From Newsgroup: uk.rec.cycling


Cyclists slam 'unsafe' Torquay harbour road

A design overhaul has sparked the issue

ByGuy HendersonLocal Democracy Reporter
09:32, 5 SEP 2024

Cyclists want Torbay Council to think again about axing a cycle path from a
new road layout around Torquay Harbour.

Local bike riders were furious at the beginning of the summer when the
council said the segregated cycle way was being dropped from the -u4 million harbourside revamp. Now 130 of them have signed a petition to be handed in
at a full meeting of the council next week.

Cyclists will have to share the busy road with vehicles after the discovery
of uncharted water pipes underground led to the design of the new rCypublic realmrCO on the harbourside being changed.

The discovery has also meant the completion of the project being delayed
until later in the year. Campaigner Beth Huntley told the BBC that the new layout with its narrower road could be worse for cyclists than the much
wider road it replaces.

rCLTheyrCOve just scrapped the cycling infrastructure and not put anything in as a replacement,rCY she said. rCLThis project should not be delivered without some form of cycling infrastructure.rCY

But Cllr Chris Lewis (Con, Preston), who is the councilrCOs cabinet member
for place development, is confident cyclists will be pleased with the end result. There would be fewer buses and a 20mph speed limit, he said.

The cyclistsrCO petition calls on the council to create a designated lane for them in the new paved area.

It goes on: rCLSince the decision was taken to remove the segregated cycleway from the road with no alternative, cyclists are forced into direct conflict with motorists. This is not suitable or safe in this busy area.rCY

And the petition says that if the project doesnrCOt improve cycling infrastructure, it would go against council and government policy as well
as the councilrCOs own strategy to encourage rCyactive travelrCO.

Riders will have to either hold up traffic by staying in the road or get
off their bikes to push. rCLFor many, the road will feel unsafe and so they will choose to cycle on the pavement anyway,rCY says the petition. rCLWe call on Torbay Council to act as a progressive, supportive organisation and encourage cycling of all ages through Torquay. This will also benefit
motorists as it gives cyclists the choice to come off the road when it is
not appropriate.

<https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/cyclists-slam-unsafe-torquay-harbour-9531760>

You just have to laugh at the cyclists self-entitled approach. In what is
to be a 20mph area, they claim that rCymanyrCO cyclists rCyrCawill choose to cycle
on the pavement anywayrCO!! They are mere scoff-laws. The law needs to crack down on them. They should be banned from the harbour area, for everyonerCOs safety.
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