Draft plans are still being displayed in the Kuumba Imani Millenium Centre, 4 Princes Rd, Liverpool L8 1TH, with further consultation events being planned at Granby Market, etc. Plans should be on the Better Roads website soon, but as yet are not there.
In the meantime, below are some photos of the draft plans. Main issues/questions identified at present are:
- Access on and off the central Boulevard section in both directions:
- Safety and viewpoints (for both people walking and cycling)?
- Possible for non-standard cycles ? (obligation required under the Equality Act (2010))
- Priority to cyclists (and pedestrians)?
- Will time delays/phaff at toucan crossings be too much? (as stated in Sustrans design guidance, cycle design criteria needs to be direct with minimal detours or delays)
- Connections to other places/junctions/cycle network: access from/to side roads?
- Connections to Upper Parliament Street: a 1.5m cycle lane (just a painted line on-road) is proposed:
- Width too narrow for safety ? Evidence shows that drivers often drive ‘to the line’ ignoring the cyclist within the cycle lane, see e.g. Lancashire cycle guidance and Camcycle. Also the minimum recommended width is normally 2m (see page 18 of Highways England design guidance and Camcycle)
- Not following cycle design guidance: Princes Avenue is a 30mph speed-limited road with a high volume of traffic, so a protected cycle track is called for. Relevant guidance includes: “Where volume is above 1,000 vehicles during the peak hour, separation for cyclists or reduction of traffic volume is required” Page 8 of Transport for London Cycle Design Guidance or page 11 of Highways England design guidance.
- Chichane adjacent to Selbourne Street and access to central Boulevard:
- How to slow traffic at this point (to be safer for all road users)?
- How to protect people cycling on road or on proposed cycle track?
- How to safely access central Boulevard?
- Central Boulevard: space constrictions/viewpoints around sub-stations?
Please send all comments to Transportation@liverpool.gov.uk and please copy MCC (Merseysidecyclingcampaign@hotmail.co.uk) in so that we can also represent your views!
MCC are also meeting up with the designers on Tuesday, so any comments before then would be great!
