Letter: Combined Pedestrian/Cycle Paths Require Careful Planning

Published on: 25 Sep, 2012
Updated on: 26 Sep, 2012

From Bibhas Neogi

For safety reasons wherever possible cycle lanes/path should be segregated from the pedestrians.

Design standards and guidance notes exist that give guidance on how this segregation should be carried out depending on the volume of traffic, cyclists and pedestrians. These are Department for Transport standards and applicable to trunk roads but County Councils generally follow them. Here are some important aspects of official guidance normally used:

Consultation and publicity – any proposal to allow cyclists to use pedestrian facilities must involve extensive consultation and publicity

Segregated or unsegregated – combined non motorised user flows in excess of 200 per hour require specific measures such as kerbs, railings, verge, line marking or different surface textures to denote segregation

Signing and markings (and tactile surfaces where appropriate) – These are important for?the proper operation of shared use routes.

So there are a lot of things to consider before shared usage of footways should be progressed.

I have indicated on my web site cycle lanes into the town centre using a remodelled gyratory.

Remodelling of the gyratory crucially depends on altering the layout of lanes on Friary Bridge, Park Street, Lower Farnham Road and making them into two-way roads. It would also improve both pedestrian and traffic flow to Farnham Road if the pedestrian crossing on at the bottom of the bridge is made into a staggered crossing and the approach from the railway station is made less steep.

In the longer term a road bridge over the railway would enable an anti-clockwise route around the railway station and enable Farnham Road Bridge to have both lanes going into the gyratory. In addition to reducing congestion on Farnham Road, cycle lanes then could be introduced on the bridge in both directions.

The web site is quite extensive but, if preferred, a summary document in Guildford Vision Group’s web site now could be viewed or directly on the link:
http://www.guildfordvisiongroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/gyratory_website_rev11.pdf