Cycle lanes not enough to coax drivers from cars Bike paths plan axed in favour of just two ‘superhighways’
CITY bosses have scrapped plans to run cycle lanes along six main roads because they do not encourage enough people to swap their cars for bikes.
Instead the council will focus its funding on creating two cycle ‘superhighways’ from the city centre along the A38 Bristol Road to Selly Oak and the A34 Birchfield Road to Perry Barr.
These segregated lanes are thought to be safer and more attractive to new and novice cyclists.
It is the latest part of the Department for Transport funded £60 million Birmingham Cycle Revolution project which has already seen cycle routes along canal towpaths and parks upgraded, cycle training grants to schools, and 3,400 orange bikes handed out.
Further plans could include a new cycle loan scheme modelled on London’s Santander Cycles, formerly known as Boris Bikes.
But initial plans for a whole series of cycle lanes around the city have now been dropped as where they have been installed they have failed to attract new cyclists in large enough numbers because novices find them too dangerous.
The six axed routes were set to be created along Alcester Road, Bordesley Green, Harborne Road, Coventry Road and through Walmley.
Instead almost £12.5 million will be spent on the segregated cycle lanes linking Selly Oak to Perry Barr via the city centre. These will be allweather green lanes set apart from traffic.
Cabinet member for roads, Stewart Stacey (Lab, Acocks Green), said that while the project had taken major strides in many areas, it had not delivered on highway cycle lanes.
“This is a real change in direction. We had individuals and groups tell- ing us we are not delivering the right infrastructure which makes people feel safe using it.
“And we will get better results by providing high quality, high capacity cycle routes.”
Experts say the Bristol Road and Birchfield Road routes are thought to be the ones likely to make the most impact and coax drivers out of cars. Construction is to begin next year with the lanes open during 2018.
Gavin Passmore, of cycle charity Sustrans, said: “Evidence from our Bike Life report suggests that many people in Birmingham want to cycle more, with 77 per cent saying that protected bike lanes would help them cycle – more than for any other type of cycle route. The new paths will create a direct route to areas that are undergoing large investment and change, giving people a wider choice of how they travel.”
Jackie Brennan, recreation manager for the West Midlands at British Cycling, said: “Making it easier and more appealing for people to get on bikes is not just an end in itself. In doing this, we will create the cities and towns of the future – healthy, affordable, and more productive. The solution is building networks of dedicated space on main roads which will be developing with this next phase of the Cycle Revolution.”