GATEWAY TREATMENT AND CYCLE BY-PASS LANES ON KNUTSFORD ROAD

Dear Mr. Heckley,

I am writing to express the Warrington Cycle Campaigns views regarding the above feature.

First, I would like to express our support of the council's strategy regarding the regulation of traffic speeds. As you will know, the Council's (Draft) Cycle Strategy (CP1) refers to a hierarchy of action to improve conditions for cyclists and places traffic reduction and traffic calming highest in order of preference. The cycle campaign fully endorses this approach and we are pleased to see the issue of speeding on Knutsford Road tackled. Not only are high traffic speeds a disincentive to cycling on Knutsford Road itself, the quiet cycle route between south Warrington and Lymm along Bellhouse Lane is severed by Knutsford Road. We therefore welcome the efforts to slow down traffic approaching Grappenhall from the motorway along Knutsford Road.

Second, I would also like to note our appreciation that council engineers have recognised the potential danger to cyclists posed by the restriction in road width. However, I have been asked to write to express our concern over the design chosen. At the root of our concerns is the fact that the design has resulted in the need for a cyclist using the cycle by-pass to give way to motor traffic upon rejoining the road. Having "test-ridden" the new cycle by-pass myself, I know first hand that its current design feels very dangerous, and is likely to provide a serious disincentive to cycling. This is shame, since part of the advantage of the traffic calming scheme should be to create a safer environment for cyclists.

The problem occurs where the bypass ends and cyclists have to re-join the carriageway very abruptly and very shortly after the island where traffic is still moving at high speed close to the kerb (see fig. 1.). While this sort of bypass may be appropriate for an urban traffic calming feature in a 20 mph zone, it is not suited to this situation, and cyclists may find themselves waiting some considerable time for an opportunity to rejoin the road on what is, in effect, an extremely short slipway onto a very fast road.

Fig. 1. The Knutsford Road Traffic Calming Feature

Fig. 2. Shows how the feature could have been designed without compromising the safety of cyclists. Rather than a wide island pushing the traffic flow towards the kerb (and cyclists) there is a narrow central island with traffic directed away from the kerb. This permits the cycle bypass to be constructed within the normal width of the road. Where the bypass ends a stretch of cycle lane is provided to enable cyclists to re-join the carriageway safely.

Fig. 2. A Safer Design for Cyclists

The Cycle Campaign recognises that it will not now be possible to re-engineer the feature according to the design suggested in Figure 2. However, I include the suggestion here in the hope that the idea may be considered in future schemes. I would be pleased to receive any comments you or your colleagues have on the suggestion. If there are any significant practical or safety problems with the design it would help us to know. I hope that together we can provide a design that meets the council's aims and standards whilst satisfying cyclists' needs.

In the meantime, we believe that the existing gateway on Knutsford Road should be modified to reduce the danger to cyclists. Our proposal, in which the cycle by-pass is extended to a short cycle lane to protect cyclists rejoining the carriageway is shown in fig. 3.

Fig. 3. Possible Modification to Existing Scheme

Either I or other members of the Campaign would be glad to discuss the issue further. Please contact me if I can help to clarify the issues I have raised in this letter.

Ben Lukey, Warrington Cycle Campaign Chair