The city council would appreciate your views on plans to make changes at Minworth Island, through funds secured from the central government. The improvements aim to better manage motor traffic flow and introduce a new route for walking across the island. The consultation plans can be viewed here, and you can voice your opinion on the survey link on that page. Please do voice your opinion to argue for better provision for cycles in highways plans.

Consultation runs until the 20th March 2015.

Push Bikes' (draft at the moment) response:

Push Bikes feels that the proposals are an important improvement for walking in this area, connecting the residential area around Lindbridge Drive to Walmley Ash Road and the residential and commercial areas around there. This is will greatly improve the permeability of this part of the highway network to people who are walking. However, we do not feel that the advisory cycle route offered as the alternative on these plans is a direct and attractive route, and we feel that more could be done to increase permeability for walking and cycling further. 

(1) Oakenhayes Crescent needs to be connected up as well, so there should be crossings provided to connect Oakenhayes Crescent to the new route.

(2) The walking route should be adapted to allow cycle use as well. The new crossings should all be Toucan crossings, and the paths on the island should ideally have cycle tracks next to them. The existing pavements should be widened or have cycle tracks next to them. This would make the direct route available to people using cycles and would encourage more cycling. The entrance to Lindridge Drive would need to be narrowed to widen the space on the pavement.

(3) The advisory cycle route is along residential and minor country roads. These should not have large volumes of through motor traffic, and so people using cycles should be able to share the highway if the speed is limited to 20mph. If there is a problem with rat-running, then actions should be taken to restrict rat-running, rather than installing cycle lanes. This would improve the streets for local residents, making the area nicer to live in.