The new Seafront Cycle Route needs your help. Most of you will have noticed by now that the first phase of the seafront cycle route is being built – indeed a long stretch of it is all but complete. You may also have noticed that there has been considerable criticism of the route in the local press. The loss of parking spaces in exchange for the new parallel system is creating a lot of controversy. I fully understand peoples comments regarding fewer parking spaces at Eastney, but honestly, when is it ever full. Even in high summer it’s not difficult to find a space. I ride home everyday and often take the extend route along the seafront from Eastney and more often than not there are dozens of spaces and at least 2 people reversing out in to my path.
It is vitally important that we show Portsmouth City Council how popular this route is – otherwise there is a great risk that the decision makers will get cold feet when asked to approve phase 2. Therefore the Portsmouth Cycle Forum please ask all of you to write to Simon Moon, head of traffic and transportation at Portsmouth City Council expressing support for the seafront cycle route.
Support the Seafront Cycle Route by contacting Simon Moon directly HERE, or better still a unique letter or email always has more impact, so if you have time to write please use the following contact details.
Simon Moon
Portsmouth City Council
Civic Offices
Guildhall Square
Portsmouth
Hampshire, PO1 2BG
email: simon.moon@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
Photo : Hilary Reed
Paul
11 March
Emailed mine over. I tend to find the phase 2 part the most dangerous out of the two.
I cycled along the new route the other day, so good to be able to actually enjoy the view without dodging cars and people.
Martin
11 March
Make sure it’s used on 4th April…
Tristan
11 March
Try and shout out a call to action. ‘All riders take the cycle path…’
Colin Sidup
11 March
I know of one avid Portsmouth cyclist who says the cycle route at Easney is a wast of time and no one will use it. People ask for a cycle route, then moan when they get it! Total A**holes.
tom
11 March
I rode this first part the other day and thought the transitions were bullshit. Randomly forcing cyclists onto and off of a busy main road is asking for trouble, im a fairly confident cyclist but anyone whos unsure of themselves or how to act around traffic is going to shit their pants.
Other than that for casual cyclists this type of cycle path is an EXCELLENT idea but anyone who wants to move at more than a casual pace it simply does not work. Imagine hurtling along at 18-20mph only to be met with a bunch of kids wobbling left and right whilst their parents tell them not to panic.
The way the traffic has been sectioned off and the cars park is actually quite clever – much more so than i thought when reading about it.
My point still stands though and i shall use the road unless im just pootling along with some friends.
Elio
11 March
Why can’t it be more like Amsterdam? Where the cyclist has the respect of the drivers and the right of way. Then we wouldn’t needed these stupid bloody cycle lanes, which do indeed cut parking spaces. I live by canoe lake and it will cause chaos in terms of parking, when it was already tight.
Hilary Reed
12 March
Agree, the route is less attractive to fast confident cyclists. The route can’t cope with absolutely all kinds of cyclist, it has to be a compromise given the space available. The main gain will be to encourage lots more new cyclists to gain the confidence that you may have forgotten how you gained. We were all wobbly cyclists once upon a time, and probably when the roads were less frantic. The more numbers of cyclists visibly grow, the more we can persuade PCC to expand an improving network of cycle routes and hubs that suit us all better, most of the time! I look at it glass half full not empty! Lets give the route a chance.
Budgie
12 March
Although I do believe any consideration to cyclist is a good thing I am often getting harrassed off the roads because cycle lanes are available. I choose not to use the cycle lane because I want to travel faster than 15 mph and the lanes are not safe or practical for my type of cyclist.
It’s a good start and will get the younger and possibly older generation cycling but please don’t have a go at me Mr Car Driver if I cycle past you as you are crawling along in traffic….
dave clark
12 March
i think it looks awful down there. the parking space width for cars looks too narrow and i’d not be surprised if there were a few accidents as the road is narrowed too.
and the parking spaces facing the sea will be a loss too.
Pauline Fauset
4 April
Dear Mr Moon – you clearly are off your rocker or believe you live on another planet! if you think there is anything good to be said about the new cycle route in Southsea! It will do nothing to encourage people to come to Southsea when they find out that they either can’t park or worse still they suffer some kind of accident getting out of their car & onto the esplanade!
You & the members of the committee that passed this are quite mad & I sincerely hope you have allowed enough money in your prescious budgets to put the road back to how it was!!!
I wonder if any of you really care what the people of Portsmouth think & will be stunned if I get a response to this!
One very cheesed off resident!
Tristan Savage
4 April
Better the new route than some total idiot reversing into a family and their children. I imagine the large total of people that have been knocked off their bikes due to reversing motorists not paying attention would agree any amount of money is worth not seeing another child in hospital. And honestly, what’s worse? Someone that was stupid enough to get out of their car and not looking both ways on a slow speed cycle path or some kid being reversed over in a 2 ton car. Tough call huh….