Fury over £1million cycle superhighway that is WIDER than the A-road it runs next to: Cyclists and pedestrians enjoy combined 33ft of space either side with motorists squeezing onto 21ft wide street - and risk crashing if they pull over
- New cycle route is along the A3049 in Poole, Dorset, and is a major route in and out of nearby Bournemouth
- However the cycle paths combined with the pedestrian walkways are 33ft wide - larger than the road width
- Road users have warned that emergency service vehicles are now struggling to pass vehicles on the A3049
- A cyclist who uses the path said he thought it was unnecessary to have cycle paths on both sides of the road
- Council chiefs say the scheme - part of a wider £1million project - has led to an increase in people cycling
Fury has erupted over a new supersized cycle highway on a busy A-road which has given cyclists and pedestrians more space than lorries.
Pedestrians and cyclists now enjoy a whopping 33ft of space beside the newly revamped section of the A3049 - a major route in and out of Bournemouth, Dorset.
But the scheme, which saw the road narrowed by around a foot to accommodate the two new cycle lanes, has left lorries, vans, cars and emergency vehicles with just 21ft of space.
That is a meagre 10ft 6in per lane - just two foot wider than the average lorry.
Council chiefs say the 9ft 6in wide cycle lanes on Wallisdown Road in Poole - which run adjacent to pavements up to 7ft wide - have been made deliberately large in order to 'protect cyclists from road users'.
They also say the new paths - installed as part of a £1million improvement scheme on a mile-long stretch of the busy A-road - are aimed at encouraging more people to cycle.
But residents have slammed the scheme, claiming there are more cars using the road than there are cyclist using the cycle lane - a common criticism levied at such projects, including by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.
They also warn that cars are having to mount the new bright red lanes in order to get out of the way of emergency vehicles, putting cyclists at risk.
Pedestrians and cyclists now enjoy a whopping 33ft of space beside the newly revamped section of the A3049 - when you add together the widths of the paths and cycle lanes on both sides - while road users only get 21ft of space between two lanes
Fury has erupted over a new supersized cycle highway on a busy A-road which has given cyclists and pedestrians more space than lorries
The pair of two-way cycle lanes, which are 9.5ft wide, have been laid either side of a busy A-road. Next to them are two pavements for pedestrians
Pedestrians and cyclists now enjoy a whopping 33ft of space along the A3049 - a major route in and out of Bournemouth in Dorset
The controversial new road layout means that cyclists and walkers enjoy a combined 33ft of room while the carriageway for cars, lorries and emergency vehicles has been narrowed to 10ft 6in per lane
Critics have slammed the scheme, claiming that the new bike highways are hardly being used by cyclists. They also warn that cars are having to mount the cycle lane in order to get out of the way of emergency vehicles (pictured)
And the criticism isn't just coming from die-hard motorists. Martin Hiscock, who regularly cycles along the road to visit his father, admitted they were too wide.
The 41-year-old, from Christchurch, said: 'I don't know why there needs to be two on both sides of the road.
'You've got loads of lorries which come up and down here - I don't know whether they (the council) are trying to slow down traffic to make things safer.
Martin Hiscock, who regularly cycles along the road to visit his father, admitted they were too wide. The 41-year-old, from Christchurch, said: 'I don't know why there needs to be two on both sides of the road.'
'I've never known a cycle lane to be this big. I think it's far too much. Normally they're the width of a pathway.'
The sea of bright red Tarmac on the A3049, which is one of the main routes into Bournemouth, Dorset, is part of a £1million plan to make travel more sustainable across south east Dorset.
It is separate to the government's controversial Transforming Cities Fund which is also paying to create four 'cycle highways' connecting Christchurch, Bournemouth, Ferndown, and Poole.
The pair of two-way cycle lanes, which are 9ft 5in wide, have been laid either side of the busy A-road. Next to them are two pavements for pedestrians, which are both around 7ft wide.
The new road layout means that cyclists and walkers enjoy a combined 33ft of room while the carriageway for cars, buses, lorries and emergency vehicles has been narrowed to 10ft 6in per lane.
Part one of the project, focusing on a section of road between Mountbatten Arms roundabout and Benbow Crescent, has now been complete, with another stretch of the road due to be finished in late 2022.
However, despite the busy road now being made more 'bike friendly', one 38-year-old local office worker said he rarely saw the cycle lanes being used.
The office worker, who did not wish to be named, said: 'For something so wide there is far less bike traffic than you would expect. You just don't see the volume of cyclists it was designed for.
'The whole thing looks unsightly and a mess.'
One driver, who works at the Territorial Army barracks on the road, also said the new layout had proved confusing for users.
The sea of bright red Tarmac on the A3049, which is one of the main routes into Bournemouth, Dorset, is part of a £1million plan to make travel more sustainable across south east Dorset. It is separate to the government's controversial Transforming Cities Fund which is also paying to create four 'cycle highways' connecting Christchurch, Bournemouth, Ferndown, and Poole. Pictured: The road while works were in place and slide right to see the road now
Google Street View pictures show how the council have eaten into the road to accommodate for the new cycle paths in Wallisdown Road, Poole
The pair of two-way cycle lanes, which are 9ft 5in wide, have been laid either side of the busy A-road. Next to them are two pavements for pedestrians, which are both around 7ft wide
The road had to be reduced by around a foot in order to accommodate the two new cycle lanes, sparking anger from road users
The driver, who asked not to be named, said: 'Several people have already driven out of the barracks and almost hit cyclists because they don't realise it's a cycle lane as there is a lack of markings or signage. It's often in the evening when its dark and they're riding with barely any lights.
'It gets busy here with parents dropping off cadets, troops coming and going. It is extremely dangerous. There's a lack of attention and foresight for the whole plan.'
A spokesman for Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council claimed there had been a 40 per cent increase in bike usage since the new paths were opened.
They said: 'The Wallisdown corridor improvements aims to improve safety and encourage more people to walk or cycle in the area.
'The carriageway will be between 6.4m (20ft 9in) and 6.6m (21ft 6in) wide, adhering to current national standards set by the Department for Transport for the provision of safer roads for walking and cycling whilst maintaining enough space for larger vehicles such as HGVs and buses.
'It will continue to be able to be used safely by all vehicles, including fire engines and will continue to undergo a number of independent road safety audits.
'The cycle lanes are constructed to Department for Transport standards for two-way cycle lanes.
'A narrower carriageway naturally encourages reduced and safer vehicle speeds, which helps to bring speeds in line with the new reduced speed limit of 30mph.
'The cycle tracks are defined with sloping kerbs which will allow general vehicles to occasionally drive onto the cycle track and offer safe and quick passage of emergency vehicles.
'Our region suffers from crippling traffic congestion. Bournemouth is the third most congested place in the UK, and 56th most congested in the world.'
Nigel Hedges, chairman of Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council, said the cycle lanes protected cyclists from road users.
Nigel Hedges, chairman of Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council, said the cycle lanes protected cyclists from road users
A van parked in the cycle lane doesn't manage to fill the full width. Residents have fumed because the scheme means the cycle and footpaths together are wide than the road itself
He said: 'If people keep having accidents, they are going to keep narrowing the roads so that motorists can't hurt anyone - these cycle lanes are keeping cyclists safe from the traffic.'
Though there is no official rule on how wide a road should be in the UK, Highways England recommends that traffic lanes be at least 11ft 9in wide.
Earlier this year, in nearby Wimborne, in Dorset, residents took aim at what is believed to be one of Britain's widest cycle lanes.
The cycle path, which is 11ft 2in across, leaves buses, lorries and emergency vehicles with 9ft 5in wide lanes and has forced drivers to pull over to avoid crashing into oncoming traffic.
Despite being more than half as wide as the two-lane road, cyclists are still using the regular carriageway instead of the freshly-created bike lane.
Residents in the Dorest market town of Wimborne reported lorries clipping wing mirrors as they pass each other, angry motorists shouting at cyclists for not using the path and cars veering into the oncoming lane to avoid bicycles.
A 38-year-old woman, who works at garage on the B3073, said in August: 'There's more room now for cyclists than there is for drivers.
'We have a Jewsons building merchants on the road that lorries use all the time.
'There is the same amount of traffic going in and out of the town, but now half the amount of space.
'Cyclists who are still using the road are getting abuse from drivers - even those on the opposite side of the road.'
A 62-year-old man, who has lived in a house beside the cycle path for decades, said his front garden was seized by the local council 60 years ago to make the road wider.
'Now, he is perplexed by their decision to do the opposite.
Speaking back in August, he said: 'Back in the 1960s, the council took away our front gardens to make the road wider and safer - now they have narrowed it again at a time when traffic is far heavier than it was then.
'People here are not very happy with the over exaggeration of the cycle path.
'We were never informed and no letters came through our letter box about it. I noticed one morning in January that they were building it.
'A neighbourhood consultation asked how the area could be improved and whether cycle routes could be better, which many people agreed to without understanding the details of what would be built.
'The whole thing is just a big gamble
'It is the main road into Wimborne and the width could cause real issues for emergency vehicles because the layby has been removed.
A 62-year-old man, who has lived in a house beside the cycle path for decades, said his front garden was seized by the local council 60 years ago to make the road wider. Now, he is perplexed by their decision to do the opposite
The cycle lane was today condemned as 'shambles' by local residents with drivers having to pull over to avoid crashing
The cycle path is part of a £120million scheme to make travel more sustainable and reduce congestion in Dorset. Once completed, it will be 1.4 miles long and connect to a 16-mile route linking Poole, Wimborne and Ferndown
'Around 50 per cent of the vehicles on the road are trade and heavy goods vehicles. It's chaos. In the past you could overtake a bike whereas now you can't safely do this.
'At the moment lots of cyclists are still using the carriageway because there are obstructions further down the new cycle lane. You have to go into the opposite lane to avoid them.'
Last year Grant Shapps hit out at 'unused' cycle lanes clogging up traffic – blaming some town halls for misusing special funds for 'green' transport
However, the AA said the cycle lane should make it safer for cyclists. Its spokesman Jack Cousins said: 'The cycle lane actively encourages drivers to look out for cyclists and maintain a safe distance.
'From a design point of view, they could have made equal room for both cyclists and drivers and built some kind of barrier or raised curb to separate the cycle lane. That may encourage cyclists to use it instead of the carriageway.'
The cycle path is part of a £120million scheme to make travel more sustainable and reduce congestion in Dorset.
It will be 1.4 miles long and connect to a 16-mile route linking Poole, Wimborne and Ferndown. The lane is one of four routes being built in the county, part-funded by £100million from the Government's Rebuilding Cities programme.
A Dorset Council spokesman said: 'Almost 80km of new cycle lanes, pedestrian pavements, and bus service improvements are being constructed in south east Dorset. They form a major part of the region's Transforming Travel programme.
'This programme is looking to promote change in the way people travel by providing safe infrastructure for alternative, green forms of transport and encouraging people to leave the car at home, particularly for shorter journeys.'
Research conducted by MailOnline last year in London, where Transport for London last year lead its own £33million scheme, showed that on Park Lane, in Mayfair, only 21 cyclists used the cycle lane as 400 cars battled past. Other areas saw 18 cyclists using King Street, while 45 cars used the same stetch in that same period
Last year Grant Shapps hit out at 'unused' cycle lanes clogging up traffic – blaming some town halls for misusing special funds for 'green' transport.
The Transport Secretary declared he was 'not prepared to tolerate' badly designed road closures that led to traffic being 'backed up'.
He also vented his fury at new cycle lanes that impose 'sweeping changes' to entire communities.
It came after research conducted by MailOnline last year in London, where Transport for London last year lead its own £33million scheme, showed that on Park Lane, in Mayfair, only 21 cyclists used the cycle lane as 400 cars battled past. Other areas saw 18 cyclists using King Street, while 45 cars used the same stetch in that same period.
Mr Shapps' comments were made in a letter sent to local councils last year, despite the fact that many of the cycle lanes were built using money from an emergency £250million fund which he himself unveiled.
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