Cycle lane work fury
Public hit out as Main Street works add to traffic woes
Residents in Cambuslang have branded work to cycle lanes through the town a “waste of money”.
The council has been carrying out improvements over the past week.
Residents in Cambuslang have branded work being carried out on cycle lanes a “waste of money”.
South Lanarkshire Council were carrying out improvements to lanes on the Main Street this week.
They were originally installed last year, with the latest work designed to widen the lanes and altering the lanes at bus stops.
Coupled with pipes being laid nearby, that has caused traffic congestion in the centre of the town.
The layout of Cambuslang Main Street has come in for a raft of criticism in the past, with drivers complaining about queues and businesses saying it discourages passing trade.
Now, locals are questioning the value of the cycle lanes on the road.
Jim Logan, who lives in the town, blasted the work that was going on, saying: “I take my daughter to Cathkin High and head up Buchanan Drive and more often than not the traffic is tailed back past that junction causing all sorts of delays.
“If your coming out of Buchanan Drive, trying to turn right onto Main Street is a nightmare before the roadworks. And going left towards Fratellis, you rely on people letting you out.”
Another driver, Chris Logue, fumed: “Planning for this has been non-existent.
“To coincide with the works on Central Avenue and Buchanan Drive has made it near impossible to get moving in the area.
“I’d have expected more funding to fix the state of the road layout on the Main Street rather than adding to the problem by including a pointless cycle lane when one already exists and may I add, which very few people already use. You’re lucky if five people a day use it.
“I’m genuinely annoyed money has been spent on this. It’s so pointless and the Main Street is a bad accident waiting to happen.”
Many residents took to Facebook page All about Cambuslang to slam the work.
One said: “Cycle lanes must cost about £ 100,000 per cyclist in Lanarkshire. It’s also nonsense! I’m lucky if I see one every fortnight.”
But another was pleased to see the work, saying: “Mon the cyclist.”
And Gordon Mackay, head of roads and transportation, said: “In early 2015, the council, together with its funding partners, carried out a significant package of work to expand the cycling network across South Lanarkshire.
“As part of this, new cycle lanes and associated works were created along the A724 corridor and on some adjacent streets.
“Thanks to a further package of funding we have recently been able to undertake additional improvements to the network in Cambuslang and Rutherglen, including the widening of cycle lanes and altering the lanes at bus stops to avoid conflict between cyclists and passengers.
“In addition, junctions have been assessed and minor alterations will be made to traffic signal timings to ensure that there will be no delays to vehicular traffic as a consequence of the works.
”As with all works of this nature, monitoring will be undertaken and any further adjustments made to traffic signa l s if necessary.”