Church Gresley vs Amsterdam

Previous articles in the blog have shown problems with cycling infrastructure, specifically in regard to lack of connectivity (Click here for a previous post!). This article looks again at the issue in a slightly different way.

The example used here is of a section of the cycleway that traverses the Castleton Park estate in Church Gresley. I use this on my commute on a daily basis.  As can be seen in the photographs it is segregated from the road and divided into a cycling lane and a walking lane. The current way of thinking tends to favour full shared use paths rather than a split lane but I don't have an issue with this.

Enjoyed the ride? Time to fend for yourself now!

So you think - fantastic - nearly a mile of dedicated cycleway.  When you have a look at the start and finish you are brought back down to earth however with the path finishing in unsuitable places with no onward links.  This is typical of the approach to cycling infrastructure in the UK - when the development ends, so does the cycle-way.

Crossing Glamorgan Way - 1 of 6 Crossings

A closer look at the design around junctions gives further food for thought, particularly on Glamorgan Way where you need to be looking for traffic from 5 different places.  A combination of this, relatively low numbers of people cycling combined with a complete disregard of speed limits or sensible parking by some drivers makes it a bit of a melting pot, and this is supposed to be one of the better areas to be on a bike.  At this point I'm going to change tack but bear with me!

Traffic approaches from 3 directions here

The visibility up Glamorgan Way is not fantastic

Some of my fellow Sustrans rangers are soon to embark on a cycling tour of Holland.  I'm envious but looking forward to hearing about their experience.  We hear about how much better Holland is for cycling compared to the UK but this is not to say it is perfect.  The example linked below from the Hackney cyclist explains some issues but is still very positive.

Click here to read about a Dutch Cycling Experience from the Hackney Cyclist Blog

Why do the Dutch have such good cycle infrastructure? Funding certainly is a reason. Very roughly the Dutch spend per cycling head in in excess of £20 compared to under £2 for the UK currently outside of London.  Holland being flat is potentially another reason, however the key to the infrastructure was due to brave decisions to give cyclists priority - a very severe cultural change.

The Dutch do not generally wear cycling helmets, cycling is not necessarily male-dominated in Holland. We know that obesity in Holland is far less than in this country.

Note the decrease in obesity in the Netherlands and Latvia versus GB (also increase in activity)

The above graph is taken from a study named "Walking, Cycling, and Obesity Rates
in Europe, North America, and Australia" by David R. Bassett, Jr., John Pucher, Ralph Buehler,
Dixie L. Thompson, and Scott E. Crouter which is linked here. We also know that the towns subject to a radical cycling first policy have enjoyed economic growth whilst those against said that it would lead to a loss to the local economy.

So what encourages so many people in Holland to cycle?  It comes down to the detail of the design that allows the cyclists to have priority, allowing them to stay safe. Interestingly this is not always by complete segregation - it is a waste of money to put in complicated segregated infrastructure where there is little traffic or where traffic is moving slowly.  This clearly depends on the behaviour of motorists and all part of the change of culture.

The main design features that make a difference are around junctions, roundabouts and bus stops.

The photo on the left shows the Dutch approach - with cycles given priority.  The picture on the right is Castlton Park again with a 10 year old girl having to check in 3 directions before taking the crossing.

At this point I must state that I am not singling out Castleton Park as being a bad place to cycle - it is actually one of the best around the local area and I am grateful for it's provision.

I am using it as an example of how design of cycling infrastructure is not best practice in this country at the design phase or carried our in practice.  When querying this I have been assured that everything is done within guidelines and to best industry practice.  I think I have shown enough evidence to suggest that this is not the case.

Moves are afoot to bring Dutch design to the UK.  Several London Boroughs are investing in projects referred to as mini-Amsterdams.  This is a promising development but we need to ensure that it applies to other areas of the country. The information shown within the London Cycling campaign is useful and explains about how different types of infrastructure require a different solution depending on how busy the road is.  Click here to link to the London Cycling campaign for more information.

What can we do to improve the situation?  Are we ready for a radical change; a leap of faith where we dare to cycle uninterrupted through a housing estate knowing that the cars will give way?  Should we look to make areas like Castleton Park a pilot project area for such a change supported by a reduction in the speed limit?

What do we do about future developments?  We need to keep pressure on the local authorities and developers to ensure that the best designs are included on the plans for a development and question them if not.  Planning applications are judged on their sustainability and provision of alternative forms of transport are a key part of this and they must be properly scrutinised to ensure they perform the sustainable role that partially allowed the development to take place.