Author Topic: Southend Cycle Town  (Read 19197 times)

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Southend Cycle Town
« Reply #50 on: 19 January, 2010, 01:13:22 am »
Nutty, are you still the Right to Ride Officer?

I think you should do a press release. I would, except I represent FoE and Martin McNeill would butcher or censor anything I wrote. He and I go back a long way.

The point that needs to be made is that Anna Waite cannot keep going around telling the untruth that the Council's schemes are supported by cyclists and that £3million, which could have been spent on something useful, has just been pissed up the wall..

If you like, I could write something and pass it to you for approval. :demon:
The loss of humanity I could live with.

Re: Southend Cycle Town
« Reply #51 on: 19 January, 2010, 01:51:15 am »
Yes I am still the insomniac suffering RTR.  I am considering my options.

One thing is bugging me.  They said tonight that in consultation with John Grimshaw of Cycling England they had changed strategy and were pursuing the Prittle Brook Greenway starting next month.  (This is the nightmare route mentioned above with 19 road crossings in 2 miles, but much beloved of ex sustrans founder John Grimshaw and the new Program Director in Southend Council who was previously involved in pursuing this, to the extent of taking it though Public Enquiry.)

Now if you look at the Cabinet minutes I linked to in the OP there was a scrutiny comment on there.
Quote
3. That it be noted that there are two other major cycling infrastructure projects (NCN Route 16 link (Cinder Path) and Prittle Brook Greenway) which are not part of the Cycling Demonstration Town project and are being pursued in parallel to this initiative.


I'm going though the Council Cabinet minutes at the moment, and have found this, with item 566

The attached report states
Quote
3.1 A report was presented to Cabinet on 4th November 2008, setting out the Cycling Strategy for Southend. The implementation of cycle routes is now proceeding apace and there is a need to consider adjustments to traffic regulations including footpath conversion orders (including Prittle Brook Greenway, Cinder Path, FP111 Hospital path link and FP46 Station Road to Elmsleigh Drive link) in order to meet the construction and funding deadlines up to March 2011.

Is the proposed funding spend on Prittle Brook Greenway in opposition to the Scrutiny Comment of 4/11/08, or have the cabinet agreed to fund this, in opposition to those scrutiny comments?  I can't find any minuted items stating that the scrutiny comments have been withdrawn and the Cycling Town budget is to pay for the greenway...

Re: Southend Cycle Town
« Reply #52 on: 19 January, 2010, 01:06:09 pm »
I've just been out for a lunch break.   Fatters was understating the danger here!!!!!!

This is the new cycle lane & ASL I have serious issues with.
<snip>

<snip>

I stopped with a camera on my way in to work this morning.

View along the one way Alexandra Street.


That's not just a feeder lane to the ASL, it's a full blown cycle lane running from the pedestrianised precinct to the junction.  Look at it close up, note how it's to the LEFT of the turn left lane even though the mapped cycle route goes straight ahead.  Also look at how it intrudes into the door zone of the taxi rank...  taxi passengers being even more likely to just throw the door open after paying and without looking  >:( >:(





And heading south towards the junction?   It's a tight t-junction with only a left turn option.  No cyclist should be to the left of traffic here as there is a real risk of collision on the apex of the bend.  

Note where they've painted a cycle lane  >:(

nicknack

  • Hornblower
Re: Southend Cycle Town
« Reply #53 on: 19 January, 2010, 01:42:51 pm »
That should have a sign in it, "Suicidal Cyclists Queue Here".
There's no vibrations, but wait.

woollypigs

  • Mr Peli
    • woollypigs
Re: Southend Cycle Town
« Reply #54 on: 19 January, 2010, 02:21:09 pm »

I train my trainees to take the lane and go over the bumps. Yes they are annoying to cycle over but I would rather have that than a bus/car/van/etc squeezing by.
Current mood: AARRRGGGGHHHHH !!! #bollockstobrexit

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Southend Cycle Town
« Reply #55 on: 19 January, 2010, 02:22:02 pm »
I generally cycle to the right of of the bump.



On this one I always do.



And on this one I keep to the right of the bollard.
The loss of humanity I could live with.

Re: Southend Cycle Town
« Reply #56 on: 19 January, 2010, 02:34:05 pm »

I train my trainees to take the lane and go over the bumps. Yes they are annoying to cycle over but I would rather have that than a bus/car/van/etc squeezing by.

If you'd seen the plans for this hump, and the whole of the road, at consultation time would you have been happy for the hump to have been sited there, or would you have commented that it prevented the cyclist from taking the lane and requesting that a different solution be found. 
1) re-site the bump further away from the bollard.
2) remove the bollard (it was put there as part of a previous, not fully successful, accident reduction scheme at that junction)
3) other.



If you had responded with 1, 2 or 3, would you have been happy to see the final construction matched the draft consultation plans?

Re: Southend Cycle Town
« Reply #57 on: 20 January, 2010, 06:34:40 pm »
I have just been out for a ride along the seafront Westcliff-Shoebury direction with my other half to test out his new IQ cyo light. We stayed off the cycle path and rode on the road.
I have to say that in Southend it seems to me you always get one comment or toot from a box driver, but tonight in three miles of riding we had two blasts of the horn, one passenger leaning out of window to tell us where the cycle path was and one driver who did the same after lowering the passenger side window.
Is there an anti cycling culture brewing in Southend, Tbh tonight has shocked me a bit.

Re: Southend Cycle Town
« Reply #58 on: 20 January, 2010, 06:36:14 pm »
Is there an anti cycling culture brewing in Southend, Tbh tonight has shocked me a bit.
Yes there is. It starts in the Civic Centre!

Re: Southend Cycle Town
« Reply #59 on: 20 January, 2010, 06:50:33 pm »
Is there an anti cycling culture brewing in Southend, Tbh tonight has shocked me a bit.
Yes there is. It starts in the Civic Centre!

Errrm, apart from them that is  ::-)  ;)

Re: Southend Cycle Town
« Reply #60 on: 20 January, 2010, 11:23:06 pm »
...
Is there an anti cycling culture brewing in Southend, Tbh tonight has shocked me a bit.

I've found it seems to ebb and wane, and I don't know why.

If I get a comment from a car, I know it's a bad week.   I've had stuff shouted at me Monday night (and the back seat passenger take a photo), and another passenger shouted out of the window last night (Tuesday).  I also got hit later on Tuesday night*.  I didn't ride home tonight as I got the train** to Basildon for a cycle meeting with Essex County Council.  I've had a couple of bad morning commutes too.

On the positive side this pretty much means that they're getting it out of their system and I'll have a few good weeks.  Unless the gridlock from all the roadworks gets to them...







*
Actually I got bumped tonight, I forgot about that.  Side road on the right, car turning right out of it (so going in my direction) ignored my two front lights and hi-viz and pulled out into my path.  I didn't unclip but there was quite a loud BANG as the back passenger door contacted my foot.  It's a shame that I was on fixed as it meant a few pedal revolutions of scuffs followed the impact.   But never mind, the muppet driver decided not to stop and exchange details, so if there was any damage he's definitely got to pay for it, instead of chasing my insurers who'll put him back in his box  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D


** Southend to Basildon cost me £5.20.  It saved me 9 minutes on a door to door cycle journey.  I think I should have cycled the whole way as that's not value for money.  The only good thing amongst the misbehaving school yobs was the girl fooling around trying to make me laugh who said "look, you're getting on this man's nerves and all I'm trying to do is give him a good time" - and then who went absolutely bright red as she realised the innuendo behind her comment.

Re: Southend Cycle Town
« Reply #61 on: 20 January, 2010, 11:31:47 pm »
I have just been out for a ride along the seafront Westcliff-Shoebury direction with my other half to test out his new IQ cyo light. We stayed off the cycle path and rode on the road.
....

That's one of the worst sections of road in town to ignore the farcilities.    If you're not on that cycle path* then you will get abuse.   

I get it every time I'm down there, and now almost go out of my way to avoid the area.  A colleague also avoids that area now as he's fed up with
1) abuse
2) not being able to use the path as it's always dug up for gas works
3) not being able to use the path as it's used as a service road by the council bin emptying vans.

I agree with him on all these points.


The best time I had down there was a summer's lunchbreak with a tail wind.  The path was full of kids on stabilisers.  Even though I'd caught the queue up and was looking for the overtake the passengers in the car were angrily gesturing at the path.  i shook my head, overtook, and left them for dust stuck behind the learner.

That was 5 years ago.  The only way we'll improve matters is to get rid of dedicated paths alongside 30mph roads and head back towards a shared space.   Unfortunately it seems to me that the local council are once again pursuing a regime of getting cyclists off of the carriageway and away from anywhere that they might cause delay to the motor car.









* for non locals this is what it looks like ----> Daft cycle paths at nuttycyclist.co.uk

Re: Southend Cycle Town
« Reply #62 on: 20 March, 2010, 12:28:07 am »