I've not been round much recently, work's been so busy that fortunately I've not had to cycle into the shithole Southend's been turned into and as a result I've not been getting my daily stress about how badly the Council have treated cyclists.
I popped into the office a few weeks ago, just after the green paint started going down on the seafront, my initial reaction was that as they were painting over the white cycle logos they'd given up on the idea of a cycle path and were introducing an artificial grass verge.
I did however cycle through both the Prittle Brook Greenway, as well as Victoria Circus roundabout (sorry, "shared space"), as well as getting shouted at by a taxi driver along the seafront for riding in the road and not on the new City Beach Pavement.
At Victoria Circus I'm struggling to find the "shared space" (which is of course a fashionable catchphrase at present). I can find a main road t-junction, a bus lane, and a huge amount of pedestrian pavement. All the roads seem to be traffic light controlled, and from the cycle lanes etc cyclists also appear to have their own dedicated space. What I can't find, as I have found elsewhere in the world as I research cycle schemes and road layouts, is any area where pedestrians and traffic share the same space in order to make a pleasant and safe environment. e.g.
Google MapsI am appalled at how bad the greenway is. is it just me that feels this way? I complained back at the end of last year when they started this, as you get wheelspin when you turn the pedals, huge slides when you dab the back brake, and the front washes out if you dab that brake or turn sharply. I dropped the bike at the sharp bend by the driving school when at low speed I encountered an elderly pedestrian. I used this as an example in a recent communication with the Council - only to get what I took as a sarcastic "sorry to hear that you've fallen from your bicycle again" reply. I'm more than happy riding on any surface from smooth tarmac, through cycle paths, bridleways, fully off-road to ice and snow; I'm not impressed though by this loose gravel over a hard surface as it's the loosest I've encountered for a long time. As soon as you lose traction you're riding on the equivalent of ball bearings. If I, as an experienced cyclist knowing I'm on a poor surface can drop the bike, how will novice cyclists cope? I note that the path is covered in deep skid marks where people are churning the gravel over.
The Council imply that this path is based on the Cycle Town of Woking where a fantastic path has been built alongside the canal. I've visited that site (with the CTC and local campaigners) only to find that the canal path IS fantastic as there is NO loose gravel. Apparently there was some initially but the council listened to stakeholders and swept it up. I've gone back to Southend Council with this, as well as (twice) inviting Rob Tinlin and the two relevant Councillors on site to discuss; I've received the usual responce that I get as a stakeholder - no reply at all.
Due to work commitments I couldn't make the last Council run cycle group meeting. The agenda implied it was going to be a back slapping congratulatory affair at the end of the three year project. I did get a copy of the minutes which say things such as "... and Prittle Brook schemes have been welcomed and provide good quality riding areas" and "Members of the Forum thanked the Council staff for all their work on Cycle Southend to date and congratulated them on their achievements". That doesn't read in the same way as usual forum meetings, but when I look at the list of attendees I see several of the usual members didn't attend, but Council staff who don't usually attend were there.
From comments made in the press I'm getting the impression that after three years as a cycle town the Council still don't understand what a cyclist is. I'm getting the impression that they want to create areas that we can transport our bikes to and then ride in circles. e.g.
Cyclists and pedestrians to share City Beach space (From Echo)"CYCLISTS will share the same space as pedestrians along Southend seafront when the £7.6million City Beach scheme is complete"
"Their vision of City Beach is of a recreational area where they want to discourage fast cycling near pedestrians"
"Graham Pearl, of Southend Wheelers and a Bike-It officer for Sustrans, welcomed the idea, adding: 'Anything that allows us to cycle in more places is beneficial.' " (I understand from the meetings I have attended that Graham is a member of the Cycle Town project team, and his comment here confuses me as I've cycled along the Golden quarter-of-a-mile for the last ten years so I don't understand how we are being allowed to cycle in more places...)
In the last few weeks I've been in several different areas of the country. I am really pleased to see how so many people are now cycling, and how cycling numbers are rocketing up. I'm guessing that a lot of this is down to fuel prices, as well as more prominence of cycling in the media etc. Most of the areas I've been in do not have cycle facilities, the cyclists are just getting on with cycling (mostly on-road, but also sometimes on the pavement in town). When I do cycle through Southend I don't see as much of an increase in cyclists as I would expect from their status as a cycling town.
So, the question I ask the public is... Do I accept that the Council is right in creating the seafront path that has led to so many conflicts, that the Council is right in retaining such a poor surface on the Prittle Brook Greenway and not sweeping the loose gravel up, and that I should admit defeat and let them get on with what they feel is benefitting cyclists while I just walk away and go cycling elsewhere.
I only got involved in the cycle campaigning as I wanted to improve conditions for cyclists. Southend Council have appeared to do their own thing for the last ten years that I've been involved, and other than a few items I feel I have achieved little. Is it time for me to call it a day and go back to charity working and other such activities where I do get to help others.