Worthing Cycle Campaign > Newsletter > September 1999

What is the Worthing Cycle Campaign?

We are an informal group of people who feel strongly that conditions for cyclists in Worthing should be improved. We would like to work with the Worthing Borough and West Sussex County Councils to assist them to spend their limited budgets wisely. Local knowledge is crucial to the design of useful cycling facilities.

The main focus of the Campaign is to keep local cyclists informed of developments in cycling facilities, and to consult with them concerning proposed facilities. All ideas for improving life for cyclists in Worthing are gratefully received, please send them to Anthony at the address below.

The Campaign aims to work with local pedestrian groups, such as the Worthing Access and Mobility Group, to ensure that the conflicts between cyclists and pedestrians can be minimised.

To join the Campaign, send your name and contact details to Anthony Cartmell, 35 Ham Road, Worthing, BN11 2QU or send an e-mail to AJCartmell@fonant.co.uk. It would be appreciated if you could enclose a book of stamps to help with postage costs, but there is no membership fee.

Internet Web Site

A web site useful for Worthing cyclists is being created. The site is planned to have details of cycle facilities, tips and tricks for cycling in Worthing, and campaign information. If you have Internet access, you can visit it at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/AJCartmell/wcc/index.html. As usual, all comments are welcome!

Latest News

The long-awaited consultants report on a cycle network for Worthing has been published at last, and some councillors have copies. I have requested a copy, but it seems that there is some reluctance to give out copies for some reason. The council says that they plan to consult with local cyclists "soon".

The council hope to carry out final consultation on the Worthing to Goring Cycle Route soon as well, but no date was given for work to start. The last date I was given was completion in March 1999! They plan to paint cycle lanes on the main road to start with, leaving more important junction changes until a later date.

I have been asked by Clare Potter, the Town Centre Manager, to provide lists of locations for new cycle parking stands. I hope to send her a detailed list soon. Please let me know of any places where cycle parking is needed in the town centre.

The council is planning to spend £150,000 plus on bus lanes and special bus-priority traffic lights along the dual-carriageway part of Broadwater Road. The bus lanes will benefit cyclists, who will be able to use them at all times. Sadly the main bottleneck in the shops at Broadwater Street West will remain as it currently is.

What would we like?

Most cyclist accidents occur at road junctions, and this is also where cyclists feel most vulnerable to motorised traffic. Sections of road between junctions both feel, and are in fact, safer.

The first cycle facilities should be aimed at the most dangerous but most useful junctions for cyclists. Several routes can be improved by targeting junctions, maximising the benefits of the money spent.

Cycle facilities should always be designed in consultation with local cyclists, who know the detailed problems of cycling in Worthing.

Specific Facility Requests

The following are a few rough ideas for new cycle facilities in Worthing. Comments on these ideas are very welcome, as are any other ideas for facilities.

• Cycle parking stands could be provided at the southern end of South Street, both in a visible location outside the Pavilion Theatre, and near the junction of Montague Street and South Street. A large blank wall in Bath Place could provide space for a large number of cycle stands.

• A short cycle track past the north doors to C&A (between Liverpool Road and Shelley Road) would provide a means to cycle westwards from the town centre without having to use the busy coast road or Richmond Road. The design of this facility should take into account the detail needs of partially sighted and disabled people, probably with a low kerb to separate the cycle lane from the pavement.

• A dropped curb in Carnegie Road would provide a most useful link for cyclists along this traffic-free road.

• A short contra-flow cycle lane outside Barclays Bank to link Shelley Road to Chapel Road would provide a much-needed link for cyclists to cross town. To ensure that pedestrians were aware of it, the lane should be clearly marked and have a coloured surface.

• A gap to allow cyclists to turn right from Chatsworth Road into the High Street would provide a useful link from West Worthing (Shelley Road) to East Worthing (Brighton Road).

• A contra-flow cycle lane in Broadwater Street East would allow cyclists to avoid the busy light-controlled crossing at Broadwater Road/Sompting Avenue. This used to be a popular cycle route until the current traffic system was implemented here.

• Permitting cycling along pedestrianised shopping streets before and after shopping hours (say before 9am and after 6pm) would allow cyclists to travel in safety. The increased presence of people in these streets would also discourage vandalism.

The History of Cycle Facilities in Worthing

The first significant facility for cyclists in Worthing was a cycle lane along the sea-front promenade, installed in 1994. Unfortunately this was a badly designed lane, with only white lines to separate cyclists from pedestrians. It also suffered the flaw that it had no sensible ends, and required cyclists to dismount and walk to continue their journeys at each end.

On 28^th July 1995 a visiting lady, Mrs Beet, was knocked over by a speeding cyclist while walking on the Promenade near the Pavilion Theatre. She suffered head injuries and featured on the front page of the Worthing Herald. Following this accident the Borough Council decided to close the cycle lane to review the situation. The national cycling charity Sustrans produced an improved design, using landscaping to separate cyclists from pedestrians and forcing cyclists to return to the road at each end. Sadly the negative publicity generated "forced" the council to permanently remove the cycle lane. Since then cyclists have continued to use the Promenade with very few problems, although the council are apparently currently taking one cyclist to court for cycling there.

The next "facility" was provided, probably using funds from the new Lidl development, in North Street. Although the local CTC were consulted on the plans, their calls for the lane to be routed on the road rather than the pavement were ignored. Compared to the amazing length of time taken to build other facilities, this lane appeared in less than a year. Since its installation a few cyclists have used it, but the vast majority prefer to remain on the main carriageway. The main problems are the badly designed ends, a lack of width for cyclists to pass each other, and the constant use by pedestrians legitimately waiting to cross the road to the Safeway supermarket. STOP PRESS! Mysterious arrows have appeared on the lane pointing north, so perhaps we're not allowed to use it going south any more?

The banning of most traffic from South Street is a welcome benefit to cyclists cycling into Worthing to shop. Sadly, the opportunity to install more cycle parking was missed, and cycle routes across the town centre have not improved. At least the political climate is slowly turning more cycle-friendly. The Worthing Cycle campaign aims to help this process!

Web site maintained by Anthony Cartmell.