Risky U turns on the cycle lane (From Bournemouth Echo)

Risky U turns on the cycle lane

9:00am Thursday 9th July 2009 in

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The battle to get cycle lanes, on the road, along Talbot Avenue has raged for nine years.

It is the elderly pedestrians who live on Talbot Avenue, especially those with impaired vision or hearing, who are suffering.

In 2000 I, with the help of others including ward councillors, persuaded Bournemouth council to reject the officers’ recommendation to create cycle paths along pavements of Talbot Avenue. Since then we have been campaigning to get advisory cycle lanes on the road linking the university to Wimborne Road, which now has cycle lanes on the road.

At last, earlier this year, I was assured cycle lanes would go in along Talbot Avenue – on the road. But no! Within days of a cycle-friendly officer leaving Bournemouth council a sudden change of mind, and now only short, disjointed lengths will be painted on the road. This ignores the advice by national and local cycling organisations, even the council’s own cycle forum, as well as government recommend-ations that cyclists should only be put on pavements “as a last resort”.

Advisory cycle lanes on the road leave the whole carriageway free for motor vehicles, unless a cyclist is present, but encourage drivers to keep away from the kerb thereby, perhaps, saving the life of an unnoticed rider.

They also offer a “perceived” safe area for cyclists to use, hopefully encouraging them to leave the pavement for pedestrians.

I would urge all those pedestrians who use Talbot Avenue pavements to contact their ward councillors. Ask them to persuade Bournemouth council’s cabinet to do another U turn and provide the continuous advisory cycle lanes for which I and other have spent nine years campaigning.

Peter Du Lieu, Cyclists’ Touring Club