Southend Cycle Town - part 2

[David Martin]

Looks like it is time to find some nice yellow painted kerbstones from somewhere and put them in place. Or complain to the local police about obstruction.

[delthebike]

Looks like it is time to find some nice yellow painted kerbstones from somewhere and put them in place. Or complain to the local police about obstruction.

Not following you re kerb stones.

[David Martin]

You put them along the edge of the cycle path to stop the vans from driving on. A 1ft high granite block tends to deter most transitory transits.

[delthebike]

So much for Councilor Cox informing officers for investigations!

Maybe he contacted the officers for investigations of magical remedial work?

[AndyK]

I phoned and reported it this morning.
Them, "We'll try to get it sorted within five days".
Me, "If I was the council I would treat it a bit more urgently than that because it's a meter wide, 20cm across and at least 5cm deep, and it WILL have someone off their bike."


Number to call is 215003 and go through the options until you get to talk to someone.

http://www.southend.gov.uk/info/557/roads_and_footways-maintenance/548/potholes/1

[Shrimp_Stu]

Thanks for the heads up on the Cycle Lane......thankfully I stayed on the road East of the Pier from Shoebury this afternoon, another good reason to avoid the Cycle Lane. Really annoys me that the road is safer than the seafront cycle lane, and its a shame that car drivers who abuse you dont ride a bike, whilst cyclists who are drivers appreciate/acknowledge the hazards of a cyclist!

[delthebike]

Oh! Some action re the Eastern Esplanade work that didn't take place. I received this just now:

"The area has been inspected and a repair has been arranged to be carried out by the council’s contractor.  This appears not to be the result of any work having been carried out by a contractor, but a fault involving the breakup of the material forming part of the surface to the cycle track."

My bold.
I wonder how they account for the straight lines at the edges?

Useless lying feckers!

edit: If it is what they say, I don't believe it because you can see the blade marks on the edges, then it is their own refuse van that drives down the path, half on the footway and half on the cycle path, that has caused the damage.

[delthebike]

Not sure but it looks like a bicycle has rammed this beacon pole, just west of the casino, although the dent is slightly higher than a 700c wheel + 32 tyre.

[Andrij]

Not sure but it looks like a bicycle has rammed this beacon pole, just west of the casino, although the dent is slightly higher than a 700c wheel + 32 tyre.

The positioning of the pole is just ridiculous!  It should be a few centimetres further to the right as this is Southend. 

[AndyK]

I reckon it'd take more than a bicycle to damage one of those poles. It's more likely clumsy driving.

[AndyK]

And I almost forgot, the Eastern Esplanade cycle path has been repaired.



Note they've only repaired the bit that had cracked, and have left the rest to crack up later. 

[Domestique]

Re. the pole, the position is fine as at any busy times the cycle lane is full of taxis and impossible to cycle on anyway.

[delthebike]

Improvements at St. Mary's, Vic. Ave. and Priory Cres.
http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/local_news/10180179.Improvements_planned_for_cycle_and_footpath_in_busy_Southend_road/

The already improved Vic. Ave. is pretty good from Churchill Gardens to Cavendish. At least three metres wide, albeit shared use and two way.

[Domestique]

There is a survey doing the rounds from Sustrans/Southend council

https://survey.sustrans.org.uk/southend1/

[FatBloke]

There is a survey doing the rounds from Sustrans/Southend council

https://survey.sustrans.org.uk/southend1/

Amazing that as a member of the cycling panel and a Sustrans ranger (albeit inactive) I have heard nothing of this!!   

[Domestique]

This was also in today Echo, although its a bit more Essex than Southend.

[Pancho]

Who'd have thought it; the PCC for Essex putting road safety as one of his priorities. And the paper using the term "crashes" rather than "accidents". The world is changing.

[Domestique]

Maybe Essex Police just got their first bad driver to deal with 

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/local_news/10202983.Teenager_struck_by_cyclist_in_Southend_shared_space_zone/

[delthebike]

Maybe Essex Police just got their first bad driver to deal with 

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/local_news/10202983.Teenager_struck_by_cyclist_in_Southend_shared_space_zone/

Story is now updated to "fighting for life".
Not much in the way of facts but the story now reads the pedestrian collided with the cyclist.

Best wishes to both pedestrian and rider.

[nuttycyclist]

There is a survey doing the rounds from Sustrans/Southend council

https://survey.sustrans.org.uk/southend1/

Amazing that as a member of the cycling panel and a Sustrans ranger (albeit inactive) I have heard nothing of this!!   

Having skimmed through it, it's not one I can fill in.    It has no real opportunity to say how much damage Southend Council did for cycling and how they made it so dangerous I hung up my cycling shoes and gave up cycling.

[nuttycyclist]

Maybe Essex Police just got their first bad driver to deal with 

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/local_news/10202983.Teenager_struck_by_cyclist_in_Southend_shared_space_zone/

Story is now updated to "fighting for life".
Not much in the way of facts but the story now reads the pedestrian collided with the cyclist.

Best wishes to both pedestrian and rider.

Devastating news.    Those of us who persevered with the cycling panel throughout the life of the cycle town project (not that the Council offered us much in the way of input) predicted collisions through the way they were designing stuff.

Reading news like that makes me sad, angry, and full of regret that we couldn't change the path of the council bulldozers through the planned changes.  They went ahead without seeming to listen to any of our inputs, although they do constantly say they "consulted".


I have my fingers crossed that it's not too bad an injury and there is a full recovery.

[Wowbagger]

Agreed about the nature of the news and the uselessness of the Council.

Word was at the CTC ride yesterday that the collision took place not on the shared space but at the top of Pier Hill, on the pavement. I suspect that that is wrong.

[Flynn]

The councillor responsible for transport has today said it is not a shared space. At least that's how I interpret his comment here:

“Clearly, my sympathies and best wishes are with this young girl and I truly hope she makes a quick recovery. From what I understand - and the circumstances around this incident are not clear yet - it did not happen because it was within the shared space area BECAUSE CYCLISTS SHOULD NOT BE ON THE PAVEMENT REGARDLESS.

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/local_news/southend/10205030.Shared_space_not_responsible_for_cyclist_collision/

[FatBloke]

I suspect that Tony Cox, the Tory councillor responsible for transport hasn't got a fecking clue what he's talking about. If it happened outside Chinnery's Pub as reported that is "shared space" pavement. 

[matthew]

"shared use" and "shared space" are different though aren't they.
IIRC
"shared use" = put blue signs up and cyclists can use the pavement
"shared space" = remove all road markings, kerbs etc and head for a naked street; cars, peds and cyclists all sharing one area.

If this is the case then I suspect the councillor is trying to deflect critisism away from a shared space 'naked street' scheme without realising that the terminology is too close to 'shared use' as operating on the pavement in question.