Peterborough Cycle Forum
"Peterborough Cycle Forum is pleased to note the scheme will deliver significant benefits for cycling, including an east-west segregated cycle route and a south-north grade separated crossing of the A47. However, the plans fail to provide a safe and fully accessible route for cycling between Wansford and all communities and destinations east of the A1. They do not meet the stated objective to ‘provide a safer route between communities for cycling’ and they fail to comply with the Equality Act 2010 and many national and local policies. Peterborough Cycle Forum requests the plans are not approved in their present form. At the Wansford end, the designated cycle route follows a 50 metre long concrete ramp on which the gradient averages 15% and in places reaches 20%. This greatly exceeds the National Highways standard of 4%. This section is a permissive footpath (ID574) on which cycling is not permitted. National Highways has confirmed that cyclists must dismount and walk up / down the ramp. This is inconvenient for the majority, but physically impossible for a minority who include riders of non-standard cycles such as cargo bikes or cycles with a child trailer, also older people, of whom an increasing number ride e-bikes which are heavy to push and only power assisted when pedalled. There are those who can neither push nor pedal their cycle up a 20% gradient and so changing the status of the path would not resolve the issue. In a recent test, someone who rides a recumbent tricycle as a mobility aid was unable to ascend the ramp when the ground was wet, due to lack of traction on the slippery surface. Her impairment meant she was unable to dismount and push her machine up the steep slope. East of the A1, a new designated funds route connects the former picnic site with the bottom of the ramp, replacing part of permissive path 574 which followed a steeper course over rough ground. National Highways claims it has provided a connection into pre-existing cycle routes. This is incorrect; the concrete ramp has never been part of a cycle route. The new route terminates underneath the A1, taking cyclists to the bottom of a ramp which some are then unable to climb. When the designated funds path was first proposed, Peterborough Cycle Forum (PCF) suggested designs which could have significantly reduced the gradient west of the A1, but the simplest, lowest cost option was taken and the gradient remained unchanged. Apart from the gradient, many people are unable to use the route due to concerns over personal safety and security. The route is not overlooked, is unlit, has a blind right-angled turn and is flanked by high vegetation. The area between the underpass and former picnic site has a history of anti-social behaviour and many will not walk the route alone, even during daylight hours. Under existing proposals, the only route fully accessible to all cyclists will be as follows: Westbound, from the filling station: follow the southern arm of the eastern roundabout, turn left at the roundabout, cross the bridge over the A1, turn left at the western roundabout into Old North Road. This route is hazardous. It involves riding on-carriageway in very heavy traffic between the eastern and western roundabouts, with the carriageway forming two narrow lanes before the western roundabout. Eastbound, from Old North Road: turn right at the western roundabout, cross the bridge over the A1, turn right at the eastern roundabout into the southern arm. This route is extremely hazardous. To join the roundabout from Old North Road, a cyclist must cross two lanes of very heavy traffic. Vehicles can approach at speed from the eastern arm and the road layout contributes to many vehicle movements being unpredictable. After turning right at the western roundabout the cyclist must ride on-carriageway and cross two lanes of heavy traffic in order to turn right at the eastern roundabout. The speed limit between the roundabouts is 60mph and both carriageways are used by a high number of HGVs. A very experienced and confident cyclist may be willing to follow this route, but a cycle route must be safe and fully accessible to all, aged 8 to 80, of any level of experience or ability. The suitability of any route should be judged at an individual, human level. Is this route safe, for example, for: 1. A young mother from Wansford towing a toddler in a trailer, to access child care in Castor 2. An 11 year old from Sutton, visiting a school friend in Wansford 3. A 75 year old from Wansford, riding an e-bike to visit family in Upton If a fully accessible cycle route, between Sutton and Wansford, cannot not be provided via the A1 underpass, then a safe route must be provided via the A47 over-bridge, linking the new southern arm of the eastern roundabout with Old North Road, Wansford. National Highways has confirmed that westbound traffic will continue to travel across the A1 bridge in a single lane. PCF believes there is sufficient width to create a bi-directional shared used path on the south side of the bridge, adjacent the westbound carriageway. Pedestrians currently cross the A1 via a 2.2 metre wide path between the parapet and crash barrier, despite the ground being very rough on either side of the bridge with no clearly defined path. The 1.3 metre high parapet meets pedestrian standards but is 10cms below the National Highways standard for cycle traffic. National Highways asserts it is not possible to adapt the parapet for cycle use due structural weaknesses. For the same reason, it has said it is not possible to make any other alteration on the bridge, for example, repositioning the open box barrier. The total width of the westbound corridor is 10.5 metres, from parapet to offside kerb, and PCF believes it must be possible to create a safe cycle route within this space. No tangible evidence has been provided to indicate the bridge cannot be adapted to accommodate cyclists and PCF would welcome an examination and report by an independent structural engineer. PCF questions whether the view expressed by National Highways to date is determined not by the ability to devise an engineering solution to what is surely not an insurmountable problem but rather by the cost of implementing a solution (which may include traffic management to facilitate work above the A1). Within a scheme costing £100 million or more, lack of funding is not an acceptable reason for failing to provide a safe cycle route. The focus of this submission is on the western end of the scheme, but Peterborough Cycle Forum also strongly recommends provision of a second grade separated crossing of the A47 to connect Upton Road with Peterborough Road. Opportunity could be taken to install an underpass during major work in the area of the existing roundabout. Without this link, the distance of a return journey by cycle, between Upton and destinations to the east, will be increased by more than 4km. This submission is only a summary view and there are further details which Peterborough Cycle Forum would like to put in front of the Inspector."