Roadmap for safer cycling in Hastings

From: Ian Sier, Oakfield Road, Hastings
AYLESBURY, ENGLAND - MAY 21: Detailed view of a pedestrian and cyclist sign on May 21, 2020 in Aylesbury, United Kingdom . The British government has started easing the lockdown it imposed two months ago to curb the spread of Covid-19, abandoning its 'stay at home' slogan in favour of a message to 'be alert', but UK countries have varied in their approaches to relaxing quarantine measures. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) SUS-200806-134049001AYLESBURY, ENGLAND - MAY 21: Detailed view of a pedestrian and cyclist sign on May 21, 2020 in Aylesbury, United Kingdom . The British government has started easing the lockdown it imposed two months ago to curb the spread of Covid-19, abandoning its 'stay at home' slogan in favour of a message to 'be alert', but UK countries have varied in their approaches to relaxing quarantine measures. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) SUS-200806-134049001
AYLESBURY, ENGLAND - MAY 21: Detailed view of a pedestrian and cyclist sign on May 21, 2020 in Aylesbury, United Kingdom . The British government has started easing the lockdown it imposed two months ago to curb the spread of Covid-19, abandoning its 'stay at home' slogan in favour of a message to 'be alert', but UK countries have varied in their approaches to relaxing quarantine measures. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) SUS-200806-134049001

I am writing this in response to some recent negative letters that are hostile to cycling and shared walking and cycling routes and I am sure most cyclists and those who support active travel will find some of the comments and attitudes displayed unreasonable and regressive.

In particular I want to challenge the dogmatic opposition to shared walking and cycling routes that were made by B Rogers in her letter that appeared in the 10th July issue of this paper. I am not talking about cycling on pavements in the town centre and other shopping areas and do not condone reckless cycling on any pavements or adopted shared use paths.

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What I need to make clear is that the vast majority of safe off-road paths available to cyclists - locally, around the county and across Europe - are on paths shared with walkers and they work perfectly well as, in my experience, people on foot or on bikes are usually careful and respect each other’s right to use the shared path.

In many cases these routes are in areas that are not busy or are wide enough for all users and marked to show shared use. Segregated paths are not feasible or affordable in most situations

What B Rogers seems unwilling to recognise is that walkers have a huge infrastructure of paths to use but cyclists in Hastings have absolutely none except for the Promenade cycleway which has segregated and shared sections.

The road system in Hastings is particularly narrow and dangerous for cycling , made more challenging by the hilly terrain and puts cyclists at serious risk of being hit by a car.

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Equally this road system and the lack of safe cycle paths acts as a major disincentive for people of all ages and families to take up cycling and has made many hundreds of cyclists give up cycling.

Fortunately local authorities and the Government are now actively funding and planning safe cycle routes including shared paths for areas like Hastings in order to replicate the route networks that have been developed by enlightened and progressive local authorities around the UK.

In Hastings a walking and cycling network that many will recognise as the proposed Hastings Greenway has been adopted by East Sussex County Council and Hastings Borough Council and is included in the Hastings Local Plan. At last progress on some of these routes will start this year with the county council working on three interconnected routes

Other route projects are being drawn up and road reallocation measures are also under consideration as encouraged by the Government Emergency Active Travel funding program.

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Hastings Urban Bikes has been working with other groups representing cyclists and walkers and with health, environmental interest, and community groups and forums with a common goal of encouraging a significant uptake in active travel on foot or bike for journeys to work, school and for shopping and to improve health, fitness and leisure opportunities.

For those of us who fully accept that radical action is need to tackle the huge threat from climate change, getting as many people as possible to travel by bike instead of by car will require a network of safe cycle routes that will also open up green spaces and provide more direct and attractive routes for walkers.

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