The cycle lane on Manchester Road between Handforth and Wilmslow town centre is an unmitigated mess and eye sore.
According to Cheshire East Council, the lane “improvements” were meant to provide a safe space for cyclists and walkers but what we currently have with the completed phase 1 doesn’t work for anyone.
We have cyclists saying the cycle lane is too narrow so they prefer (and feel safer) cycling on the road and large vehicles saying they are now forced to drive across the central line because the new layout is not wide enough. Then there are issues with buses getting caught with inflowing traffic and bus passengers having to navigate the cycle lane when trying to get on or off the bus.
The light controlled crossing – which at first glance seemed a good idea – is also dangerous. Traffic calming measures that have been put in on approach to the crossing, mean that at night (when vehicles have their lights on and go over the humps), pedestrians think they are being flashed to cross the road.
These are just a few of the issues created by this so-called attempt by Cheshire East Council to create a safer road.
Businesses as well as residents have been heavily impacted by phase 1, they have been in regular touch with me about how these road changes are stopping customers visiting and ruining their business. We have also seen minor accidents and near misses on the phase 1 section of the route.
I am now receiving large volumes of correspondence from concerned constituents about phase 2. Residents rightly point out that (along with all the other problems from phase 1) there are sections of road for phase 2 with residential driveways, grass verges, mature trees, changes in level and restricted sight lines. Cars will be emerging from driveways and crossing cyclists approaching from both directions, including from the opposite direction to the adjacent road traffic.
The solution is to use some common sense when driving and cycling not to impose ridiculous and expensive schemes and unworkable cycle routes.
The scheme is funded by government, but it was designed by Cheshire East Council and it needs to be kicked to the kerb! This money would be better spent on potholes making the roads better for everyone.
I’ll keep working with residents on this issue and I’ll be holding a public meeting in order to try and get this nonsense scrapped.
