Our response to the A45 Cycle Lane Phase 2 consultation

Filed under: Consultation

We have submitted this response to a Birmingham City Council consultation that closed on Friday 13 June.

We are pleased that this scheme has been brought forward to create the possibility of wheeling and cycling more safely along this urban motorway.

However, given that this is likely one of the last chances to improve this corridor for some time and that delivery of modal improvements has been siloed, we suggest that this design could be significantly improved and have made suggestions to this effect.

Overview

We would first like to state that we are still disappointed at the lack of joined-up thinking exhibited by Phase 1 of the Sprint scheme, which saw the road widened for sprint bus lanes but no cycle lanes. In our view, this resulted in phase one of the A45 cycle lane having a sub-optimal route, duplicative disruption for construction, and cycling infrastructure needing to be retrofitted around now existing bus infrastructure. This is a clear example of why a corridor multi-modal study is a better way forward when planning schemes.

While this will provide useful for local trips, the lack of a continuous route from Bolton Road to Bradford Street means it will not attract many city centre trips.

This becomes even more critical when you see the lack of any remedial action to fix any of the issues with the existing cycle lanes in the city. It’s apparent that whatever is delivered by this scheme will be what we’re stuck with for possibly decades.

General comments on the design

It is disappointing to see the A45, effectively an urban motorway, avoid transformational road space reallocation. Changing between sections with two lanes and three lanes for general traffic does not appear to benefit capacity, yet has a detrimental impact on the pedestrian experience. Within the context of the A45 corridor we cannot accept rebuttals that there is a lack of space for proper separation of modes.

A reluctance to address turnings across the central reservation in this particular scheme perpetuates multi-stage, complex pedestrian and cycle crossings. We would like to see more interrogation of these types of junctions as we believe that reducing these junctions could lead to an overall increase in capacity and flow, while also creating safer junctions given prolific illegal u-turning through junctions on this section of the A45.

Given these projects are the only realistic source of investment along corridors, we would like to see more attention given to squaring the radii of side road junctions and greater priority given to people walking and cycling. There also appears to be room for further bus priority improvements which have so far been missed.

There appears to be a persuasive argument that the cycle lane should be either on the northern side of the A45 section, or bidirectional on either side, given the number of back and forth crossings required to use the route.

Comprehensive signing of the route will be incredibly important to help cyclists navigate being largely on one side of this incredibly wide and busy road. Signage needs to include destinations and travel time in minutes at all decision points.

Oldknow Road

Oldknow Road is not a particularly wide road, made even narrower by residents parking on either side of it, often with double parking. There are also two schools on the road, and we know that schools still attract a lot of parents driving their children to school, so this road will be busy at a time when it should be used the most.

We want to see this section of the route revisited, once count data is collected to inform the appropriate level of separation from motor traffic. Sharing this road with cars will put off new riders and those lacking confidence. We accept that using this road is a natural consequence of the current, poor, route, but this underlines the long-term consequences of design decisions.

While resident parking controls appear to be out of scope for this project despite it being a useful intervention when building new infrastructure, it is difficult to see how any option could be progressed without one.

Oldknow Road junction with Coventry Road

The continuous footway across Oldknow Road is welcome, but we feel this should be accompanied by squaring off the junction to force drivers to take the corner at a safer speed. The pavement is being widened just prior to that point, so it wouldn’t be much more work to change.

We would prefer the protected cycle lane to begin at the interface between the road and pavement, especially if the junction is squared off, as it would remove the need for a shared use section, removing a potential point of conflict between cyclists and pedestrians.

Coventry Road

Several side-streets along the route are filtered. We would like to see a modal filter installed on Talbot Way so that access is only through Small Heath Highway. This would remove congestion created from shortcuts and make the cycle and pedestrian crossing significantly safer.

We would like to see the radii of the junction with Heybarnes Road reduced.

Heybarnes Circus to Shipway Road

We would like to see the central reservation access re-examined with a view to closing the central reservation and directing traffic through the nearest roundabouts instead.

This would remove the need for a red phase for outbound traffic to turn right into Kings Road and there would only be a single red phase required instead of requiring separate phases to allow traffic out of Shipway Road and Kings Road. It could also improve the traffic flow given there would be a defined circulation.

Shipway Road to Deakins Road

Drivers repeatedly perform illegal u-turns at this junction, seriously endangering pedestrians and this is the crossing that Azaan Khan was killed at. Making it difficult – through tweaking the kerbline – or impossible – through closing the central reservation – could make this junction safe.

We would like to see a modal filter fitted to the junction with Redhill Road, which would make it significantly safer for pedestrians and cyclists to cross.

Brickfield Road

We would like to see give way markings to make clear that vehicles turning into Brickfield Road can clearly see they have to give way to cyclists and pedestrians. We would also like to see the junction radii tightened further so that vehicles are slowed right down. This is another side road that could possibly be filtered at one of its junctions to remove through traffic.

Junction with Forest Road and Holder Road

Although it is welcome that Birmingham City Council are dipping their toes into CYCLOPS junctions, we would ask again why the central reservation cannot be closed.

We are aware that Councillor Iqbal is interested in removing through traffic from Holder Road with a modal filter, which would significantly reduce the amount of drivers wanting to use this junction, which could free up road space for increased cycling provision on either side of the carriageway.

With Forest Road, there are various options for it to stop it being used as a rat run to avoid Swan Island, which should be considered as part of a Neighbourhood Major Scheme. Is it in the spirit of the Birmingham Transport Plan that through-traffic is directed through residential streets? There are several opportunities to filter this traffic which would contribute to pedestrian and cyclist safety as well as enabling a closure of the central reservation.

Changing from bidirectional to two unidirectional lanes

We do not understand why the cycle lane changes from a bidirectional lane to two unidirectional lanes after Forest Road.

Given the width of the carriageways, excess lanes on slip roads which could be reduced, and complex grading of this section of the Coventry Road, there’s a very good argument that there should be bidirectional lanes on both sides of the road which is a common feature in other cities such as Copenhagen.

Conclusion

We have set out a number of issues with the scheme that is being consulted on, however do believe that the scheme should progress with revisions to enable safer walking, wheeling and cycling trips in this part of East Birmingham.