A councillor in Bath has spoken out criticising the council's decision to implement 'cyclists dismount' signs on a popular national cycle route through the city.

The signs have appeared on Cheap Street, part of National Cycle Route 4, a route Saskia Heijltjes points out is a "major route for cycling east to west in a low-traffic environment". The council says this is due to a "road safety audit" which made the
suggestion ahead of roadworks to install bollards.

With the road closed, cyclists would ride around the works via the pavement, something Bath and North East Somerset Council said would have "required a circuitous route around the works marked out by white road markings" and risked "conflict between
pedestrians and cyclists".

However, the Green Party councillor, formerly the city's first Bicycle Mayor, pointed out that "not every person on a cycle can dismount" and said she has "been asking questions about this for a while".

"I am disappointed by the fact that they haven't really thought it through beforehand. It's a major route for cycling east to west in a low-traffic environment," she told the Somerset Live (link is external). "It's a very narrow gap and once you dismount
on, say, a cargo bike you are actually a very wide heavy thing."

Earlier this month, a campaign group for disabled cyclists called upon North East Lincolnshire Council to implement clearer signage for a town centre cycling ban. Wheels for Wellbeing said the "just get off an walk" attitude, that one councillor told
local cyclists, "only works for people who can" walk their bikes.

"If you can't walk without pain or risk to your health, it's not as simple as 'just get off your bike and walk'," they said, highlighting signage seen in Wandsworth in London that instead states: 'Cyclists dismount unless a mobility aid'.

In reply to Bath's concerned councillor, a letter from council officers told Ms Heijltjes how the decision to put up 'cyclists dismount' signs had been made.

It said: "A marked cycle route on the footway around the works would have required a circuitous route around the works marked out by white road markings. Aside from the impact that the temporary road markings would have made on the natural stone paving
at this location, it was felt that it would be difficult to enforce segregation of pedestrians from cyclists at this location potentially leading to conflict between pedestrians and cyclists.

"It had been noted by site management staff that cyclists had been passing through very quickly prior to the signs being erected."

Once completed the works will see bollards prevent motor traffic from accessing Cheap Street between 10am and 6pm, leaving the space open to cyclists and pedestrians, a sliding bollard providing access to blue badge holders and exempt vehicles.

https://road.cc/content/news/questions-asked-cyclists-dismount-sign-cycle-route-303841

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