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Delays for drivers in Shrewsbury as cycle works begin
Monday 10th January 2011, 12:07PM GMT.
Motorists in Shrewsbury faced major disruption today as work began to improve facilities for pedestrians and cyclists in key areas of the town.
A toucan signal-controlled crossing is being built in Mytton Oak Road, near the main entrance to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
And the pedestrian refuges at Heathgates roundabout will be widened and green surfacing will be introduced to highlight the crossing points.
Both projects are part of a town-wide crossings programme which was set up with funding from the council’s Cycle Shrewsbury campaign.
The work in Mytton Oak Road will take up to five weeks, weather permitting. At Heathgates island, the crossing improvements will take place over two weeks during non-peak times.
Other recently-completed schemes include the toucan crossing in Old Potts Way and crossing improvements at the Roman Road and Longden Road roundabout.
The Mytton Oak Road crossing is being part-funded by Cala Homes and it will connect with cycle tracks to be constructed as part of their Copthorne Grange development.
Further works are planned at Heathgates roundabout later in January and early February as part of the northern corridor improvements.
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All as part of our council’s annual “waste every penny left” campaign before the new council tax year.
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That depends on whether you are a cyclist
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read the article
the developer is paying for the cycle path because the council has cleverly and cost effectively used its planning role to make them pay
that means less council tax for you andy
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Along with the usual motorist disruption plan
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surely its going to be good for motorists if more people are cycling and walking ? No ?
Less traffic means more space on the roads and less waiting in Qs
its wrong to lead with a headline playing on the negative aspects of this work, think long term, think positive about the future benefits of this work!!!
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Total waste of money, cyclists will still ride on the path, thousands spent on Telford Way, few cyclists use this road & plenty still use the path! & before all the militant cyclists have a go at me, I am one.
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This is because it is ludicrous to designate space for cyclists and pedestrians. Pedestrians use the space available to them and cyclists seek the greater comfort of riding furthest from the edge of the road.
The system is flawed. I would prefer directional based segregation but unfortunately this would work even less. Ultimately, it is on-road cycle lanes that are best for all.
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I see MANY more examples of pedestrians walking in cycle lanes around the town than the other way round – where’s the public outcry about that?? And how can improving safety for both cyclists and pedestrians be a “total waste of money”? I suspect you are a “militant pedestrian” or “militant motorist” rather than a cyclist as you claim to be!!
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As one who regularly cycles to work, I can’t agree that the best place for cycle lanes is ‘on-road’ as suggested.
Many motorists are courteous and considerate of cyclists, but I regularly encounter a minority who allow insufficient space and who appear to be quite unaware of what is going on around them. For that reason I’d rather be as far away from vehicles as possible, on a cycle path.
True, there are hazards on cycle paths, including pedestrians who cannot seem to stick to walking on the correct side of the path, and a minority of dog owners who seem to want to use their extending leads as trip-wires, but I’d rather be avoiding a collision with one of these than with a large metal box travelling at speed.
Then again, I’m not one of the aggressive cyclists who feel the need to hare along at 30mph or more – if I want to go that fast I’ll use my car…
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read the article!!!
this is being funded through a planning condition making the developer pay for it
remember too cycling SAVES money, obesity, air pollution, road accidents etc
Drrr!!
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more council madness!!
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The funding for these projects, some of which are being part-funded by the private sector, has come from the £1.8m grant awarded by the Department of Transport. It has not been funded, directly, by your Council Tax and like most local authority spending can’t be used for other purposes. It has to be spent. Is it not better for this specific funding to be used on projects that arguably improve the built environment and access for the many (pedestrians, the disabled, families with pushchairs), as cycling facilities often do.
There’s plenty of information about Cycle Shrewsbury here:
http://www.cycleshrewsbury.co.uk/about
Quite agree about the lazy, negative tone of the headline. Did the Star similarly moan about the disruption when the road outside the RSH and the Nurses’ accommodation block was being widened?
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Very well said Max!!
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Does ‘non-peak times’ cover 8.20am this morning when they were working on Heathgates island and I’d had to queue most of the way down Mount Pleasant Road?
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You have to queue down Mount Pleasant Road every morning at that time regardless of roadworks.
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Very rare I have to queue at any time from further up from the Steam Wagon, but every morning this week I’ve had to…
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Tonight an old git on a bicycle rode the red light after the English bridge then took refuge along the pavement riding along the designated cycle lane!! Perhaps a riding proficiency exam should be implemented for old as well as young! Could be cheaper in the long run.
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You cant cycle on the pavements in Heath Farm Shrewsbury, the motorists use them as a car park.
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im really pleased to see shrewsbury getting more into cycling, cheap. healthy. green . frees up road/parking space. why would you object to cycling?
its all good
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What about the postmen who cycle on the pavements?
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Or the delivery drivers that park on them.
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at least they go by bike, saving your tax payers money and being greener, i think its great what the royal mail do on sustainable transport more power to them
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