Question
The Executive Member for Highways will be aware of the promised plan to build a cycleway down the Nine Mile Ride from Gorse Ride South to Park Lane which has been delayed due to the necessary extra Highway’s land to be added to the existing footway having been encroached upon by residents and there is some reluctance to tackle these residents despite this being in the interests of the wider community. Bohunt students are already cycling along the footway. There is now a welcome plan to build new bus stops, shelters and a light controlled pedestrian crossing at the entrance to California Country Park. There is Highway’s owned grass land at this point suitable for the westbound shelter and the bus stop itself could be placed a little further west so as not to cause a traffic issue at the entrance. Why, therefore, is it felt necessary to place both the bus stop and the shelter on the existing footway so causing another obstruction in the way of building the cycleway adding this to the fact that you have not yet placed a marker down by writing to the offending residents; what message are you sending to the wider community?
Minutes:
Question
The Executive Member for Highways will be aware of the promised plan to build a cycleway down the Nine Mile Ride from Gorse Ride South to Park Lane which has been delayed due to the necessary extra Highway’s land to be added to the existing footway having been encroached upon by residents and there is some reluctance to tackle these residents despite this being in the interests of the wider community. Bohunt students are already cycling along the footway. There is now a welcome plan to build new bus stops, shelters and a light controlled pedestrian crossing at the entrance to California Country Park. There is Highway’s owned grass land at this point suitable for the eastbound shelter and the bus stop itself could be placed a little further east so as not to cause a traffic issue at the entrance. Why, therefore, is it felt necessary to place both the bus stop and the shelter on the existing footway so causing another obstruction in the way of building the cycleway adding this to the fact that you have not yet placed a marker down by writing to the offending residents; what message are you sending to the wider community?
Answer
You will recall that you were a participant in meetings with all Councillors in April 2017 where this issue of cyclists and Nine Mile Ride were discussed at great length. At the end of that meeting a proposal was put forward, and accepted by Finchamptead Councillors to assist cyclists and wider access to the school. It was agreed the Nine Mile Ride route would be installed as a safe walking route to the school, aligned to the s106 planning obligations of the new school which were delivered on time and on budget. It was agreed that the California Park Greenway route, delivered in Summer 2017, would be upgraded to provide lighting to assist users including cyclists to use this alternative off road route. Cyclists especially child cyclists will always tell you, and their parents will tell you, that providing an off-road cycling route is infinitely safer than a route alongside a very, very busy main road with many house access points crossing it. Councillor Simon Weeks has worked on behalf of residents to enable the provision of these much needed bus shelters and improved safer road crossing at this point.
The proposed bus stops and crossing points with drop kerbs on Nine Mile Ride near California Country Park have been carefully designed at locations where buses can access them safely and they are accessible and convenient for those walking to access the bus service. Moving the bus stops as you propose would introduce road safety issues. The available highway width at the designed stop locations requires the shelters to be located on the footway, and I confirm the proposals comply with the nationally recognised inclusive mobility guidance for highway users including vulnerable users and I come back to the point that an off-road, a significantly off-road cycle route, will always be far, far better than one that is right next to a busy road.
Supplementary Question
Is not the real truth that you do not intend dealing with highways encroachments and the message to residents is to grab as much highways land as they possibly can?
Supplementary Answer
No the message is not that. There is alternative work going on across the whole Borough looking at that issue right across. But to bring that into the cyclist is, I think, inappropriate.