Improve Portway Cycle Track

The cycle track currently runs along the footpath very close to the outbound traffic lanes.  The path is also quite uneven & some cyclists unwisely use the bus lane as a cycle track.

The outward bound two lanes are rarely, if ever full due no doubt to the free flow onto the motorway rather than the inbound lane which is constricted into Bridge valley Junction & the Cumberland basin. It would be interesting to do a traffic survey to checkout the viability of making the lane a cycletrack completely segregated from vehicles.

 

 

 

Why the contribution is important

Regrettably there have been cycle deaths on the portway, segregated cycle tracks should greatly reduce cycling risks.

It would act as a traffic  calming method especially if a blanket 30mph limit is introduced.

It would improve the environment in the gorge.

 

 

by user463519 on November 21, 2013 at 03:03PM

Current Rating

Average rating: 4.4
Based on: 24 votes

Comments

  • Posted by user419622 November 26, 2013 at 20:17

    Great idea. Perhaps this could be extended to "Improve Portway". Seems like the designers only created a thoroughfare for cars there and forgot people completely. For example, never made sense to me why the painted cycle "lane" on the road just ends just past Bridge Valley road. I get very nervous when I see cyclists actually cycling on the Portway. Perhaps part of an overall restructuring of the Portway, two lanes could be reduced to one lane on the outbound, dedicated and separated cycle lanes could be created in both directions, speeds could be reduced to 40 or 30, and more pedestrian crossings could be created so this becomes less of just a thoroughfare for cars and becomes part of the city again. For example, when the climbing gets busy on the weekend, cars are parked on the pavement on the opposite side of the cliffs, and people have to sprint across the Portway, where traffic is going at 50 MPH to get over to the cliffs. Wouldn't it be nice to have an inviting place for people to visit to watch the climbing? I'd like to take my kids there, but don't feel safe stopping there. I've also seen people try to walk across the Portway at the Clifton Rocks Railway - terrifying. To top it off - last weekend, I also saw a man and young girl walking in the bus lane just past the climbing. There's no room to get out of a buses way if one is coming, but it may have seemed like a better idea than trying to cross the Portway to get over to the pavement by the river. If we can secure any funding, perhaps we can make the Portway pedestrian and bicycle friendly again. (P.S. does anyone know what the story is with the 12 acre plot on the Portway on the inbound side just after the pedestrian crossing/exit to Sea Mills? Why has this been for sale for so long? I remember it used to be sports grounds a long time ago - what happened?)
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