Friday 4 February 2011

Breaking news: a new route for cyclists arrives

While dark things were happening in London; a new movement set up to bring cycling to the masses, and troublemakers in Filton were painting bollards to make the cycle paths somewhere safe to cycle, here in Bristol the council spent the weekend trying to bring cycling to Horfield, at least Dovercourt Lane, which now has a route between their houses and B &Q that doesn't require 120-140mm of front suspension.

We had hoped for something that would create pedestrian/bicycle conflict, one where S Gloucs council would have to come down, show them city folk how it was done, and add some white bollards down the middle and gates at the end to calm down the cyclists and make the whole thing generally unpleasant. We call this the "Coronation Road" gambit: a cycle lane impossible to cycle down.
But this looks, well, wide and inviting.

There's a gentle rise, with visibility. People will be able to get from Dovercourt road to Muller Road without even going to any effort, to get the farm pub in St W's without working up a sweat. Compare that with the frustrating effort to drive to the same pub on a friday evening from the same location -all because the same council refuses to open up Boiling Well's Lane as a through route between Muller Road and the city.
We are shocked and disappointed.

Our big fear now is that the council will use this as an excuse for making Dovercourt Road and Wordsworth Road pleasant to cycle along. We shall be monitoring this, and ask for contributions from local drivers to resist this fundamental attack on the Bristol lifestyle.

2 comments:

Bristolcyclista said...

Please can you clarify exactly where this bridge is being built.

I work in Lockleaze and at present cycle up and down Gloucester Road twice a day. If I started using this route there would be one less bike clogging up a major route in and out of Bristol leaving it more available to legitimate Road Tax paying vehicles, just like the ones you use. There is also less of a chance of me filming you and your colleagues as you park your white van in the cycle lane just so that you can pop into one of the many supermarkets for your copy of The Sun, a can of Red Bull and 20 Marlborough.

SteveL said...

You are very considerate. It is from the bottom of Dovercourt Road to Petherbridge road, where there is a new muller road crossing/lane and then paths to St Werburghs or up to Ashley Down Road, and over St Andrews to the Arches

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