Wednesday 15 February 2012

At least no-one can say they didn’t know

There are several danger spots in Newcastle for cycling (and many times walking too). I have a library of emails and letters to document my concerns. 

The situation for cyclists in the city centre really worries me. Recent North-South route 'improvements' were insufficient. I am still awaiting answers to queries.There is no safe North-South route through Newcastle's core. 

City centre
  • John Dobson Street (full stretch, in particular on and off bus route with cycle sharing, traffic light phasing 'overlap')
  • Pilgrim Street (full stretch, inadequate cycling provision)
  • Percy Street (full stretch, inadequate cycling provision) 
  • Crossing over Sandhill (drivers ignoring traffic lights)
  • East Pilgrim Street (proposed scheme, misuse of user hierarchy)
  • the safe North-South alternative - Northumberland Street - is off-limits
 Gosforth
  • Great North Road (three lanes at Regent Centre roundabout, Gosforth High Street, blocked cycle lanes, hostile northern roundabouts, 40 mph stretch yet a route to many schools and local shops - Little America!)
  • Ilford Road (bad visibility splays, road design and parking arrangement causing conflict, route to school!)
  • Aggressive driving on The Grove (speeding on a 20 mph urban street)
  • Crossing over Jesmond Dene Road (drivers ignoring traffic lights)
 West end
  • Silverlonnen (removal of cycle lane and installation of pinchpoints)
  • Elswick Road (new scheme, removing cycle lanes, and installation of pinchpoint, council's scheme going against independent road safety assessment to retain cycle continuity)
  • Westmorland Road (proposed scheme January 2012)
  • Brighton Grove (old, blocked cycle lane, and proposed scheme October 2011 with squeezed shared space)
There are more hotspots, elsewhere, I am sure. The above covers routes I use frequently, or locations with recent 'traffic schemes' that have come to my attention through my involvement in the Newcastle Cycling Campaign. 

Council's no-can't-do is not good enough. Let's be blunt, they do not even manage to get the parked cars out of the cycle lanes. Let alone decide whether it is them or the police dealing with it.

Something's gone astray. It really does need fixing.

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