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Council: Listen up everyone, we’ve got some exciting new plans about your high street. We know how important this is for you so we’ve thought long and hard and can’t wait to tell you…(drumroll please)… we’re going to rip out the cycle lane segregation to make it a more people-friendly area…
Local cyclists and families:
Spoke too soon. They’re going to replace our cycle lanes with wider pavements and bus lanes. In their press release they said we will ‘benefit from using the extended bus lanes to cycle along the high street’. Because everyone wants their 11 year olds to cycle with buses right? https://t.co/BOPrdYlLNB
— Sally Watson (@salawatson) September 22, 2022
Not keen on kids having to share lanes with buses and other bus lane users eg taxis. How will cyclist safety be maintained beating in mind that large numbers of children cycle to school along the High Street?
— Kath Anderson 🇮🇪 🇪🇺 💙 (@Kathfanderson) September 22, 2022
If it doesn’t have protected cycle lanes, it’s not an exciting new plan, it’s a backward step.
— Götz von Berlichingen #FBPE (@georgebernhard) September 22, 2022
Newcastle City Council broke the news with a tweet promising “exciting new plans” before, in the press release, adding: “Plans would see improvements made to Gosforth High Street to make it a more people-friendly area, with widened pavements, green infrastructure, seating and cycling parking, as well as measures to prioritise public transport.
“This includes bus lane provision extended on the approaches to Gosforth High Street, with the current bollards removed and replaced with widened pavements for seating and planting to improve the attractiveness of the area.
“The intention to reclaim the space permanently for people who are walking or wheeling will mean this High Street, which currently has some of the narrowest footpaths of any comparable shopping street in the city, would be a nicer place to be.”
Here’s what the previous lane looked like — although far from perfect, I’m sure some would argue — and how it enabled children and families to access the route by bike…
Many drivers have complained about these lanes but this is what they make possible – thanks to @NewcastleCC. Would be great if the painted man could be turned into a cycling girl 😀 @JaneLabour pic.twitter.com/rlHe2DsQnw
— Sally Watson (@salawatson) September 7, 2022
But hey, cheer up everyone, at least “reclaiming the space permanently for people who are walking or wheeling” will “make it a nicer place to be”…
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