Narrow Derby cycle lane branded unsafe by bike users
Cyclists have complained "improvements" to a city cycle lane have left it unsafe and unsuitable for some bikes.
Derby City Council used part of a government grant to segregate the lane on Uttoxeter Road, between the city centre and the Royal Derby Hospital, with concrete barriers. But cyclists say some sections are only 1.1m (3.6ft) wide, compared to the government's recommended minimum width of 1.5m (4.9ft). The council plans to review the lane. The Department for Transport awarded £228,000 to the council in June to work on temporary schemes that encouraged walking and cycling during the coronavirus pandemic. Sectioning off the cycle lane in Uttoxeter Road was among several projects the authority had proposed. But cyclists have complained the new barriers had made an "already narrow" lane even narrower and less safe. Lucy Giuliano, a local cycling campaigner, said: "We can still cycle along in single file but because it's concrete, you can't get out of the lane. "Cars now think it's safer to come closer to the cyclists, which means you're more at risk if anything happens." Ms Giuliano added the narrowness of the lane made it unsuitable for adapted bikes, trailers and electric cargo bikes. "My aim is to get more under-represented groups cycling so that's really disappointing," she said. The Department for Transport issued guidance in July saying new cycle lanes should be 1.5m wide as an "absolute minimum". In a statement, Derby City Council said the grant had stipulated that all schemes must be delivered within eight weeks. It said: "To temporarily widen the lane on Uttoxeter Road would not only mean creating significant congestion but hindering emergency vehicles on a main route to the Royal Derby Hospital. "All of the schemes are temporary and will be reviewed after three months for extension or amendment based on feedback." Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.