year and closes next Thursday 23 September.
The council has provided detailed proposals of seven separate sections of the route, explaining the rationale between the approach taken at various points, whether that be a shared-use path running alongside the main carriageway, a segregated cycle lane, or in some places, cyclists sharing the road with drivers, with traffic calming measures proposed there.
National Highways project manager Adrianna Chirovici commented: “There’s just one week to go of this engagement and I urge anyone interested in the scheme to visit our virtual exhibition to find out more about the proposals and share their thoughts with us.
“Peoples’ feedback on our proposals will help us develop plans and deliver improvements which will benefit health, safety and the wider environment.”
The project is being funded by National Highways via its Designated Funds programme.
In June this year, cycling minister Chris Heaton-Harris wrote to West Sussex County Council to tell it that it would not be invited to bid for active travel capital funding for 2021/22 following its decision to remove a popular temporary cycle lane introduced in response to the coronavirus pandemic last year in Shoreham-by-Sea.
> “Not a good use of public money”: minister says council who ripped up pop-up cycle lane can't bid for more active travel funding
That decision is also the subject of an application for judicial review by the national cyclists’ charity Cycling UK.
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8 comments
I cycle along here and will continue to use the road and avoid the shared use path, for all the usual reasons. I can see that some cyclists might benefit from the enlarged shared use paths, but not me!
Can't expect much, it's a low bar... (but Bosham is really nice, so it's not all bad)
My suggestion in Fishbourne would be to get rid of the numerous pedestrian islands and replace with fewer, but safer, raised zebra crossings.
I'm quite sure the ped islands are just a by-product of the ridiculously long right-turn filter lane, which makes this particular junction more dangerous as the wide road encourages higher vehicle speeds.
The main carriageway could then be reduced in width, which would give more space back to pedestrians and cyclists, rather than having a useless bit in the middle.
Its a poor effort. The amount of sideroads & driveways along the route which will be blind to those cycling along the route will result in many collisions. And the few high quality sections are only a fraction of the route.
It would be better if they created a new off-line rotue, potentially using some parts of the A259. After all when they upgraded the A27 here they knew the existing route was too poor to even attempt to anything on-line. Same stance should be taken here for the cycle route.
I notice that the council cannot even manage to trim the vegetation on the artwork on their prospective plans.
What hop for it when it might be implemented.
Please, everyone, read through the proposal in detail. It's really poor - shared spaces where they shouldn't be, no priority over side roads, in adequate buffers to the fast moving traffic : much of it is dangerous by design and fails to meet LTN 01/20 or CD195.
When this is the response from the local parish council, you know something's up!
New cycle lanes - Westbourne Parish Council (westbourne-pc.gov.uk)
Indeed, for example:
'Existing 1m width around the tree to be maintained' So the tree opp. Pears Grove at the entrance to Southbourne is to be saved
But, if the scheme was for motor traffic, the road wouldn't suddenly become 1/3rd the width! Especially as there's room the other side of the tree! ! Saves money though, (& it's only for cyclists)! ! !
Note also that Emsworth is at the extreme west of W. Sussex, so this needs to be a 'joined up' proposal with Hampshire.
You have the A258 in your article but the Consultation Document states A259.