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WandsTeesside pop-up bike lanes abandoned after theft and vandalism
Two pop-up bike lanes in Teesside have been ditched because signs were being vandalised and stolen. Redcar and Cleveland Council said that having to repeatedly replace signs was increasing the cost to the taxpayer.
In July, Wilton Lane, between Guisborough and Wilton, was converted into a quiet lane for walking and cycling. The road joins up with National Cycle Route 1 which connects Middlesbrough, the Wilton industrial site and Redcar town centre.
The only motor vehicles permitted were those accessing residential and agricultural properties and businesses on the lane.
The second route, between South Bank Railway Station and Flatts Lane Country Park in Normanby, was launched in early August.
Teesside Live reports that the schemes were partially funded by £96,000 from the Government’s emergency active travel fund. Both were expected to be in place for up to three months.
Councillor Wayne Davies, cabinet member for economic development, said: "We are obviously very disappointed that we have had to terminate these two cycle routes which were put in place to make it easier and more accessible for people to travel around the borough as they adapt to the new realities of daily life.
"It's vital that we protect walkers and cyclists using the routes and the constant theft and vandalism to the signage meant we kept having to replace them, increasing the cost to the taxpayer.
"As a council, we will continue to invest in improving walking and cycling links throughout the borough, as well as supporting businesses at this uncertain time."
Councillor Philip Thomson, leader of the Conservative group on the council, said: "It's disappointing that these cycle routes have not been able to be maintained and the thefts must have been of some significance for them to be discontinued.
"Everybody is on board with people being encouraged to take exercise and after walking, cycling is the next best option."
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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14 comments
If I were to remove motor traffic signs on a regular basis, speed limits and maybe directions to a motorway, leading to large ongoing costs, would they then close the road to motor vehicles.
Or doesn't it work like that?
Imagine a country in which the police caught vandals and thieves. Oh to live in that country.
Is that the same country where the unicorns all live?
I've walked from my office up to the nearest shops this lunchtime - along Park Row in Bristol up to the Triangle. Takes barely five minutes.
I've screwed back in five wands which have been knocked out of the pop-up cycle lanes by careless drivers. If I go along there later, I can guarantee some more will have come out.
Do Redcar & Cleveland mean that actual signage has been removed/vandalised, or the protective bollards/wands/whatever? If it is the latter then it's probably not intentional vandalism, just cr@p driving...
Which of course only serves to demonstrate why they are "vital" (sorry burt...)
True. Local paper always full of complaints about how these new pop-up protected lanes are taking away valuable road space, and completely missing the point that the wands are protecting painted lanes which were already there. If people genuinely think road space has been taken away then that's tantamount to admitting that they completely ignored the painted unprotected lanes...
(OT - has anyone else noticed that people will park up as close as they possibly can to these new lanes, meaning that to get into them you have to go in between the wands, at speed, while being tailgated...).
Replace them with metal poles cemented into the ground. That'll soon encourage drivers to pay more attention.
You wouldn't even need to do them all, just one in 10 for 20 should suffice.
It's actually a great idea. But as with speed and red light cameras you will constantly hear people whining that it's entrapment or a money-making scam, even if there were big signs warning you not to drive into the poles.
Interesting use of the word Vital, followed by but it was too costly.
Either this is
If 1, the vandalism will move to other things. If 2, should I not like something I need only vandalise it to get my gammony way and have it removed.
[files for future consideration]
third option: Incompetence.
This one could be sorted by introducing some sort of test which one must pass before being allowed to drive a car. Not just a driving ability test but a general brain test to rule out any kind of mongery that an individual could have.
In my experience, stupid people are too stupid too even know they are stupid. They may be able to physically operate a machine, but they lack the judgement and attitude to do so without mutilating someone. There needs to be some sort of mandatory brain test before people can operate any kind of powered equipment.
So make them permanent, COVID is here for a good while and kerbs are slightly harder to steal.
exactly, I thought the wands were just a temporary cheap solution to prove the case separation was needed and a stepping point toward proper kerb setups