Southend-on-Sea's new cycle path

[mangaman]

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

Thanks for the link - it only makes the whole thing madder by the second. That kerb looks incredibly dodgy for example.

Who's idea was the whole thing, if the local cycling group only saw the plans 11 days ago.

I hope Sustrans weren't involved at all

 

[nuttycyclist]

... 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.

At the end of that video, where it's coned off, the plans are to turn right (across the path of oncoming cyclists) follow the seawall round and under the pier, then continue on the shared use pavement currently being laid as part of "City Beach" before picking up the existing path to Shoebury. Coming the other way in the road (when forced to by parked vehicles or by choice) the carriageway is now restricted in width so you get conflict from drivers.
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vfo37kzjHZs

 

[mangaman]

At the end of that video, where it's coned off, the plans are to turn right (across the path of oncoming cyclists) follow the seawall round and under the pier, then continue on the shared use pavement currently being laid as part of "City Beach" before picking up the existing path to Shoebury. Coming the other way in the road (when forced to by parked vehicles or by choice) the carriageway is now restricted in width so you get conflict from drivers.
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vfo37kzjHZs

That's not pretty.

Thanks for the link.

I still can't get my head around the council half-building half-arsed "facilities" and letting people use them.

The 1st video on this thread (with the kid in the brown jacket weaving around) was terrifying.

If I was his age, I would assume a cycle lane is safe and use it rather than the road.

If he had weaved another 2 or 3 feet and been squashed, surely the council would be squarely to blame for opening a "facility" thet haven't built yet.

They wouldn't let cars onto a half built road that just stopped randomly

 

[nuttycyclist]

...
The 1st video on this thread (with the kid in the brown jacket weaving around) was terrifying.
...

At the cycle group meeting we predicted that a scenario such as that would occur, with the first death by the end of the summer season.

The reaction from the council staff was "it's passed a safety audit", and more importantly "it's a machine laid surface so it's really high quality".

 

[mangaman]

..
The reaction from the council staff was "it's passed a safety audit", and more importantly "it's a machine laid surface so it's really high quality"...

Oh, I didn't realise it was a machine laid surface.

Suddenly it's OK.

I imagined the surface had been laid by hand by 16 year old Polish kids on their hands and knees, licking the tarmac down to make it really smooth

I'm amazed you kept your cool when the council said that. (Assuming you did - maybe you went ballistic and smashed the room up )

 

[dellzeqq]

the Masterplan told us that the tarmac footpath made the roadway that much more dominant. So there you go.

The deal is this. The cycle path is not about cycling. It's an ingredient in an urban beach. Geddit. So an urban beach has all this good stuff going on - like Santa Monica. Geddit. So you have to have a cycle path because it's like the one they have at Santa Monica. Geddit. And that brings us neatly to the palm trees. And don't think for a second that I'm joking you, because I am not.

In fairness the Western Gateway of the Urban Beach required an Iconic Building. Cometh the Masterplan, cometh the man....................

 

[Shrimp_Stu]

This has made it to the local paper:

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/8091356.Southend_seafront_cycle_lane____not_safe___/

Feel free to post comments....

 

[nuttycyclist]

It's a shame they changed their minds heading east. The "City" Beach (in a town?) scheme only has the cycle route as a shared use path.

Or have we not been let into the secret yet? What iconic buildings are planned there then, oh mighty man ;-)

 

[dellzeqq]

It's a shame they changed their minds heading east. The "City" Beach (in a town?) scheme only has the cycle route as a shared use path.

Or have we not been let into the secret yet? What iconic buildings are planned there then, oh mighty man ;-)

other than the one you've got????? I'm not up to speed on this, but last I heard the new Sealife Centre was going to be absolutely superb. And an engineer friend was working on a 20 storey residential tower.

 

[nuttycyclist]

This has made it to the local paper:

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/8091356.Southend_seafront_cycle_lane____not_safe___/

Feel free to post comments....

Same for the Iconic Building of a Radio Station's facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Southend-On-Sea-United-Kingdom/Southend-Radio-1051/269121140318?ref=mf

I've noted a fair few "you don't pay road tax" themed comments so far

 

[nuttycyclist]

other than the one you've got????? I'm not up to speed on this, but last I heard the new Sealife Centre was going to be absolutely superb. And an engineer friend was working on a 20 storey residential tower.

Paper copy of local rag is reporting that they want to demolish the Esplanade Pub and rebuild it as a 58 bedroom hotel. Lovely crisp white building shown in the artists sketch.


I can imagine these being a great gateway to the town, heading in between the crisp white building to the left and the stunning yellow one to the right. Only problem is the crappy cycle route you happen to be on at the time