South Shields woman slams ‘ridiculous’ and 'unsafe' Coast Road cycleway

An 80-year-old South Shields woman has hit out at the “ridiculous” layout of the new cycleway that runs along the borough’s Coast Road, next to The Leas.

The £2million scheme, which has been mostly funded by the Active Travel Fund, has made improvements to the existing cycleway by widening both the footpath and cycleway to make it safer for those who use it.

However, the improvements mean that the cycle and pedestrian lanes have been switched - meaning pedestrians have now been placed next to the road.

Linda Sharpe, who regularly walks her dog along the route, has called on South Tyneside Council to explain why pedestrians have been placed in a lane between the road and cyclists.

She said: “I’m 80-years-old and my mobility isn’t wonderful but I do walk along there with my dog quite a lot and a couple of times, I’ve nearly tripped over the raised ridge which separates the cycleway from the pedestrian path so that is a concern.

“The main concern is the fact that the cyclists are now on the safer side of path rather than pedestrians - I don’t know why they’ve given priority to the cyclists.

“In the past, cyclists have always cycled on the road with the traffic and now, they are being protected to a ridiculous extent.

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“I’ve seen people walking in the cycle lane and to be honest, that is where I feel safest rather than next to the road.

“I have a high regard for South Tyneside Council and when I’ve had problems in the past, Cllr Tracey Dixon has been enormously helpful to both myself and my neighbours.

“But there’s a lot of people who walk with dogs and children along there, it could be potentially very dangerous if they are next to the road - the layout of this path isn’t good.”

South Tyneside Council has explained to the Gazette that cyclists have been moved next to The Leas to make the route safer for them for the following issues:

• There were problems with parked cars opening on to passing cyclists - with pedestrians travelling at a slower speed, moving cyclists away from parked vehicles reduces the risk of collisions.
• Cyclists would have to pass through the area in which pedestrians would wait to cross the road, meaning there was an increase in the risk of a collision between cyclists and pedestrians.
• Pedestrians using bus stops/shelters had to cross the cycle lane to get from the shelter to the kerb. By moving cyclists to the rear of the path, it allows for the relocation of bus stops to be closer to the road and reduced the risk of conflict with cyclists when boarding or alighting a bus.

Read more: South Shields residents hit out at the installation of street lights along The Leas

South Tyneside Council has stated that work is ongoing to ensure that the route is made safer for all that use it, including pedestrians.

A spokesperson for South Tyneside Council said: “Work is currently underway to improve the walking and cycling routes along the Coast Road. 

“This route forms part of the National Cycle Network and was designed under previous design guidance which is now outdated. The cycleway is being brought up to standard.

“The improvements involve widening the pedestrian footpath and cycleway, with cyclists moved further away from the road.

“A buffer strip is also being created between traffic and pedestrians to make the route safer for all.

“The entrance to Marsden Grotto car park has also been simplified to improve safety and give pedestrians and cyclists priority when crossing.

“The design complies with national guidance and was reviewed by Active Travel England. Road safety audits have also been undertaken an independent audit team.

“The scheme is due for completion later this year. Further information is available at www.southtyneside.gov.uk/cyclewayscheme.”