Southend-on-Sea's new cycle path

[just jim]

Don't really know where this goes, but here we are:

Southend-on-Sea's new cycle path


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlrVSRBaDQc
(a youtube vid to get you in the mood!)

 

[Origamist]

Is it still a work in progress? There's no markings and the path is not a different colour (although this is not obligatory). The buffer between the cycle path and parked cars is not wide enough and, as at it appears to be a two-way cycle path, it is far too narrow.

If you ride to the left of the lane you have to dodge car doors, if you ride to the right you have to dodge pedestrians. At all but the quietest times, nothing above 10mph would be advisable.

Oh, if you now ride in the road, I'd hazard you'd have to take primary due to the narrow lane width.

 

[ChrisKH]

This is to the West of Southend, whereas the path they have to the East does partition the road from the cycle path, albeit it makes it more narrow and not attractive to each way cycling. I hope this is work in progress as Origamist says.

 

[gaz]

Oh, if you now ride in the road, I'd hazard you'd now have to take primary due to the narrow lane width.

And if your not mark cav then your going to pee off car drivers and they will make stupid overtakes!

 

[marinyork]

That's a bit unnerving. Nasty all round really with the number of cars parked up in the area.

 

[snorri]

Also, the blue litter bins are too close to the right hand side of the path.
There shouldn't be less than one metre between path edge and street furniture.

 

[Shrimp_Stu]

Nice video.
You wouldnt have been able to get down there yesterday with the Shakedown on as well.....
I for one will always use the road along the seafront regardless of the presence of the cycle lane. The cycle lane that runs east from the Old Gasworks to Uncle Toms Cabin is just as dangerous in my opinion, especially as they have relayed the tarmac along some of the stretch by Ocean Beach is much quicker on the road now anyway

Southend-on-sea a much publicised cycling town, mmmm......

http://www.cyclesouthend.co.uk/

 

[thomas]

lol...is that a pirate movie? looks like you filed a tv?

 

[dellzeqq]

Don't really know where this goes, but here we are:

Southend-on-Sea's new cycle path


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlrVSRBaDQc
(a youtube vid to get you in the mood!)

it goes to this....

 

[mangaman]

Nice video - although a bit scary seeing the kid in the brown jacket weaving around - especially when you realise it is a 2 way cycle lane.

The end was mad - it peters out into a blizzard of cones, forcing you onto the pavement? I couldn't see any signage.

Also (although I understand shared space etc) you have to laugh at the pedestrians wondering along on their mobile phones, when there is a seemingly huge promenade immediately to their left.

I agree with the end - I'd stick to the road.

Do you know if it's finished or as Origamist said, work in progress? The total lack of markings / signage is ridiculous. If it's not finished should they be letting little kids loose on it?

 

[dellzeqq]

I have seen the plans for this. A looong time ago. And there was no plan for the next bit, other than to dive down to the right and go under the pier, which, for the uninitiated, affords headroom of about four feet.

I'm telling you now that I've said to the planners 'PLEASE DO NOT SPEND THE MONEY'. And known that once this kind of thing gets in to the Masterplan it would take surgery to get it out again.

 

[Bad Company]

you guys obvously arn't local or you would use correct name. It's Saaaaafend init.

 

[theclaud]

you guys obvously arn't local or you would use correct name. It's Saaaaafend init.

As you're such an aficionado, Badders, I trust you've signed up for this month's FNRttC?

 

[mangaman]

you guys obvously arn't local or you would use correct name. It's Saaaaafend init.

I lived there for several years and always called it "Southend-upon-sea" with my best George Osbourne accent, while wearing a top hat and monocle.

I did get beaten up a lot though which I've never understood?

Back to the path though Dell - is that the finalised version, or is it still being built? There really is no direction as to what you do at the end. You say you go onto the path under the pier (which sounds like typical joined-up council thinking) but there is no sign to that effect and no sign the promonade becomes a shared-use path at that point.

I really think it could be dangerous (to cyclists and peds, if you suddenly veer onto the prom at the end of the path with no warning)

If the council are letting people use it when they haven't finished it, surely they'd be up the proverbial creek if someone got hurt.

BTW I'll doff my top hat to you for opposing it in the 1st place.

 

[nuttycyclist]

Apologies for the cross post to another forum, but I don't get in here very often This path has been discussed a fair bit over on yacf. Even though I, and others, attend the council's cycling group we werent shown the plans for this path until March 29th 2010, well after work was underway. At that meeting we predicted head on collisions between cyclists wobbling off the path into the road (as that kid nearly did in the video), and once you do drop out of the path you can't get back onto it because of the 2 inch high kerb. http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=31115.0