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Friday 14 October 2016

Cycling focus group: feeding into the Neighbourhood Plan >>> fill in the questionnaire

There seems to be some momentum building to 'reconsider' the options for cycling and walking in the Sid Valley:
Futures Forum: Re-looking at the Sidford to Sidbury cycle path

First steps are being made:
Futures Forum: 'First stage' of Sidford to Sidbury cycle/walkway ... 'could be installed in the autumn'

And campaigns are underway to help the schemes on their way:
Futures Forum: Campaigning for a safe cycle path for Sidford to Sidbury

The latest push has been happening on the Streetlife blog - with an appeal for input into the Neighbourhood Plan.

Contact Claire R to take part in the cycling focus group:

Safe travel between Sidford and Sidbury

Hamfisted  in Sidmouth
 
Several roads in France are "Shared" with notices saying "Let us share this route" and signs showing that Pedestrians take precedence over Cyclists, and Cars should give way to both. Road users comply with this advice. Can we not try this fairly inexpensive solution to the problem of the A375 (which is really a B road of course)?

The long proposed cycle and foot path alongside the road seems unlikely to be delivered as it always stumbles on the issue of land ownership; and the refusal of planning permission for an industrial estate on the Sidford Flood Plain means that this issue will continue for years into the future. Meanwhile there is an accident waiting to happen if motor vehicles are given priority on a road with no space allocated for pedestrians or cyclists or push chairs. 
Rozzy G
Just seen this on breakfast TV & there can be disadvantages where cars are used to hogging the road also a great problem to persons with additional needs. I can't see cars & lorries adapting well on a long road with many bends. Town centre might work with this ,however Ashford has had 6 deaths since the conversion.
Claire R
Sid Valley Neighbourhood Plan:
I'm conducting a cycling focus group regarding cycle paths and shared paths at the moment. This will be used as evidence of need to feed in to the Sid Valley Neighbourhood Plan. So I can reach as many people as possible I have just a short paper questionnaire to fill out. I would happily post these out to anyone who is interested if you could private message me with your address.
Thanks
Claire
Stuart H
This work has already been carried out Claire.... Devon County Council have identified the routes in and around Sidmouth ..... Sidford to Sidbury route has already seen the planning application withdrawn due to submission of plans for Business Park which as everyone knows include a similar scheme between Sidford and Sidbury. 

No more can be done on this now until it's decided one way or another if this land is to be developed and whether the applicants can address ALL the issues that have seen the refusal of their present plans.

The Tiger Crossing on School Street A3052 and Laundry Lane link to A375 work will commence this month. 

The Sidmouth to Feniton route has been identified which has already seen the start at Sidmouth with the Toucan Crossing across the A375 Sidford Road and through Long Park .... This route already joins to the Byes Cyclepath.
This route will then see some off road and on road stretches to the Bowd ..... There is a possibility that a new bridge across the A3052 will be required and this is something I have already called for as part of this scheme as it would be safer than trying to negotiate the Bowd junction. ..... It could also link to the identified Park and Change site at the top of Woolbrook Road. This route north would also use a lot of the old track bed..... A group have been working on the Feniton to Ottery end of this trail .... This route which had been identified in the County Councils Cycle Stategy as a future scheme will eventually be promoted to attract future funding. But first work on the present schemes in the strategy have to be completed including the Teign Estuary trail which will join up to the Exe Estuary Trail where agreement has just been approved for the final links into Dawlish and the Wray Valley trail. 

We have already looked at a further route ... Once again on and off road to the west of Sidmouth towards Bickwell Valley.

The 280 mile Petite Tour de Manche route already passes through Sidmouth from Plymouth and then Salcombe Hill to Salcombe Regis and onto towards Seaton. 

Additional sites for cycle racks were identified and were provided recently. All new housing schemes have had to identify safe cycling routes as can be seen with the links to Stowford Rise from the development to the west off of Woolbrook Road. 

Cycling and any further small links will be picked up in the forthcoming Traffic Management Plan.

What we do however need to be aware of is the timescale to deliver cycle schemes. The Exe Estuary trail has taken almost 20 years to be completed. That is why at the outset of the Byes Cycle track between Sidpark Road and Salcombe Road in the early 90's I called for the scheme to continue to Sidford and Sidbury and to join Fortescue Road providing a safe route to Sidmouth and the Community College.... The route to Sidford and Fortescue took 15 years to reach fruition with land negotiations and planning. ...... The final phase between Sidord and Sidbury has still to be delivered now over 20 years since I first called for it...... Let's hope we don't have to wait much longer.
RELH
As the road is already 'shared', by virtue of there being no specific provision for anyone, would repeat gentle reminders/ polite notices/ warning signs about children, elderly people, cyclists and pedestrians be a good and cheap start for the stretch between Sidford and Sidbury?
Claire R
Hello Stuart
This is very interesting and I was aware of some of this work but not all. Would you be prepared to fill out my questionnaire for the neighbourhood plan with your thoughts and previous work. Within the remit of the plan we can only cover the four communities of Sidmouth, Sidford, Salcombe Regis and Sidbury. However the aspiration can be expressed that our cycle routes of course link in with other planned and existing routes.

I am particularly interested in safe traffic free shared paths such as the Byes and the Exe Estuary Trail so that cyclists of all ages who wouldn't be confident enough to cycle on busy roads could commute safely or use the paths for leisure.

If you could private message me your address I will send you the questionnaire. Thank you. Claire
Stuart H
RELH unfortunately signs that you refer to aren't approved by the DfT and so can't be provided. Once again we at Devon County Council worked on a DfT funded project called the Country Mile which I believe is still on the World Wide Web..... As part of that project we came up with a new sign similar to the one you refer to and requested that the DfT support its use ... As I said DfT wouldn't support. It's a shame as this was a really innovative sign that has now appeared on the other side of the channel. I shall see if we can resurrect the sign and ask DfT again..... Watch this space.
Stuart H
Hi Claire in happy to complete your form however I can assure you that County have identified all the off road traffic free routes that can be provided in and around the Sid Valley which would in most cases require land negotiations.
It appears that what you are attempting to do is duplicate what County who are the local authority charged with delivering cycle paths etc have already done.
Stuart H
RELH. I've now found a photo of a similar sign to the one we County requested approval from DfT. Is this what you wanted to see?
Claire R
Hello Stuart, I'm not surprised I'm duplicating. All I'm trying to do is ensure that cycling is represented in the Sid Valley Neighbourhood Plan and not forgotten about. In these times if budget cuts it would be all too easy for safe cycling routes to end up forgotten about. I'm most keen to get your input so if you want to fill out a very brief questionnaire send me your address and I'll pop one in the post for you. Claire
Hetty
I've just come through the Sidford to Sidbury route and narrowly avoided hitting a pedestrian.  There were 2 of them - of the older and should know better variety - who were walking 2 abreast, not facing oncoming traffic and were larking about somewhat and she jumped into my path, to avoid something he was doing with his arm whilst I was coming up behind.  I've seen cyclists sneak through lights and quite frankly, if they are injured, have noone but themselves to blame.

Pedestrians, cyclists and drivers should all respect the laws and each other, behave sensibly and take responsibility for their actions.  Each of these groups of people have idiots.
Don't give them priority on the road - get them off it.
Mary W-T
We already have approved signs for old people and for children, as well as deer and horses, so why not do as REHL suggests and put some up .... or use the exclamation point sign for 'other hazards'?
Gordonius Maximus
Ahh............ Hetty (not Wainthrope by chance) I have a rare copy of the Highway Code which  INCLUDES cyclists and pedestrians, alas someone in their infinite wisdom has bought out a new version which seems EXCLUDES ALL cyclists and pedestrians from the Highway Code.................or am I just being cynical!
Stuart H
Unfortunately Mary W-T you know very little of where you can put up these signs as it has to accord with DfT policy.
Hamfisted
Hetty You want to get "the idiots" off the road. Don't we all? The point of asking people to "share the route" is that we have no choice but to share the space, whether we like it or not -so it is better to encourage all users to treat each other with respect. I am glad you missed the elderly pedestrians larking about dangerously. Had you hit them they might have had "noone but themselves to blame" but you would have been deeply distressed I am sure. Statistical evidence shows that very deferential cyclists are killed in higher proportion than those who boldly claim their road space. It is also obvious that arrogant aggressive cyclists infuriate other road users and so probably contribute to road rage accidents. We need a road sign that says "Live and let live, literally!"
Claire R
Everyone should be able to use the roads safely. Everyone should use the roads with courtesy and manners. When car drivers drive in a way that threatens cyclists and pedestrians fewer cyclists cycle and fewer people walk, more cars end up on roads resulting in our roads becoming even worse and unsafe.

In Holland if a car hits a cyclist it is always the car drivers fault by law. Hence cyclists are safe, more cycle and the roads are safer for everyone both old and young.
Hetty
Hamfisted - probably my fault for not being clearer but I think you've misinterpreted what I meant.

I would have been more than deeply distressed had I hit the person (she was around my age 56 - please not elderly!!) through no fault of my own.  That's why I said "get them off it".

We do all need to treat each other with respect whether in person or on the roads.  Car drivers need to be aware of pedestrians and cyclists but they need to reciprocate.  A car is a killing machine in the wrong hands (sometimes even safe hands), and the same way we need to be aware of hazards in the town, we need to be aware of potential hazards on our other roads.
Claire R
Cycling focus group for Sid Valley Neighbourhood Plan; I have a questionnaire I can send to anyone who is concerned about the safety of cyclists on the roads in the Sid Valley. If you send me your address via private message I can post to you.

I would be grateful for those I have sent out to be returned. Thank you.



Streetlife | Safe travel between Sidford and Sibury
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