'Cycle path proposals for Rushmere Road are discriminatory', says 'very disappointed' residents association

Rushmere Road Residents Association has welcomed a consultation process over a nearby cycle lane but members say they have been left feeling 'very disappointed' over the four options the council has given people to choose from.

In September, Northamptonshire County Council used Emergency Active Travel Fund cash from the Government to install orange posts to segregate the cycle lane from the eastern side of Rushmere Road between Billing Road and the Northampton Old Scouts Rugby Football Club.

The purpose of the posts was to keep cyclists using the lane safer during the pandemic as the Government encouraged more people to avoid public transport.

The new consultation, launched on Monday, gives residents four similar options for changing the orange posts.

Choices include whether the posts should be 3, 5 or 25 metres apart, if the cones should be black and white, instead of orange, and there is only one option for smaller separators called orcas, which the group is in favour of.

A spokesman for Rushmere Road Residents' Association, John Bennett, said: " Rushmere Road residents are pleased to see that the consultation process has started but are very disappointed with the four options that the council has presented, as they are all a variation of a theme - a cycle lane using posts to segregate it.

"Therefore, the lane will still be discriminatory and not inclusive, as not all cyclists will be able to use it like disabled cyclists, those with adapted bikes and parents with child trailers.

"The council’s solution to this is that these cyclists just have to use the main carriageway, which defeats the whole object of having a separate cycle lane, which just doesn’t make sense."

They go on to say the group has received a 'significant amount of feedback' from cyclists who have criticised how the lane is too narrow, not fit for purpose and they feel unsafe using it.

He added: "The plastic wands have caused confusion to other road users too, as we regularly see people jogging up it, people scooting up it and even cyclists using it to cycle up the road, which is an accident waiting to happen.

"The usable part of the lane here is less than one metre at some points. Posts are regularly being knocked over and fall into the lane, causing issues for cyclists.

"We regularly witness ambulances travelling to and from Northampton General Hospital being slowed down and hindered because other road users can’t pull over during peak periods when there are queues of traffic."

They have also said it is a shame the money could not be used to install a controlled crossing to protect hundreds of school children at the busy junction.

He added: "A handful of cyclists use it on a daily basis, when you compare this to the hundreds of school children who have to use the dangerous traffic light junction at the top of Rushmere Road, it’s frustrating that public money wasn’t spent on installing a controlled crossing for pedestrians at this busy junction. Monies from the Active Travel Fund is also for pedestrians too.

"The painted cycle lane on Rushmere Road has worked well for the past three years, the main issue that NCC got complaints about was when cars parked in it. A simple and cost-effective solution to this would have been to paint a solid line and change it from an advisory cycle lane to a mandatory one.

"Instead, the council has wasted thousands of pounds of public money and created a lane that has impacted negatively on the local environment and street scape."

They group - who prefers option D because it is the most inclusive option - is encouraging residents, cyclists and those with a vested interest to send in their views using the council consultation feedback process here.

The consultation will run until midnight on Thursday, November 16 and residents can share their views by emailing [email protected]