CITY executives cycled through town to find the issues that cyclists face.
Labor MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle joined Brighton and Hove City Council leaders for the ride organized by the Bricycles campaign group.
Departing from The Level, a swarm of bikes including the city’s decision makers made their way along the waterfront before heading towards Preston Park.
The aim of the bike ride was to identify the issues surrounding the city’s current cycling infrastructure.
Speaking near Marrocco’s, council transport committee chief Amy Heley said: “I think everywhere is a problem, it’s a nightmare.
“The Valley Gardens bike trails are the best, they feel the most complete, which is fantastic that they’ve been made.
“The temporary bike path that we just been on is amazing, it’s so much better than the ball, but obviously it’s only temporary so there are a lot of improvements we would like to make.
“It really shows how dangerous it is in the city and how far behind a lot of other modern cities we are.”
When asked what the long-term vision was for solving the problems, she said, “We want to make everywhere as safe as possible for every type of user.
“I think a lot of it should be a complete waterfront overhaul.
“Currently, four lanes of traffic on our busiest tourist attraction and a huge suburban corridor are not appropriate for the 21st century and it is a priority for us to examine this.”
The ride was organized by Chris Williams of Bricycles and left the level at 3pm and took the new Valley Gardens cycle paths.
He then made his way to the Aquarium roundabout, which he described as a “scary experience” even for experienced cyclists with multiple lanes of cars, trucks and buses passing at high speed.
The group then cycled west along the waterfront, experimenting with the two-way track that “goes in and out of pedestrians”.
While at Kings Esplanade, the “cycle swarm” spotted a sports car driving along the cycle path.
Mr Williams added: “This is not about petting a small group of people called cyclists, but opening up some form of transportation, exercise and recreation for a potentially huge group of people by making it safe, easy and attractive. ”
The group then moved from Hove Street to Church Road, using an intersection, said Williams “in desperate need of an overhaul as you have to sit in heavy traffic to turn.”
They then head east back to Brighton, along Western Road and North Street, before heading north to Preston Park.
This part of the trip, Mr Williams said, was often dangerous, as the width of the road “constantly varied”.
All elected officials and deputies of the city were invited to a Bricycles bike ride, which left them the choice of the date.
Organizers said they were disappointed Conservative advisers did not join them on Sunday afternoon.
Labor MP Mr Russell-Moyle said: ‘I always have fun on Brighton seafront – and I love to cycle when I can.
“Clearly, there are a lot of problems around crossroads, signage, but also space.
“The place where we were cycling at this spot in front of the pier is very dangerous and I have had friends, colleagues and a partner, all of whom have broken bones around this area.
“These types of shared spaces are not acceptable, they have to go away, we need proper delineation.”
More about this article: Read More
Source: www.theargus.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-06-13 06:55:06
