Graham, Tom and Ian

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Kinsgway cycle route comes to Area Committee

by Lib Dem team on 17 September, 2013

Following a consultation with residents on the northern part of the South Park Road estate, a proposal for a quiet cycle route allowing cyclists to get from the Gatley lights to Parrs Wood comes to Cheadle Area Committee next week.

The route is mostly funded by the Government and the longer-term aim is to get more people cycling, which I see as absolutely critical if we’re going to have any chance of really improving the traffic – and queues – around the Kingsway junction.

The route goes along Coniston Road and round South Park Road (it doesn’t go along the Kingsway Service Road as residents rejected the idea of making that two-way along its whole length).

It then passes under the underpass, crosses over the road on a new speed table and up the newly widened path to Kingsway.

Going along the path alongside Kingsway, it crosses over the entrance to Barnes Hospital.  The old underpass is proposed to be blocked up – it’s not suitable for cycling through and barely suitable for walking, plus it has a significant maintenance cost.  Instead the proposal is for a toucan (pedestrian and cycle) crossing across the slip road onto the M60  (just as there’s one on the slip road off the M60).

Going into Manchester, the route goes alongside the road to the crossing, then crosses over the road.

Additionally, the previously-agreed 20mph zone for the South Park Road Estate will be extended to start at the top of the access road off Kingsway.

North section

A34 cycle route north

 

South section:

A34 cycle route south

 

   17 Comments

17 Responses

  1. David williams says:

    This is news to residents of Coniston Road and South Park Road. What consultation? There has been none with these residents following disclosure that original proposal has been scrapped.

  2. Bruce Thwaite says:

    As one who uses the route regularly I am afraid to say that I would prefer to go straight up Kingsway. I will though give it a go when it opens but It just seems too long and convoluted. And what about the other side of the river?

  3. Jerry Clegg says:

    The council seems unable even to distinguish between the M60 and the M56!

    I still object to the ‘speed table crossover’ for cyclists at the eastern exit of the Kingsway underpass on South Park Road on the grounds that it is not a safe proposal on a tight 270 degree bend down from Kingsway.They should come up with something more sensible than this.

  4. frederick kenny says:

    I can’t see how more cyclists will have any meaningful impact on Kingsway junction’s problems – almost all the traffic is arterial through to the M60 in the predominant north / south direction – none of this will be affected by cycling as cycling is not allowed on motorways.

    Also could proper provision be made to enforce the 20 mph speed limit for cyclists – I was nearly knocked down at Cheadle village pedestrian crossing by a speeding cyclist (doing well over 30 mph) who screamed at me to “get out of the way”.

  5. Trevor McLean says:

    What is the point of spending money on cycle tracks when cyclists will not use them. This frequently happens at Cheadle Royle (Although it could do with better signposting) and Styal Road near Heald Green.
    If you close the subway near Barnes Hospital how are the new residents on the site going to get to the bus stop for Manchester on the west side of the A34.

  6. Ruth Hill says:

    I too cannot see what difference the cycle track will make to the amount of traffic using the A34. I can only see that the Council want to use up the monies that it has been allocated for cycle tracks.
    I do not see that a 20mph speed limit is going to make any difference whatso -ever to the traffic coming off the motorway and using the South Park road estate illegally in order to access the A34. They will still speed and we will still have great difficulty getting into and out of our drive on Kingsway when cars come speeding round the bend under the bridge.

  7. Iain Roberts says:

    A few points I’ll try to answer!

    David – the consultation, as is the norm, was with those directly affected by the proposed change, the people living around the current one-way section.

    Bruce – absolutely! This isn’t about the people who currently cycle along Kingsway, it’s about the much larger group of people who would cycle if they felt it was safe enough. Those are the ones we need to get on their bikes. There is work being done in Manchester on the other side of the river to connect this up – it will eventually link into the new cycleway being built from Didsbury right into Central Manchester.

    Trevor – people will be able to cross at puffin crossings to the bus stop rather than going down into the subway.

    Frederick/Trevor/Ruth – every survey done shows that a lot of traffic is local. Naturally people using the motorway to go longer distances are not going to start cycling, but that’s not everyone. Switching 10% of journeys to bike is achievable and would make a major difference to traffic levels.

    Ruth – Although anything that slows down traffic will act as a disincentive to come onto the estate, I think you’re right that it won’t make a big difference.

  8. Jerry Clegg says:

    What form will this newly proposed cycle route take on South Park Road? Will it be a green band? If so, where : on the road, on the pavement? Will it have an effect on parking? Non of these issues have been consulted upon with residents of this estate.

  9. Iain Roberts says:

    Hi Jerry, had any of those things been proposed they would have been consulted on. Cycle routes along residential roads are very rarely painted on road or pavement – just signing is the norm.

  10. John Hill says:

    Ian

    I am glad that the proposed 2-way working will not be introduced. I also agree that the 20 mph limit is a good idea, and also agree that it will be be largely ignored if it is only policed as seldom as the access restriction is policed.

  11. Alan Gent says:

    I for one am a potential cyclist waiting for these new routes to be implemented. At the moment I feel it’s far too dangerous to cycle, so bro g it on!

    Alan

  12. John Allwork says:

    A much better way to reduce the traffic is for a train/tram stop in Cheadle.

  13. Iain Roberts says:

    Tram-train for Cheadle would be great, and another project we’re working on; but we need to recognise that it won’t happen for a few years, will cost tens of millions if it does happen, and should be in addition to improved cycling facilities rather than instead of, as they achieve very different things.

  14. Bruce Thwaite says:

    Why are you going to create two new puffin crossings? I assume they are for the bus stop but I have never seen anybody use it. Why not move the stop elsewhere or just get rid of it?

  15. Iain Roberts says:

    Fair question, Bruce. With planning permission granted for 300 new homes at Barnes Hospital, I’d hope that we’ll see more people using the bus stop in the future and certainly wouldn’t want to increase the number of cars coming out of the Barnes site by losing that bus stop.

  16. B. Horstmann says:

    It would be just as viable to put a Toucan on the A34 entry sliproad on the other side. Then two more, one on each of the other A34 exit slipoads and job done without a convoluted route and steep climb. At times of light traffic cyclists could just activate the Toucans when they felt necessary. But still it is stopping and waiting which commuters don’t really want to do as it breaks the rhythm. Pity the tunnel wan’t built bigger.

  17. B. Horstmann says:

    Concentrating on the first map, I hadn’t studied the second, showing Marchbank Drive. I use this, as I live just nearby. Coming into the estate it is better to go left, so not have to consider cars jumping out, and then it is a left turn into the exit path, instead of a right turn accross the traffic, possibly necessitating a stop in the middle of the road. The way shown is right for the return journey, keeping to the left all the way. A one way round could possibly also be better for the residents.

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