Angry cyclists say new Torquay harbour road is unsafe

Petition being handed in to council next week

Cyclists want Torbay Council to think again about axing a cycle path from a new road layout around Torquay Harbour.

Local bike riders were furious at the beginning of the summer when the council said the segregated cycle way was being dropped from the £4 million harbourside revamp.

Now 130 of them have signed a petition to be handed in at a full meeting of the council next week.

Cyclists will have to share the busy road with vehicles after the discovery of uncharted water pipes underground led to the design of the new ‘public realm’ on the harbourside being changed.

The discovery has also meant the completion of the project being delayed until later in the year.

Campaigner Beth Huntley told the BBC that the new layout with its narrower road could be worse for cyclists than the much wider road it replaces.

"They've just scrapped the cycling infrastructure and not put anything in as a replacement,” she said. “This project should not be delivered without some form of cycling infrastructure."

But Cllr Chris Lewis (Con, Preston), who is the council’s cabinet member for place development, is confident cyclists will be pleased with the end result. There would be fewer buses and a 20mph speed limit, he said.

The cyclists' petition calls on the council to create a designated lane for them in the new paved area.

It goes on: “Since the decision was taken to remove the segregated cycleway from the road with no alternative, cyclists are forced into direct conflict with motorists. This is not suitable or safe in this busy area.”

And the petition says that if the project doesn't improve cycling infrastructure, it would go against council and government policy as well as the council’s own strategy to encourage ‘active travel’.

Riders will have to either hold up traffic by staying in the road or get off their bikes to push.

“For many, the road will feel unsafe and so they will choose to cycle on the pavement anyway,” says the petition. “We call on Torbay Council to act as a progressive, supportive organisation and encourage cycling of all ages through Torquay. This will also benefit motorists as it gives cyclists the choice to come off the road when it is not appropriate.”