Claims of ‘anti-car agenda’ as new path squeezes major route
ACTIVE travel upgrades on a busy arterial highway have split opinion.
While some have been left horrified at the loss of road space for cars, vans and buses, others have welcomed extra wide pavements to be shared by walkers and cyclists.
Work is progressing on a £1.2m scheme designed to change the way people travel in Bangor.
New aerial photos show the extent to which a new shared-user path has squeezed the width of Penrhos Road, one of the city centre’s gateway routes.
A section of the road, between Coed y Maes and Coed Mawr, is currently being modified. The long-term plan is to convert the entire length of Penrhos Road from the A487, and to create cycle lanes on Penchwintan Road so that the route can connect to Bangor Railway Station. In total, the length of the scheme is around 2.5 miles.
Other than at a few pinch points, the shared-user path will be three metres wide. Cyngor Gwynedd said this will cause the road to be narrowed to six metres. However, as this appears to include space for parking bays, available road space is much smaller than this. Photos show the shared-user path is almost as wide as the two-lane carriageway.
The work has incensed motorists. One said: “It’s utterly absurd that the cycle lane is broader than car lanes! This leaves drivers desperately squeezing past potholes, which the council seems utterly oblivious to. Absolute madness.”
Another added: “They’ve completely lost the plot. Even the cycle paths in Amsterdam with thousands of people using them are not this wide. This is nothing more than an attack on your right to drive a car.”
Along affected stretches of road, existing carriageway markings remain in place, resulting in one lane being wider than the other. Drivers have complained of being hemmed in and colliding with newly-installed kerbs. There is concern the lanes are now too narrow for ambulances and other wide-bodied vehicles.
Cyngor Gwynedd said the scheme met current design standards and the road “remains safe for all vehicles”. A spokesperson added: “The work is ongoing, and whilst we appreciate the impact the development may cause in the short-term, the road will be realigned as the work is completed in the coming months.”
The shared-user path is replacing a
part-grassed pavement that was around 2.5 metres wide. Some people have labelled the scheme a “waste of money”.
As Penchwintan Road is too narrow for a shared-user path, cyclists will have to use the road. On an uphill stretch, cycle lanes will be advisory only, with cars allowed to use the space as well.
The final link to the railway station hasn’t yet been finalised. At this point, Caernarfon Road is narrow and must negotiate a railway underpass. To address these issues, a separate scheme is being developed.
Along the 2.5-mile route, new road crossings are being installed and existing ones improved. These include Zebra crossings and Parallel crossings with extra space for cyclists. Informal crossing points are also being upgraded, with dropped kerbs and tactile paving.
The aim is to give cyclists and pedestrians “frequent opportunities
to cross” what can be a busy road. Formal crossings will give “priority to cycles, pedestrians and wheelers”.
A scheme consultation found majority backing.
Some 47% of respondents were “very supportive” of an improved pedestrian path, though this fell to 33% for a shared-user path. Moreover, almost half of respondents (48%) said they were “likely” or very likely” to change their method of travel if a shared-user path was installed.
Welcoming the new scheme, one person said they felt “trapped” by the fast and busy road, adding: “I have to pay for a taxi to the shops rather than cross the road for the bus.” Another said: “When walking children to school it is very difficult to cross the road.”
Yet some residents worry about an “accident waiting to happen” when vehicles emerge from driveways as cyclists speed along pavements. And although the shared user path will be
segregated, neither was a frequent cyclist impressed.
He believes that, given the number of children and people with pets on the path, it will be “dangerous” for both cyclists and pedestrians. He added: “Shared use paths increase the sense of motorists’ entitlement and create an us-and-them attitude, whereby motorists feel that cyclists should exclusively use the cycle paths.”
Cyngor Gwynedd secured money from the Welsh Government’s Active Travel scheme. To develop the plans, the local authority worked with Transport for Wales, aiming to make it easier for people to walk and cycle safely in the area.
A spokesperson said: “Ffordd Penrhos connects residential areas with schools, the hospital and employment areas. This project has been developed in response to safety concerns in the area over a number of years, and we are pleased that the scheme will provide active travel options for those travelling to primary and secondary schools in the area.
“We are confident the improvements will make it easier for children and parents to get to school and nursery safely by foot or bicycle.”
Once the first phase is finished, Cyngor Gwynedd hopes to secure more funding to continue the shared path in the Penrhosgarnedd area. Similar schemes are also envisaged in other parts of the county.
By encouraging people to walk and cycle more, the local authority hopes to improve public health, mitigate climate change and reduce parking and congestion problems.
A spokesperson said: “Whilst changing travel behaviours and culture may take a little time, providing the infrastructure which makes alternatives to the car more attractive and safer will undoubtedly have a significant influence on efforts to achieve this.”