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colchesterfoeThis is the response on behalf of Colchester Friends of the Earth, using the questionnaire provided.
Section One:
Q1, Q2 and Q3: Various members, many of whom live in Colchester, who walk, cycle, use the buses or cars in the town centre.
Q4: Some of us use Crouch Street regularly, and the Co-ordinator, making this response on behalf of the group, uses Crouch Street at least twice a week.
Q5: To shop or use Launderette.
Q6: I walk from the bus stops in Crouch Street East to Crouch Street West, catching a bus back into the town from west of Rawstorn Road.
Section Two: Crouch Street Cycle Route
Q7: No, we do not support the proposed Crouch Street cycle route.
We represent all of the categories for modes of travel and therefore can look at this proposal from the perspective of the pedestrians, cyclists, bus users and car users. We have discussed this proposal and do not support it for the following reasons:
The clear and obvious solution is to spend a much smaller amount of money on properly highlighting the route in both directions of the current cycle route from Rawstorn Road, which is part of National Cycle Route 1 into the town centre. This safe route will benefit cyclists instead of creating mayhem and conflict between pedestrians, cyclists, buses and motorists in the confusion manifest in this badly-thought-out scheme.
Response from Paula Whitney, Co-ordinator,
on behalf of Colchester Friends of the Earth.
29th November 2010.
Section One:
Q1, Q2 and Q3: Various members, many of whom live in Colchester, who walk, cycle, use the buses or cars in the town centre.
Q4: Some of us use Crouch Street regularly, and the Co-ordinator, making this response on behalf of the group, uses Crouch Street at least twice a week.
Q5: To shop or use Launderette.
Q6: I walk from the bus stops in Crouch Street East to Crouch Street West, catching a bus back into the town from west of Rawstorn Road.
Section Two: Crouch Street Cycle Route
Q7: No, we do not support the proposed Crouch Street cycle route.
We represent all of the categories for modes of travel and therefore can look at this proposal from the perspective of the pedestrians, cyclists, bus users and car users. We have discussed this proposal and do not support it for the following reasons:
- Colchester council supports the York hierarchy of priority given to pedestrians, cyclists, bus users and car users. This proposal would be confusing, create many points of conflict between the different modes of travel and particularly disadvantage the pedestrians - who should have priority - and also put cyclists at risk from car traffic.
- The information leaflet and map does not even show the far more suitable and safe current designated cycle route, part of National Cycle Route 1 from the Rawstorn Road end of Crouch Street into the town centre via the bridge and past the Mercury Theatre. This safe and quieter route is clearly shown on the Cycle Colchester leaflet which was available at the exhibition. However, it needs proper cycle route markings and signage to avoid cyclists taking the shortest route from A to B via the unsuitable, congested and tortuous route via Crouch Street
- The proposed cycle route from the bottom of Rawstorn Road across Crouch Street to the Tesco pavement crosses the path of many elderly pedestrians shopping on both sides, and at various times during the day conflicts with large crowds of students coming to the shops for food, and particularly milling around the bottom of Rawstorn Road and the Tesco Express.
- The proposed cycle route also goes across the path of cars travelling in all directions at the bottom of Rawstorn Road and twice crosses the path of cars travelling west along the one-way Crouch Street. This is a recipe for confusion and conflict and hazardous for cyclists, who may well instead cycle along the north pavement of Crouch Street frightening the many elderly pedestrians.
- Cycling legally through the underpass in both directions will conflict with those pedestrians who use it rather than the road crossing.
- The stretch of proposed cycle route along Crouch Street East is a mishmash of muddle and confusion in trying to solve a problem being created by this unsuitable, unnecessary and costly idea. It is a recipe for conflict again between pedestrians, cyclists, bus users, car users, and delivery vehicles.
- To put a cycle path running east between the pavement and the row of angle-parked cars is clumsy and dangerous. It will also narrow the usable road width on both sides with cycles going west on the south side. Delivery vehicles are often parked there on the south side of the road for short times, which already congests the road for the many and frequest buses which use this stretch of Crouch Street East to go south along Maldon Road and west along Lexden Road, both town buses and interurban buses.
The clear and obvious solution is to spend a much smaller amount of money on properly highlighting the route in both directions of the current cycle route from Rawstorn Road, which is part of National Cycle Route 1 into the town centre. This safe route will benefit cyclists instead of creating mayhem and conflict between pedestrians, cyclists, buses and motorists in the confusion manifest in this badly-thought-out scheme.
Response from Paula Whitney, Co-ordinator,
on behalf of Colchester Friends of the Earth.
29th November 2010.
