Cyclists are not the problem
The comments about cyclists quoted in your latest article on the disruptive roadworks warrant a reality check.
A half week’s shopping for two is, in fact, easy to carry in rack-mounted bags. It is very convenient to pick up food shopping on the way home from work by bike, and there are no queues for the car park.
Plans for cycle tracks along Bradley Stoke began under the previous Conservative administration with consultations beginning in February 2023.
The tracks are not currently heavily used because there are still significant blockages from the ongoing works. We divert or we take the car or bus or stay home. New cyclists are put off. It has been very inconvenient for us too.
The reason cyclists use Bradley Stoke way is the same reason that motorists do: it is quicker and more direct. The paranoia about cyclists wanting to cause traffic jams is a dangerous fantasy and a pretext for antisocial behaviour: that of a minority of motorists.
Many cyclists can blend with traffic at decent speeds and especially when car traffic has already jammed; they should not be forced to press the crossing button, clutter up crossings, or wait for gaps to open up. It is often possible to join a cycle lane or track after a roundabout exit. Most of us, fast and slow, are car drivers ourselves and want to co-exist peacefully with motorists and pedestrians, including those with dogs or pushchairs. The new lanes, once complete, will make this easier and less awkward whilst relieving car and cycle traffic on the roads.
The wisdom of constructing the lanes in this form, whilst also resurfacing the road, is debatable. But let’s try to keep it civil and fact-based, and let’s be all considerate on the road.
Name and address supplied, Bradley Stoke