Tour de Cotswolds?

The Worcester News reports that local councillors are already agitating for the Tour de France to come to the Cotswolds. Paul Hodgkinson, from Bourton-on-the-Water, wants the Tour to “start in Chipping Campden, racing down the Fosse Way through Moreton, Stow and Bourton before going through the historic towns of Northleach and Cirencester… what an advert for the Cotswolds this would be”. Of course, you can already enjoy a scenic ride through the area on the Cotswold Line Cycle Route. 

Cycle Windermere with new off-road routes

Finding a safe place to cycle in the heart of the Lake District has never been easy, with busy traffic squeezing into the narrow valleys.

A new series of off-road cycle routes aims to change that – and the first one opens on 15 July. The Langdale Trail runs from Ambleside, at the north end of Windermere, up the picturesque Langdale valley to Skelwith Bridge and Elterwater.

Here, a brand new traffic-free path continues to Sticklebarn, the only pub in Britain run by the National Trust, beside Dungeon Ghyll. Cycle route signs have been erected to point the way.

David Robinson from the Lake District National Park Authority explained:

“Before the new trail, people couldn’t really cycle along the scenic route between Elterwater and Dungeon Ghyll without either having a mountain bike or going on the road. This is a great way for people to safely cycle one of the Lake District’s most iconic valleys.”

The full eight-mile route will be opened with a guided ride on Tuesday 15 July, starting at Rothay Park in Ambleside at 10am. 

More local routes

The Langdale Trail is one of several routes being created under the multimillion-pound ‘Go Lakes’ programme. Other new routes are to include:

• Ambleside to Grasmere: At present, the only option for cyclists is to follow the busy, narrow and dangerous A591 road. Work is now underway on a route linking the two settlements. A footbridge is being replaced with a wider cycle bridge with ramps, and the highly scenic but rocky Rydal bridleway is being resurfaced to become more bike-friendly. However, there is some disquiet among local councillors about the route out of Ambleside itself, which is proposed to run through a popular park.
• Cycle route along Grasmere: A planning application has been lodged for a new route alongside Grasmere itself. The designers say “We are aware of the sensitivities of the proposals on what is an iconic part of the Lake District landscape and have worked hard to present proposals that we think will protect the lakeshore habitat and landscape but also modernise the rights of way network in the area that meets the needs of all users.” The application is due to be considered by the National Park this month.
• Windermere West Shore: Already open, this route using existing bridleways along the west shore of Lake Windermere has been resurfaced at a cost of £75,000. Starting at the car ferry terminal on the west bank, the four-mile route runs north to Wray Castle.
• Wray Castle to Hawkshead: From here, a new route is proposed to run to the popular village of Hawkshead, being developed in conjunction with the National Trust.

At the same time, for those who prefer to ride on-road, new cycle route signs are being installed around the area to suggest the quietest roads. These should be in place by the summer. They will be accompanied by increased cycle parking at locations including Stavely, Coniston, and Grasmere.

City 20 limit for “cyclists and dreamers”

On Sunday 20 July, the City of London will get a near-universal, bike-friendly 20mph speed limit. Only one road, Upper Thames Street, will have a higher limit. Even major roads such as Farringdon Road will be included.

Neighbouring authorities have also fallen into line, reducing the speeds on the nearby Thames bridges, while Transport for London will impose the limit on its roads through the City. Over 50 signs will be erected to notify drivers of the new limit.

Michael Welbank, Chairman of the City’s Planning & Transportation Committee, said:

“For the City of London to continue its success as an international business hub it is critical that its streets should be safe for all who use them be they commuters, pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, motorcyclists, shoppers or cultural wanderers and dreamers.”

The London Cycling Campaign has applauded the reduced limit, with chief executive Ashok Sinha saying:

“LCC has consistently argued for lower speed limits in London – a 20mph limit in the Square Mile will help save lives. We welcome the City of London and Transport for London’s steps to reduce road danger in the heart of the capital.”

Cambridge bike lanes finally approved

The long-awaited segregated bike lanes for Hills Road and Huntingdon Road in Cambridge have finally got the go-ahead after a last-minute wobble.

Concerns over bus stop safety had seen the plans put on hold in May. Now, county councillors have given revised plans the thumbs-up.

The ‘bus stop islands’ will now be wider, at least 2m, and the shelter will be sited on the island rather than beyond the cycle lane. Cambridgeshire County Council’s engineers say this will remove the need for bus passengers to dash across the cycle track to catch a bus.

Cambridge Cycling Campaign said the scheme was “a massive step forward... we hope other roads will follow”.

Meanwhile, councillor Noel Kavanagh hinted that similar schemes could be developed elsewhere in Cambridgeshire, and took a swipe at the out-of-town councillors who had rejected the earlier plans. “Councillors from market towns and villages should be listening to what residents want, and they want space for cycling.”

New Superhighway could be best yet

Transport for London has released its plans for the Oval–Belgravia bike route, Cycle Superhighway 5 – and it looks like they could be a step-change in conditions for London cyclists.

The new route would be segregated from motor traffic almost all the way, including the crossing of Vauxhall Bridge. At the same time, the notorious junction at Oval would be redesigned to provide segregated bike lanes and special bike-only traffic light phases.

The main route would be a two-way segregated track – in other words, northbound and southbound cyclists would use the same side of the road. Junctions would be redesigned along the route, and cars banned from making several turns. Even though TfL admits that “the completed scheme would mean longer journeys at busy times for most motorists and bus passengers in the Vauxhall area”, it believes it’s worth it for the “major improvements in safety and comfort for cyclists”.

If the plans are approved, construction will start in October this year. TfL is inviting comments on the designs at its dedicated consultation pages (CS5, Oval), especially on the choice of route north of Vauxhall Bridge, where three possibilities have been identified.

Cycle campaigners have generally welcomed the plans. Danny Williams, author of the Cyclists In The City blog, wrote:

“What TfL is – at last – proposing here is pretty magical. I have to say this is, in my view, best-in-class cycle infrastructure. This thing makes me grin like Christmas has come early.”

The plans will be on show at exhibitions locally throughout July.