Work is about to start to improve cycle lanes on Dorchester Road, Weymouth, to give users a greater sense of safety.
As part of the upgrade by Dorset Council’s highways service, intermittent bolt-down kerbing and wands are being installed to encourage more students to choose active travel for their journey to Wey Valley Academy.
The improvements will also provide a safer, direct cycle route into the town centre for residents in the Redlands, Broadwey and Upwey areas.
Preparation work will be carried out on Monday 28 February to remove some of the existing cycle lane markings and will be followed by lining works to install a solid white line for the new layout.
To improve awareness of the cycle lane at junctions, some existing road markings will also be changed.
Work to install the separating features will start on Monday 7 March and take one week to complete.
Both sets of work will be carried out from 9am to 3pm using stop and go traffic management, working on one side of the road at a time.
Cllr Ray Bryan, Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, said: “By providing a safer space for on-road cycling on Dorchester Road we can encourage more residents to choose active travel for their short journeys to school and into town.
“It doesn’t take long to install each feature and our workforce will do their best to maintain access to properties, however, please be patient as there may be some moments where residents have a short wait to access their homes.
“Drivers should allow some extra time for their journeys while this work is taking place.”
When the new layout is in place, residents and businesses will continue to have unobstructed access to their properties across the cycle lane, and buses will have space to safely pull in and out of stops.
The scheme is costing around £65,000 and is funded by the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Active Travel Fund.
Dorset Council was awarded £438,900 by Government last year after a successful bid to the DfT. The funding aims to make it easier for people to walk and cycle more, to build physical activity more easily into people’s lives and reduce congestion and reduce emissions of local pollution.
I’m surprised that bolt down kerbing alongside cycle lanes is considered safe. Unless fully champfered that can be an additional hazard if accidentally clipped by bike tyres.
Hi Stuart, thanks for your comment. These kerbing units have been widely used in the country to provide a degree of protection and enhance the feeling of safety for users, including in locations with narrower, more heavily used cycle lanes than those at Dorchester Road. For example, these were used to increase capacity on a major cycle route in London that carries thousands of cyclists a day: https://goo.gl/maps/fvt51tgnksyVpSdM6 We are confident that these kerbing units offer a better degree of protection for cyclists than there is currently.
I also know that several councils in London have removed them following lots of claims and compensation payouts as they are a tripping hazard.
I feel the cycle route out of Dorchester across the Tesco / Football Club roundabout very dangerous – could something be done to improve cycle access or even reroute along Manor Park to Monkton turn off ?
Thanks for your comment David, I’ll certainly ask the question, Kirstie
What happens when delivery vehicles are parked in the cycle lane. (Which is happens a lot) Do cyclists have to bump over the kerbing units to go round them? This is dangerous, especially in wet weather for the same reason as crossing railway lines is.
How can cyclists overtake slower cyclists?
Good to see some improvements being made.
Any plans for school routes on the other side of town to Holy Trinity and Wyke Regis? Access for cyclists on to the Rodwell trail from the Buxton Road is very restricted.
I have been a regular user of the cycle lane along Dorchester Road since it was first installed. The only safety issues I see in the current cycle lane is the poor road surface, debris and uneven drains . Installing bolt down kerbs and poles are going to physically restrict the width of the lane and I dont feel comfortable cycling in a narrow lane with such physical restrictions and am more likely to cycle in the road in future. As for encouraging students at Wey Valley to cycle , this isnt going to make any difference, they still wont cycle to school as it is much easier, warmer and drier to get a lift from parents. Also what are delivery drivers and council rubbish collectors going to do? Block the road?
Given that these have now been in for a few weeks now it is more dangerous given the amount of debris rocks and gravel that is now accumulated within the cycle lane. Despite me contacting DCC they did send a road sweeper to clean the cycle lane, however they have to go around the bollards as they cannot clean behind them. Contacted DCC again and they advised they would send out a mini road sweeper to go behind the Jilson Poles. Great I thought, how wrong was I when all they have now done is sweeped all the debris and rocks and gravel into the middle of the cycle lane Well done DCC incompetent as always, this is an accident waiting to happen due to failing to maintain a safe cycle lane free from hazard and risk!!!!!
I do not like these poles at all. Seriously, who thought this was a good idea? I both drive and cycle down this part of the road. As a cyclist I find them intimidating and obstructive and as a driver I consider them a hazard. I am conscious of lane discipline but these poles are obtrusive, and to be honest, just plain weird!