Worthing Cycle Campaign > Newsletter > June 2001

Worthing Cycle Strategy

The public consultation on cycle facilities in Worthing is now on. Now is your chance to tell the Council what you think!

There are exhibitions at the Worthing library (on the right as you enter), and at the Sainsbury's at Lyons Farm (the left-hand entrance looking at the store) then at the Sports Centre. There are forms to answer questions about various proposals, and a comments book to fill in.

As well as a press release (see below) the County Council have also put paid adverts in all the local papers. A5 size flyers are going to all households in Worthing with the Advertiser. They are also consulting a random sample of households on the route network via direct mail.

Council's Press Release

The following text is copied from the WSCC press release. It all sounds very positive, but we need to make sure that the council spends its money wisely...

PROVIDING WORTHING CYCLISTS WITH A TOP QUALITY CYCLE NETWORK

The people of Worthing are being asked to play a key role in the creation of a local cycle network which will reflect the varying needs of cyclists in the town.

West Sussex County Council and Worthing Borough Council have teamed up to hold a two-week programme of exhibitions to provide local residents with the chance to help shape the Worthing Cycling Strategy.

The main aim of the strategy is to identify a core network of cycle routes which will connect all areas of Worthing. It will deal closely with joining these routes with public transport interchanges, such as railway stations.

The strategy will also look at how other improvements for cyclists can be introduced, such as improved cycle parking facilities.

Other important elements of the exh ibition include options for the South Coast Cycle Route and details of the second stage of the Worthing to Goring Cycle Route.

The strategy aims to promote cycling in the area, while also reducing dependence on the private car and encouraging cycling as an alternative method of travel.

It is also hoped that with improved safety measures and cycling facilities, cyclists will feel safer riding on the road, leading to a marked reduction in illegal cycling on pavements - an issue of concern for many Worthing residents.

In addition to the public exhibition - where visitors will be able to give their views on the proposals - a questionnaire will be sent to a random sample of households across the borough, to further help shape the strategy.

Colin McKenna, Head of Transport Planning Services at the County Council, said: "This strategy is a major County Council and Borough Council initiative aimed at promoting safer cycling in Worthing.

"I hope that people from throughout the area, whether they are cyclists or not, will visit one of the exhibition venues and help to shape this strategy by giving us their views on the proposals.

"The exhibition will contain plans and details of possible cycle schemes for Worthing which would be developed over a period of time as part of the cycling strategy.

"West Sussex County Council is committed to promoting pedal power and I am confident that strategies like this will encourage even more people to get on their bikes and leave the car at home."

The exhibition will take place at the following venues:

• Worthing Library, June 27 - July 11. This exhibition will be staffed on June 28 (10am - 5pm), June 29 (10am to 4pm), June 30 (10am to 4pm).
• Sainsburys, Lyons Farm, June 27 - July 4. Staffed on June 29 from 3pm to 8pm.
• Worthing Leisure Centre, July 4 - July 11. Staffed on July 6 (11am to 9pm) and July 7 (11am to 4pm).

We should try to get as many people as possible to go along to at least one of these exhibitions and make useful comments to the council.

It is sad to see that the Council are only considering complete "routes" and are not focussing on those dangerous junctions we all know so well, and which stand out on the cycle accidents map.

They are still talking about "strategies" and not actual facilities, so the time taken to do anything is measured in years. Surely it would be better to spend a few months designing improvements to just one or two roundabouts in the town centre? Apart from the Goring route, they are not expecting to build any new cycle facilities until at least 2003!

Worthing to Goring

The Council are still proposing a complicated set of cycle paths on the pavement at the George V Avenue roundabout. This seems to me to be both difficult and dangerous for cyclists to use.

Instead of having to give way once on entering the roundabout, cyclists will have to give way once to cross the George V Avenue exit, then again to cross the George V Avenue entrance, and possibly a third time to rejoin Goring Road away from the roundabout.

The main worry is that cars will not see cyclists crossing in this way. Studies have shown (Cyclists and Roundabouts, by the CTC, and Cyclecraft, by John Franklin) that car drivers do not look at the outside edge of the roundabout, and that this is therefore the worst place for cyclists to be. Instead cyclists are recommended to cycle in the middle of the roundabout lane, which is where car drivers focus their attention.

Other junction treatments on the route have similar failings in the current design: the cyclist is expected to negotiate sharp turns on narrow cycle paths and to give way to traffic in situations where they normally wouldn't need to.

In my opinion, it is safer in these circumstances to treat cyclists in the same way as all other vehicles, and to reduce the danger by reducing motor traffic speeds. The Goring shops would be much more pleasant to cycle to with a 20mph limit and gentle traffic calming.

Critical Mass

Please encourage as many people to join us on a guided tour of the Worthing to Goring cycle route. We will be starting from Beach House grounds (on Brighton Road just west of the Aquarena) at 11:00am on Saturday 7th July. From there we will ride through the town centre and along the cycle route. We will finish at the Sports Centre, where the members of the County Council will be present at their Worthing Cycle Strategy exhibition.

The aim is to demonstrate that many people would like improved cycling facilities in Worthing, and to politely suggest to Council officers at the exhibition what needs to be done.

Although Critical Mass rides are infamous for holding up car traffic, that is not our aim (the car traffic holds itself up quite well already). Instead we hope to show how pleasant and safe the roads can be when speeding motorists are tamed a little. If the thought of joining a Critical Mass ride worries you, why not come along anyway – if you don't feel happy you can always cycle off in the other direction!

"Committee" Meetings

The next meeting will be on Monday 9th July, and will be held at Ann and Neale Maloney's house (1 Gerald Road, Worthing) which will be easier to get to for members living in West Worthing.

These meetings are fairly informal, and anyone who wants to take a more active role in helping the campaign is welcome to come along.

Dr. Bike

We were unable to get the Dr. Bike organised for the Festival of Cycling, but we will be trying to get it organised for August.

Safety Cameras Work!

The number of people killed and seriously injured in road crashes has fallen dramatically in eight trial areas where speed cameras fines are used to pay for the costs of enforcement. The results mean that the scheme is now to be implemented nationally.

In Northamptonshire police issued 100,000 speeding tickets in 2000, compared with 4,000 in 1999. Road deaths were down from 76 in 1999 to 55 in 2000, and the county is now already a third of the way to meeting the national target to reduce road casualties by 40% by 2010. On official calculations, preventing the 21 deaths and 84 severe injuries has saved over £33million in one year.

Sign up to Reduced Speeds

Anyone who would like to see reduced speeds on our local roads should visit the West Sussex County Council web site (www.westsussex.gov.uk) and sign up for the Speed Commitment campaign. You only have to pledge to try to drive within the speed limit at all times - easy when you are cycling!

The reason for the campaign can be summed up with a single fact for car drivers: In an accident at 35mph you are twice as likely to kill someone than if you were travelling at 30mph.

Important Reminders

Please try to visit the Council's consultation exhibitions. They run until Wednesday 11th July. Please try to encourage as many cyclists as possible to join us on our tour of the Worthing-Goring cycle route on Saturday 7th July, with the opportunity to report back to WSCC on what we think of it.

Web site maintained by Anthony Cartmell.