Highways England Consultation on A Roads

[sheddy]

An opportunity to request safer infrastructure, segregation, crossings, etc
https://routestrategies.highwaysengland.co.uk

 

[mjr]

Great. There are many places on the major road network where 100m or so of cycleway or some sort of crossing island would connect two quiet back roads instead of requiring two right turns across a busy 60mph road that deters all but the bravest, or reconnects roads cut by a motorway or dual carriageway. It's possibly the biggest benefit per cost in rural areas after rail trails.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Huh
just tried to say something about cycle paths and the limit is 500 words
guess I will have to break the habit of a lifetime and be concise

(if any of my ex-pupils are out there they will probably be nodding and thinking - "yup that's him")

 

[Drago]

I don't want segregation. I want roads to be appropriate for all legal users, and drivers very firmly compelled to respect vulnerable road users.

If Highways England could take a break from changing their name again and pay some attention, they'll find that to understand such a simple concept is hardly taxing.

 

[mjr]

I don't want segregation. I want roads to be appropriate for all legal users, and drivers very firmly compelled to respect vulnerable road users.

If Highways England could take a break from changing their name again and pay some attention, they'll find that to understand such a simple concept is hardly taxing.

That ship has sailed. Motorways and the more troublesome quasi motorways won't be humanised any time soon, so I'd settle for having parallel cycle-friendly roads created or recreated as an improvement.

I also oppose segregation, in that I don't want any more roads lost to cycling, but I've no problems asking for new roads where sharing with lethal pothole-makers is a barrier to cycling.

 

[matticus]

Can I please agree with both the above posts?

(except any bit that is stoopid; please assume that I don't agree with any stoopid bits. thx )

 

[Dogtrousers]

Big problem with some of the A roads in Kent and around is that they carve up the countryside and, although I do sometimes ride short stretches of the busier A roads, they are not nice to ride on and can be very hard to cross. (There are plenty of quite rideable ones too) It's something of an intractable problem that was bequeathed to us by road builders of the (I dunno) 60s or 70s. Unfortunately it's one that can be very expensive to fix.

The tragic story behind "Jade's Crossing" in Detling is an example. The village of Detling was just sliced in two by the A249 and it took a tragedy and some concerted campaigning to get the (very expensive) bridge built to connect the lanes each side.

I'll have a think about responding.

 

[T4tomo]

Great. There are many places on the major road network where 100m or so of cycleway or some sort of crossing island would connect two quiet back roads instead of requiring two right turns across a busy 60mph road that deters all but the bravest, or reconnects roads cut by a motorway or dual carriageway. It's possibly the biggest benefit per cost in rural areas after rail trails.

Agree with this, I had that recently on a route I planned, we were fortunate to get a reasonable gap to make the first right and then an oncoming motorist slowed right down to let all 4 of us make the 2nd right back off the A road in front of them. A short section of paving or similar through a lumpy but wide verge would have made a lot of difference (or a rideable surface on the footpath one field back).

Its very hard for road planners to know where to put these as in rural areas a lot could be unused white elephants, with some local insight.

I suspect they will ignore anything cycling related anyway

 

[mjr]

Big problem with some of the A roads in Kent and around is that they carve up the countryside and, although I do sometimes ride short stretches of the busier A roads, they are not nice to ride on and can be very hard to cross. [...] I'll have a think about responding.

I think Highways England are only interested in the A roads in Kent that they manage, but I expect at least one of these probably farks up some perfectly pleasant cycling routes:

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I think Highways England are only interested in the A roads in Kent that they manage, but I expect at least one of these probably farks up some perfectly pleasant cycling routes:
View attachment 607138

Not just those. The A35 trunk road in the New Forest completely severs a rather pleasant lane that would make part of a nice circuit. But there’s no way across. I look at it when planning some cycle loops for myself and my wife. I gave up on them and we didn't take bikes in the end. Just walking in forest instead.

 

[mjr]

Not just those. The A35 trunk road in the New Forest completely severs a rather pleasant lane that would make part of a nice circuit. But there’s no way across. I look at it when planning some cycle loops for myself and my wife. I gave up on them and we didn't take bikes in the end. Just walking in forest instead.

So suggest they fix it, but it's not in Kent so I don't think @Dogtrousers was talking about it!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

So suggest they fix it, but it's not in Kent so I don't think @Dogtrousers was talking about it!

Well your in your post I was replying to, your map was hardly just Kent.

 

[Wobblers]

That ship has sailed. Motorways and the more troublesome quasi motorways won't be humanised any time soon, so I'd settle for having parallel cycle-friendly roads created or recreated as an improvement.

I also oppose segregation, in that I don't want any more roads lost to cycling, but I've no problems asking for new roads where sharing with lethal pothole-makers is a barrier to cycling.

There's still plenty of roads being built or redesigned that are gratuitously hostile to vulnerable users - and that includes pedestrians. While we can perhaps do little over existing roads, there is still much to be gained by pressurising Highways England to produce schemes that prioritise the safety of these vulnerable groups, rather than as an afterthought that can be conveniently discarded should costs become too high.

 

[mjr]

Well your in your post I was replying to, your map was hardly just Kent.

Only because Highways England don't publish single-county maps of their roads.

 

[T4tomo]

Not just those. The A35 trunk road in the New Forest completely severs a rather pleasant lane that would make part of a nice circuit. But there’s no way across. I look at it when planning some cycle loops for myself and my wife. I gave up on them and we didn't take bikes in the end. Just walking in forest instead.

When we did a NF cycling weekend (not the type that needs Flags of St George ) , I too gave up on the on-road planning bit and we took the gravel bikes, as there is a shed load of really good routes using the forest paths and the odd minor road to link up.