As expected with Essex County Council Highway Dept, they're wasting millions in screwing up the road system on schemes like this which no one wants & to make it worse they can't even stick to their own plans & have created a God awful layout that will be dangerous to those who walk & cycle & all to benefit drivers.
Like the cycle lane heading Eastward from the roundabout & straight into a step out point on the crossing which shouldn't even have been built as shown in the plans, so cyclists will have to pull out of the cycle lane into the path of motorists to get around it. Thus Essex County Council Highway Dept have created a conflict point which never should have been built. Then there's the narrow bus stop which will create conflict & squeeze cyclists between parked buses & speeding drivers trying to get past them or bus drivers overtaking them & pulling in, left hooking them. Easily could've done better & ignored words of advice to make it safer.
And still they have the stupid sign up telling those who are cycling to get off & frigging walk when there is no need for this sign at all & they refused to move the frigging thing & showing their arrogance & dislike to those who cycle as don't want them to use the roads even when the works have been practically finished.
As for the access to Crouch Street from Lexden Rd, they have some obscure logos on a road junction which means sweet FA to anyone turning in or out of that side road & TBH I can see this will become a conflict point as no clear indication there meant to be a cycle lane here. Then as you turn onto crouch street, then you're quite likely hit the non reflective low visibility bollard, especially at night time coz if you're like me you're trying not to slow too much when turning due to drivers up your arse as you slow. Again Essex County Council feels we all can turn 90 degrees like a Tron cycle. Could they have done a better way to feed those cycling onto the shared path, yes they could. Did they want to, like hell did they!
Then there's the shared path, just think if you're visually impaired or a child & had to use this. Could you tell it is a shared path or even a road as it all looks the same. Just look at that bike logo! Was there even a point in bothering wasting paint on this?
Even getting off the bus you're using low visual steps that put you straight into the road which you can easily think is a pedestrianised area & how long before we see motor vehicles parked on the pavements?
Then there's the shared path, just think if you're visually impaired or a child & had to use this. Could you tell it is a shared path or even a road as it all looks the same. Just look at that bike logo! Was there even a point in bothering wasting paint on this?
Even getting off the bus you're using low visual steps that put you straight into the road which you can easily think is a pedestrianised area & how long before we see motor vehicles parked on the pavements?
And it sure hell doesn't look as pleasant as the artistic drawing implies, again no benefit to those walking & cycling as no clear indication what is what & multiple levels not shown in the artistic impression drawing & definitely no fancy cycle parking as shown. And how long do we give it before we see bollards all around it to stop drivers parking everywhere they like coz there is no clear indication or kerb? When someone is run down?
Then there's the other side of the road where clearly Essex County Council Highway Dept don't want you to go as directing you to the left & up a hill than use a more direct & level route, which of course still has no protection added to stop drivers parking on it as clearly no longer visible as a cycle contraflow coz they couldn't be bothered to paint back in the faded markings.
After all Essex County Council's & their contractors couldn't care less about the safety of those cycling & trying to use the contraflow. Again could they have done better to do this point of access to shared path beside Tesco, yes. Did they want to, like hell did they!
Nope they really don't want to encourage you to cycle here, it is all about increasing traffic flow for the benefit of the drivers & sod everyone else who use this area. Expect conflicts & accidents to follow & all thanks to Essex County Council.
In the 2 months since I originally posted this blog, it has had over 2,000 view & seem to hit home with everyone that lives around this area & all in agreement whether they walk, cycle or driver that it is awful for all.
And just last month I got just the example of the issues with the contraflow that Essex County Council failed to address & which Essex Police & Colchester Borough Council failed to enforce the parking regulations & law. Here is the video of that incident & shows just why it is so bad around here.
And as yet, those responsible at Essex County Council have not admitted that they fucked up & want to discuss with the public how they are going to rectify it.
To my surprise I found out that Essex County Council have been back to do some more of their 'improvements' & I use that term very loosely. Something I didn't notice was missing before, the road is supposed to be raised to help those walking & cycling go across Rawstorn Road that cuts across Crouch Street.
Now have a look at what is there...
Now this was supposed to be raised to make drivers slow down as they come down the hill or rush along Crouch Street & was supposed to be red tarmac with stone ramps to indicate drivers to slow down as passing through a pedestrian zone as shown in example below.
But as you can see Essex County Council again have failed to do things correctly or keep to the design again, the ramps are so shallow & no changes to the tarmac which will result in drivers not slowing down & eventually will result in someone getting hit whilst crossing the road as there is NO formal crossing point for those walking or cycling to Crouch Street. And also as you can see in my photos of the new tarmac area, there is yet more drivers who has parked their cars in the Cycle Contraflow as Essex County Council will not put measures in to prevent it.
And of course Essex Police or Colchester County Council refuses to deal with the illegal parking on it. And quite honestly it could easily be fixed if the thick headed Essex County Council Highway Dept actually used a brain cell.
Yup, not exactly rocket science now is it?
First of the month of July I got a tweet from a fellow Colchester resident who was in this area on the Sunday & he was appalled on the fact drivers had parked their cars all over the pedestrianised area, pavement & the cycle contraflow. So as I predicted this area is really a no go for safe use for those walking & cycling due to the selfish drivers who feel they can park where they fucking well like & as usual the Colchester Borough Council & Essex Police still not enforcing parking regs & laws to keep these areas clear & ignore complaints from us who wants to use this area. Here are the photos the Colchester resident took on the afternoon of Sunday 1st July where you can see cars on the cycle contraflow as well as the pavement next to it & in the other photo you can see cars parked on the pedestrian zone.
If you see any of this sort of thing happening, please contact me as I would love to have a record of this happening & photos to add to this blog to document the problems on this newly created debacle of a scheme.
And on today the 6th July, I was down visiting town & had to cycle through here. It comes to no surprise when Essex County Council built a poorly designed layout that put people at risk when walking & cycling we will continue to see drivers simply don't give a shit how they treat the area. Cutting corners, driving into the newly placed racks which no surprise are not being used due to risk of damage to cycles. And the usual daily obstruction of the contraflow tho not as bad this time but look how close I get to the car. Rate its gong I would not be surprised if racks are gone by end of year & pavement is damaged due to drivers driving on the pavements.
And just over 2 weeks later, I popped to get a bit of shopping at Tesco on way home from work on a Sunday evening & to no surprise I watched how driver upon driver parking & blocking the cycleway to go visit Tesco & simply did not give a shit where they park. Nope, their parking to get shopping in Tesco is way more important than someone's safety & of course our local council & police turns a blind eye on this every day!!
No sooner one leaves, another goes & park on the cycle contraflow...
Even as I leave to head home, they still continue to park & obstruct the cycle contraflow...
ZERO Enforcement, ZERO Protection, ZERO Cycle Infrastructure!! Time Colchester Borough Council, Essex County Council & Essex Police pulled their fingers out & get this fixed & stopped!!
Update November 2018
Despite passing the evidence of the parking on the shared path & cycle contraflow, Essex County Council & Councillors as well as Essex Police still choose to ignore the illegal parking by drivers who clearly give lil regards to public safety for those who walk & cycle.
And still it continues...
September
Oh & 'Professional' drivers choose to illegally park & block cycle infrastructure.
And here we have a Bookers delivery where the driver has deliberately driven backwards on the shared path & gone as far back as possible & obstructing pedestrian access.
October
November
Bookers again!
Clearly you can see there is zero enforcement.
And last week I saw a tweet from @WeSupportWFMH, a residents group which supports the Waltham Forest Mini-Holland programme & they shown something they have which could easily have been done with the area that have been repaved & made barren.
And here in Enfield we can see another fine example what could have been as part of their mini Holland project at Winchmore Hill. Looks lovely for people to be at & those cycling free & safe to do so & not barren too.
Compered to this which we have...
If only Essex County Council had some vision to give proper walking & cycling infrastructure which are clearly defined & have greenery in it than the carcentric barren landscape they have created.
February 2019
No surprise to find when down in Crouch St to find the cycle contraflow completely blocked as still zero enforcement of the law from Colchester Borough Council or Essex Police!
Don't we think it's time Colchester Borough Council & Essex Police stop turning a blind eye to this illegal obstruction & start enforcing the laws.
It's pants for drivers too though as they've narrowed the Rd as it approaches the roundabout with extra brickwork that wasn't there before and stuck a barrier in the middle so trying to turn left onto crouch St or balkerne Hill has become much more difficult if there's also either a bus or car coming up on your left. Plus if they wanted to make the area outside crouch Street bakes nice they should've made it safe with railings to stop toddlers running into Lexden Rd and stop drivers parking on that area too.
ReplyDeleteRant over.... For now.
Sarah T Colchester
Oh I have no delusions that the road is 'better' for drivers, just made better to move drivers through faster which would also make it harder to turn for drivers. But as I don't drive I can't really say how bad it is for those who do driver, I just know it's been made to make motor traffic flow faster.
DeleteAnd happy for those who do drive to contribute legitimate issues with this so called Lexden Rd Improvements.
Excellent blog with lots of detail. Well done for taking all the photos and it's great to see it all documented. I fully agree the Lexden Road is a real mess to those of us with some design knowledge. It's a pity Essex CC & Colchester BC couldn't see the same. Life for cyclists would be so much better if they did!
ReplyDeleteThankyou, it had to be done. Had to show how Essex CC are messing things up for everyone, especially on schemes no one asked for & benefits no one. Unfortunately Colchester BC hasn't much say in Highway matter, it's all Essex CC & if they're doing this here then they sure are doing it in other parts of Essex too.
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