Issues

This section lists issues - problems on the street network and related matters.

Issues always relate to some geographical location, whether very local or perhaps city-wide.

You can create a new issue using the button on the right.

Listed issues, most recent first, limited to the area of Cyclenation:

  • Dangerous junction on Cross Street

    Created by Jack Thurston // 0 threads

    The four-way junction at Cross Street / Monk Street is dangerous for cyclists, with large vehicles making the turn, crossing onto the other side of the road. It is even more dangerous for pedestrians. There are no pedestrian crossings provided at this crossing requiring pedestrians to walk a very long way around to get from one side of Cross Street to the other, or to take a chance by crossing through the motor traffic.

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  • New Inn junction

    Created by Matthew Phillips // 0 threads

    The picture shows the view as a cyclist, waiting at the lights on Church Street. Considering the numbers cycling to the university it is extraordinary that the recent remodelling of the junction (2010, with further work on completion of the Palatine Centre) made no provision for cyclists.

    It is not obvious how cyclists are meant to access the shared-use paths on campus from this junction, or how to rejoin the road from the campus.

    Basic features like advanced stop lines would help, but even better would be a general "green phase", not permitted as yet in UK but under consideration by the DfT. This concept involves green lights for pedestrians and cyclists simultaneously for all directions and is very successful in the Netherlands. It's also what tends to happen, in reality, to some extent at this junction already. Couple it with cycle lanes approaching the junction from each direction instead of the wasteful dual car lanes, and this would be a big improvement.

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  • Priority at side entrances, A167

    Created by Matthew Phillips // 0 threads

    The photo shows the entrance to Durham Johnston school. Sweeping curves allow fast access to/from the main road, and the cycle path basically gives out. OK, this is probably not a busy side-road, but why on earth can we not have a level, moderately straight route for the cycle path, with priority over the vehicles turning in or out of the school? A raised table to make it clear that motor vehicles should give way. There are plenty more examples along the A167 route of side roads that could do with similar treatment.

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  • Durham city centre access

    Created by Matthew Phillips // 0 threads

    A generation ago, cars, lorries and buses drove up and down Silver Street and Elvet Bridge. Now it is pedestrianised (with lorry access for deliveries from 6pm till 10am or 11am). Unfortunately no-one considered cycling provision.

    Although Silver Street is busy at lunch times and early evening, Elvet Bridge is never so busy as to make allowing cycling unduly risky for pedestrians. Cyclists are already allowed throughout the day on Saddler Street (as are cars) and that street is much busier. So I think cycling should be allowed on Elvet Bridge all the time, in both directions.

    On Silver Street, cycling ought to be allowed, again in both directions, whenever deliveries are allowed. In the mornings this would be up to 10am. While there are pedestrians using the street, there are not vast numbers at that time, but opening it to cyclists would be very useful for people travelling to work.

    Obviously, other factors would need to be addressed, such as some of the one-way streets approaching Framwellgate Bridge on the west side, and turning out of Elvet Bridge at the east end.

    Relaxing these restrictions would open up a lot more options for cyclists.

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  • New Elvet hill: parking and traffic lights

    Created by Matthew Phillips // 0 threads

    New Elvet slopes up steeply as you travel south, so cycling is slow. There are two issues which make cyclists feel particularly vulnerable.

    A. On the left there are diagonal parking bays by the shops, with vehicles sticking out into the road, particularly a large van which is often there. Cyclists have to give these a wide berth but then they feel vulnerable to cars wanting to overtake.

    B. The second issue is the left filter on the lights to Hallgarth Street. As the road splits into two lanes, it is particularly tricky if you want to turn right into Church Street: if you stay too far left, cars overtake you and then turn across you to the left. If you manage to move over to the right the lanes are narrow and you're conscious of holding up all the cars.

    Possible improvements:

    A1) Remove the parking by the shops: it's not actually used much by shoppers as most vehicles have resident permits.

    A2) Make the parking by the shops parallel to the road.

    B1) Reduce the approach to the lights to a single lane, and abolish the left filter into Hallgarth Street. This would also make it easier for pedestrians crossing the mouth of Hallgarth Street where there is no pedestrian phase and no way to see any of the traffic lights to tell if you're safe to proceed.

    Another, more radical, option would be to remodel the road layout by carving an uphill cycle lane of reasonable width through the pavement by the shops, to the left of the parking (probably realigning the parking to be parallel) and giving the cycle lane its own phase on the lights at Hallgarth Street so that cycles can get wherever they need to without conflicting with other traffic. Options for making Church Street one-way, or for private vehicle access only from the New Inn end, could also be considered.

    Making Elvet Crescent two-way for bikes might reduce the need to cycle up New Elvet, but it's still the most direct route for various purposes so it's not an adequate solution on its own.

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  • Frogmore Street one-way street: cycle contraflow required

    Created by Jack Thurston // 0 threads

    Frogmore Street is one-way (SE to NW). It needs a cycle contraflow to allow cyclists access from the north/west end of the town to this main commerce street.

    A cycle contraflow would achieve this objective. It would also be necessary to reconfigure the junction at the north end of Frogmore Street.

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  • North-west bound cycle lane ends

    Created by TMiles // 0 threads

    Cyclists benefit from an almost continuous cycle or bus lane along the A660 from the city centre. This route is much used by students cycling between central university campuses and accommodation in north-west Leeds.

    After the central traffic lights in Headingley, the cycle lane ends and the road narrows. Although the road later widens out to two lanes, there is a stretch (marked on the map) where cyclists have insufficient space on what is a busy radial road.

    There are two possible solutions here. The first would be to widen the north-west bound lane to allow a standard width cycle lane to be marked out. The second option would be to add a phase into the traffic light sequence that grants cyclists a ~10 second head start to clear this narrow stretch. This solution could involve detectors in the cycle lane upstream of the lights to avoid its unnecessary activation. It would also allow cyclists to position themselves better for the next junction, where traffic is split into two lanes.

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  • Burley Road / Willow Road

    Created by TMiles // 0 threads

    West bound traffic on Burley Road approaching the crossroads is segregated into one lane of buses and cycles and one lane of all other traffic. A set of traffic lights 100m from the crossroads gives alternating priority to these two streams: one sequence holds back cars to allow buses to pass through, the other sequence retains the bus lane.

    Under the current layout, cyclists that wish to turn left into Willow Road can find themselves detained for some time. They are held back by red lights and lack the room to trickle forward to the later set of traffic lights without coming into conflict with other road users.

    However, left-turning cyclists would be able to trickle forward if works were carried out to:
    • Reprofile the pavement to allow the installation of a cycle lane following the line on the map.
    • Create a bypass to the left of the bus lane lights so that cyclists can legally make headway.

    It should be noted that the above measures are only intended for cyclists turning south. Under such measures the stream of traffic is always to the right of the cyclist.

    Those going straight ahead (into Burley Rd.) or turning right (into Cardigan Rd.) should remain subject to the bus lane signals because their path crosses that of the other stream.

    The current situation constitutes a bottle-neck on routes from the universities and parts of the city centre to Kirkstall and South Leeds. This crossover allows cyclists to access the higher-quality facilities on Kirkstall Road, and avoid the narrower Burley Road (where there is no cycle lane).

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  • Loss of cycle parking on Long Causeway

    Created by MJR // 0 threads

    There's a plan to redesign this street which has quite a bit of covered cycle parking at the moment, but no cycle parking is shown on the proposed layout.

    An analysis appears at http://blog.jofftastic.co.uk/2013/12/peterborough-city-council-anti-cycling/

    Comments on/to http://www.peterborough.gov.uk/community_information/consultation_and_engagement/current_consultations/long_causeway_scheme.aspx by 20 December

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  • Belmont Viaduct

    Created by Gregory // 1 thread

    I know this has been proposed before, but I wanted to add an issue to Cyclescapes in the hope that it might come up again. We can collect reports and evidence here.

    Reopening the Belmont Viaduct to cyclists and pedestrians could greatly shorten and improve a lot of journeys into and across Durham.
    Previously Durham Council (before the County Council?) were awarded lottery funding for this. I think the issue was with landowners, and so the funding got diverted to projects outside of the city.

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  • New road layout

    Created by Gregory // 0 threads

    New road layout has been finished here, unfortunately I didn't get a chance to look at any plans before they started work. Despite cycling past on a weekly basis, I saw no notices.

    It's not too bad, and extra lanes mean more space. However, I think it would be good to paint an ASL (cycle box) on at the Belmont Industrial Estate Junction. This will make cyclists feel a lot safer and give them a chance to cross the junction then get into a left-hand lane so motorists/lorries can over take after the junction (not dangerously overtake while turning).

    On the industrial estate is a local church, two sports centres, the Royal Mail sorting office, and a number of small businesses. As a result, there is a lot more cycling here than there was 5 years ago. Yet there are lorries and now buses(the bus depot has moved here) causing possible space-tensions between road users.

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  • TfL Consultation: Proposed improvements at the Nag’s Head on A1 Holloway Road

    Created by Shaun McDonald // 1 thread

    https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/streets/a1-holloway-road

    A1 Holloway Road - Nag's Head
    Overview
    Transport for London (TfL) has developed proposals to improve road safety for pedestrians and cyclists on the A1 Holloway Road in the Nag’s Head area.

    The main objective of the scheme is to put in place a pedestrian crossing on the A1 Holloway Road, enabling people to cross the road easily and safely and to improve access to businesses on the south-western side of the road.

    In summary, the proposed measures include the following:

    New signalised pedestrian crossing outside the Nag’s Head Shopping Centre

    New cycle lanes in both directions

    Advanced stop lines added to the junctions of Holloway Road and Tollington Road/Camden Road and Seven Sisters/Parkhurst Road

    Resurfacing of the footway and carriageway
    In order to make space for these improvements some other changes are required. These include

    Relocation of the northbound bus stop (Stop L) approximately 50m north of its existing location

    Changes to parking and loading provision, with and overall slight reduction in parking and loading availability

    Loss of one small tree on the median island where the crossing will be located. There may also be the potential loss of one other small tree and two relatively mature trees due to kerb cutbacks required in order to relocate the bus stop.

    Relocation of several items of street furniture including the removal of a redundant telephone box
    The proposals are shown on the attached map. In addition to these proposals, an informal pedestrian crossing with a central refuge island is planned for the A1 Holloway Road adjacent to Jackson Road.

    All of the measures that we propose are subject to change as a result of this consultation. Given no unforeseen issues, it is anticipated that the scheme will be implemented in Spring 2014.

    Please gives us your views by completing our online consultation form below by Monday 6 January 2014.

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  • Update on light timings, Nursling street

    Created by DavidC // 1 thread

    It has been brought to the attention of SCC that the time given at these traffic lights does not allow for slower moving traffic to given for slower moving traffic to exit from Nursling street onto Romsey Road.

    A member of the campaign has informed Hampshire County Highways of this.

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  • Barnes Residents want 20mph

    Created by Mel Grech // 1 thread

    A community consultation 'The Barnes Ponder' in October 2013 has show strong support for making Barnes a 20 mph neighbourhood .
    “20mph is plenty enough speed on the roads!”

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  • Building sites

    Created by Heather Coleman // 4 threads

    I'm creating this as a general "issue" in the hope that people will put different threads here for problems they have with building sites, generally associated with deliveries. Listing those problems and any action or complaints they've taken personally, and also asking how further complaints can be made.

    I can't help feeling we should be talking to the council about making it a condition of planning permission that deliveries that either require "odd" movements of HGVs eg, reversing and taking ages doing so, or parking on the street eg while delivering scaffolding, should not take place during "rush hour", especially on roads that are busy and are major cycle routes.

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  • Addenbrooke's "forum"

    Created by Heather Coleman // 2 threads

    The members' list has just had a post from a Tess Jones saying:

    > FYI
    > I wasn't able to go to the exhibition, but proposals are here:
    >
    > http://cambridgeforumconsultation.com/

    I've replied that as someone who works on site, this is the first I've heard about this. There are various implications, that need looking at, before we decide if and what we need to say in the consulation.

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  • Tibbetts Corner to Telegraph pub path maintenance

    Created by MB // 0 threads

    The cycle (and pedestrian) path between the Telegraph pub & Tibbetts corner needs repair & maintenance. Undergrowth has grown over it, narrowing the path, there are cracks & ridges where tree roots or wear & tear have deteriorated the path & the path markings are no longer clear.

    In addition, the route through the car park is often strewn with broken glass and pot holes.

    If the path were widened back to its original width, resurfaced & remarked, there would be less conflict between pedestrians & cyclists.

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  • Crossing roundabouts on A167

    Created by Matthew Phillips // 1 thread

    The route on the east side of the A167 past Crossgate Moor and Framwellgate Moor crosses a number of roundabouts. The cycle-path leads you across the roads very close to the roundabout, via the central refuge in the middle of the road. Some of these roads have two lane entry to the roundabout. Crossing both lanes at once is tricky as you have to have an eye on whether the traffic is about to move out onto the roundabout. If you have a longer vehicle, such as a bus, waiting, then the route to the refuge is blocked. There are no road markings to warn motorists that cyclists might be expected.

    The route is probably going to be improved as part of the Great North Cycleway. If these roundabouts are to be made safe enough for children to use, major alterations will be required. (The route goes past Durham Johnston School so should be available to children.) The route should cross further from the mouth of the roundabout, preferably on a different-coloured surface, maybe raised.

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  • Improvong route from University to Belmont

    Created by Matthew Phillips // 1 thread

    There is a demand for access to the University from Belmont and areas to the east of Durham. Creating a route across the playing fields towards Old Durham would shorten journeys and give a mostly off-road route.

    It would require a new bridge and a tarmac surface. Note sure if there would be issues of potential flooding. Not sure if the University would co-operate with route across its land.

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