Category: Interest: Regional

Articles of interest to the wider Midlands area (e.g., Birmingham, Coventry, Leicester etc)

A new shared-use path at a significant junction, crossed by a toucan crossing offset to the left from the line of the path.

The Long Wait for the Long Shoot Cycle Scheme

Posted on 02/02/202302/02/2023 by Fiets! Let's Cycle Like the Dutch

It has been over a year since Warwickshire County Council last responded to a request for an update on the cycle scheme to run alongside the A47 Long Shoot in Nuneaton. This 1.4km scheme was originally put out to public consultation in early 2021. Since then, general updates from the local authority have been sparse and the project subject to delays – not helped by another road junction scheme that was subject to its own overruns. Now, the Council has provided further comment in response to a new request for information.

A shared use path running through a dim tunnel in daytime. The path is partly obstructed by barriers in a chicane arrangement, restricting access. There is overgrowth in the foreground by the barriers - not an attractive place to walk or cycle.

Ill-informed cycling comments from councillors

Posted on 20/01/202320/01/2023 by Fiets! Let's Cycle Like the Dutch

More local Conservative councillors have shown their hostility to enabling modal shift and improving cycling infrastructure in a recent Borough Council Committee session, with comments that are ill-informed and untrue.

Handlebar view of a road junction with three lanes - turn left, turn right, and oncoming traffic - travelling in the centre, "turn right" lane.

Cycling Fail for Junction Redesign

Posted on 11/01/202311/01/2023 by Fiets! Let's Cycle Like the Dutch

In 2022, Warwickshire County Council redesigned the layout of a rural junction near Ansty – and completely failed to provide anything for cycling. Not even painted lanes and advance stop lines (ASLs). In fact, the new layout is arguably worse than it was for cycling northbound across the junction, given that it presents as a noteable climb.

Coventry's Coundon Cycleway, a bidirectional route. This image also includes a pedestrian footpath and zebra crossing, a bus stop, and a general traffic road. It therefore illustrates multi-modal transport.

Evaluating Warwickshire’s Local Transport Plan

Posted on 14/11/202214/11/2022 by Fiets! Let's Cycle Like the Dutch

Warwickshire County Council is refreshing its Local Transport Plan, and for the past couple of months has had its draft version in consultation for people to comment. That consultation ends on 20 November, and I have finally managed to complete a read through of all of the main strategy documents, compiling notes on what I find good, bad, and somewhere in between, along with my suggestions for improvements.

A5 Dordon to Atherstone Consultation

Posted on 18/10/202214/11/2022 by Fiets! Let's Cycle Like the Dutch

National Highways are running a consultation on a “road improvement” scheme at Atherstone, and between Grendon and Dordon. This is to “accommodate increased travel demand associated with proposed growth”. However, their high-level plans do not account for active travel.

Access road secured with a closed yellow metal gate

Council agree to replace inaccessible barrier

Posted on 21/07/202220/09/2024 by Fiets! Let's Cycle Like the Dutch

In May this year, Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council started shutting an inaccessible barrier across the access road to its Museum and Art Gallery/Registry Office and main town centre park, Riversley Park. This created an obstruction on a National Cycle Network route. Now, the Council have agreed to implement an accessible solution!

Draft Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP)

Posted on 06/07/202212/11/2024 by Fiets! Let's Cycle Like the Dutch

Warwickshire County Council has drafted new plan for walking and cycling – the LCWIP (Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan). I’ve taken a detailed look at the plan with a focus on Nuneaton and Bedworth (but with aspects relevant county-wide) and identified areas that need improvement.

Cameras for Cycling

Posted on 23/06/202208/11/2022 by Fiets! Let's Cycle Like the Dutch

Do you want to run cameras on your cycle? There’s a large variety of choice available, from the cheap to the expensive, static view to 360-degrees, and varying in quality and functionality. If you’re looking for advice on what to run on your cycle, take a look at what I’m running – this isn’t definitive, but it may serve as a guide!

Foot and cycleway improvements planned – but what about standards?

Posted on 16/06/202208/11/2022 by Fiets! Let's Cycle Like the Dutch

It has been reported in the local news that following the acquisition of a small piece of land from Nuneaton’s George Eliot Hospital, the County Council will press on with developing improvements to a short length of path that will be able to better accommodate walking and cycling. But there’s a catch. According to the report, a Council spokesperson talks about “creating a shared footway cycleway” – not ideal for either user and not demonstrating best standards.

Updated highways design guidance for Warwickshire

Posted on 15/04/202208/11/2022 by Fiets! Let's Cycle Like the Dutch

Warwickshire County Council has released updated design guidance aimed at developers and designers for the creation of new or improved highways infrastructure. As part of this, the new guidance specifically makes reference to providing good quality cycle links and infrastructure designed in line with the latest guidance from the Department for Transport in LTN 1/20 (or its replacement should it be updated in the future).

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