The safety of vulnerable road users must be paramount
This cycle/bus/taxi lane on Friar Gate is to be removed by Derby City Council and turned into a second, faster, lane for cars and lorries as part of their Air Quality Preferred Option.
These changes will increase the risk to cyclists using this route into Derby and that is not acceptable.
Derby Cycling Group objects to these proposals in the strongest possible terms.
Please help us to keep this cycle lane and the right-turn protected space in front of the traffic island,
and this right turn facility which is also to be removed,
E-mail or write to the local councillors to object to the removal of these cycle facilities:
Please write before 15th February, 2019.
The councillors below represent the two wards where the facilities are located. They do not necessarily support the removal of the cycling facilities.
Mackworth Ward:
Diane Froggatt: diane.froggatt@derby.gov.uk
Adrian Pegg: adrian.pegg@derby.gov.uk
Paul Pegg: paul.pegg@derby.gov.uk
Darley Ward:
Lisa Eldret lisa.eldret@derby.gov.uk
Martin Repton martin.repton@derby.gov.uk
Jack Stanton jack.stanton@derby.gov.uk
Please also contact the council cabinet members most involved with decisions regarding Derby’s clean air proposals
Council Leader Chris Poulter christopher.poulter@derby.gov.uk
Deputy Council Leader Matthew Holmes matthew.holmes@derby.gov.uk
Full contact details for all councillors are on the council website: Derby City Councillors
If you use either of these facilities, then please tell the councillors why it’s important for them to be retained or, even better, improved and tell them why NO highways scheme should make cycling (or walking) infrastructure worse and more dangerous.
If these facilities are not in your area, think that your local cycle path or lane could be next to go. Please inform your local councillors, or the councillors above, that you think they should be retained and why.
Some of Derby Cycling Group’s opinions:
- We believe facilities like these should either remain unchanged or be upgraded to something better, but not removed.
- The cycle/bus lane is a “safe haven” for getting access to the
cycle/bus “gate” onto lower Friar Gate, it enables many people to cycle
along here into the city centre.
- Removing the cycle lane will make the road more dangerous for cyclists. The changes will force cyclists to ride into the outside lane, into faster traffic, to get onto the lower Friar Gate cycle lane.
- We are concerned that a road safety audit would be critical of the revised road layout.
- At the very least it will make this manoeuvre feel dangerous and many people will simply stop cycling here.
- The facility opposite Brick Street is poorly designed, but it is used. This was witnessed by DCG on a site visit with council officers. A better alternative should be installed instead of removing it altogether.
- Derby’s clean air strategy must encourage more cycling and walking; the council’s proposal will reduce active travel by removing infrastructure which supports it.
- More cycling and walking are the best way to reduce pollution and congestion. This is recognised both by the council, Public Health England and DEfRA.
Derby Cycling Group has proposed improvements to the city council’s Air Quality Preferred Option to make it better for cyclists and pedestrians: Clean Air Preferred Option – DCG Response
We had a lengthy site visit with the air quality team to view and discuss our suggestions and to talk about other options. We have heard nothing about the proposal since the visit, so we assume nothing has changed.
We have asked that a road safety audit of the scheme be conducted and for the findings of the audit to be made public.
We have asked if any of the discussed changes will be adopted into the clean air proposals, but have not been told anything. We have not been told if a road safety audit of the scheme has been carried out or not.
Please help to keep these important features in our cycle network.
Please look out for further action and campaigning by Derby cycling Group on this issue.