Cyclists lose bus lane battle

CYCLISTS have lost a battle to “save” a controversial bus/cycle lane which motorists claim causes unnecessary hold-ups.
Members of Warrington Borough Council’s traffic committee have accepted recommendations by transportation officers to remove the lane in Winwick Road, close to the Tesco store.
The council commissioned a road safety audit and, as a result of “safety concerns” expressed in the audit,
These were that, because of a right hand bend in Winwick Road, car drivers did not receive any advance notice of the start of the bus lane and, as a result, were forced to make very late lane changes to avoid driving into the bus lane.
Police reported a number of accident-only collisions in the area.
As part of the changes, the nearside lane will be widen to allow extra width for cyclists, although there will be no marked cycle lane.
Pete Owens, of the Warrington Cycle Campaign, opposed the changes.
He said the bus and cycle lane offered a considerable safety benefit to cyclists, forming a key link in Warrington’s emerging cycle network.
While the campaign supported measures to improve the safety of car drivers on Winwick Road, this should not be at the expense of the safety of more vulnerable road users.
He said: “The safety problem is entirely due to the lack of advanced signing of the bus lane, which is required both legally and for safety reasons.
“I have written several letters about the signing to the council since it was installed in 2003, yet no action has been taken.”