In January 2016, I wrote this Blog regarding the work about to be carried out & sent it to Highway England: http://the2wheeledwolf.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/my-views-of-work-to-be-carried-out-on.html
After the work was supposedly done I made a complaint & sent this copy of the Survey Report I did on the works carried out by Highway England on the 'cycling infra' that goes between Marks Tey & Witham as they really didn't want to go do a proper inspection & were gonna sign it off as completed back in September 2016 & Highway England passed it onto the Safety Auditors to carry out an independent safety audit of the scheme.
Sorry it took a lil longer to write
this up, I have a paid job to do & do not get paid to do the job
of those at Essex County Council who are supposed to inspect the work
before signing it off. Not just sign it off & sod those who have
to use it at their own peril. I was really Gob-smacked that was going
to happen.
So as I had said I will point out the
problems created by the works carried out & I do expect them to
be corrected before signing off the works. I will go in order of the
drawings from Witham to Marks Tey.
Starting
with east Witham as you exit the town. Why is it Highway
engineers for councils feel bicycles can turn on the spot at speed as
if it is a Tron cycle?
Its no joke but you should try it with
fast moving traffic up your rear. The dropped curb is not wide enough
to cater all forms of cycles & expecting them to turn that sharp
will result in being hit by drivers from behind. This should be a
tapered/angled entry to the shared path in fast moving traffic trying
to get to the A12 faster than a cyclists does.
Then there's the resurfacing, when you
resurface are you not meant to keep it flush with manhole covers?
Coz they have not done this & it is
a trip hazard to pedestrians & cyclists as well as the uneven
surfaces where the resurfacing was done in stages.
Then the dropped curbs at the
junctions, most are too steep, uneven & not flush to the road.
This is apparent along the whole route
along the A12 & already I have had my wheel repaired due to these
appallingly done dropped curbs & having to again this week. I sure
wouldn't like to see how a wheelchair user would cope with them.
Also noticed my concerns were ignored
of these side junctions with fast moving traffic turning off, there
are no signs to warn drivers or any form of speed reduction been put
in to make sure those already crossing are able to safely. Instead
they look at the motor traffic on the road & not look at paths.
This has been pointed out now in the Gazette by business The Empire
Diner along the A12.
Coming into Kelvedon, again you're
expecting cyclists to do a sharp right & then left turn to leave
the shared path.
Yet again this is dangerous as it make
the cyclist slow to a crawl & try get onto a fast moving traffic
coming off the A12. It should have been tapered to feed the cyclists
onto the road & maintain a reasonable speed. As usual its to
benefit traffic flow & not those trying to cycle.
And as for the painted logos on the
road thru Kelvedon & Feering, I see you just totally ignored what
I had said to put them in the middle of the road & as a result I
have a number of drivers try push me into the gutter when cycling.
Here's a video to show my disgust with
this: https://youtu.be/UgkiFzZn9Yw.
And we have Highway England & Essex County Council to thank for
that!
And what the Hell is this as you leave
Feering towards Marks Tey?
Are you really expecting cyclists to
turn into approaching traffic on the side road to access the shared
path? Are you really trying to kill cyclists? Why did you not fix &
use the dropped curb further along to safely access the shared path
without trying to kill them.
Then there's section of the shared path
along the A12 that have not been touched as per drawings, as in
'apply weed killing & asphalt crack sealant on existing
footway'.
I can definitely
say this was NOT done & with winter coming along it gets very
dark due to lack of lighting so is a risk of tripping pedestrians or
knocking a cyclist off & more likely into the traffic on the A12.
And talking about lighting, do you expect pedestrians & cyclists
to use the shared paths along the A12 in darkness but happily light
the roads for the drivers? If this is to be a route to increase
walking & cycling (highly doubtful in this state) then it
requires lighting to help see the paths & drivers to see those on
the paths.
Finally at Marks
Tey, do you really think this is acceptable access from the path to
the road. Unlit dark lil corner with fencing. Why is it not tidied up
& made clearer where to go & more visible in the dark?
Then as mentioned
before, stopping it at the end of the road as you just come off the
A12 is just stupid & dangerous & despite pointing this out,
it was just excused as not part of the this scheme so cyclists now
have to put themselves in danger trying to cross a busy fast moving
A120 & I can tell you I have had myself almost on a car bonnet
thanks to the actions of a dangerous driver & Essex County
Council & Highway England buck passing excuses to not supply a
safe route for cyclists going over the A12 towards Colchester. Which
I have reported to Essex Police but as usual they don't give a damn!
This is a brief
report as I have limited time to do your job & if you're unhappy
to what I have to say I aint sorry as I am sick & tired of the
appalling works carried out on the claims of 'better' cycling
infrastructure that we will never get at this rate. I for one see
what has been done has made it worse, uncomfortable, damaging to
bikes & dangerous to use.
And I am still
awaiting drawings for the section between Witham & Chelmsford.
Regards
Since sending this email in September I have compiled a video which I had also sent them (https://youtu.be/Hp4WBJ5vZGQ) to back this report & had to chase up to see if the safety Auditors had completed their work, only to find out they haven't even started. It is supposedly meant to be done this January 2017, despite my safety concerns many month back they are really dragging their heels on this & I will keep putting the pressure on them.
