Uni staff and students bid for safer cycle route along busy Lancaster road

A group of students and staff from Lancaster University has launched a campaign bidding for a safer cycle route along the A6.

Earlier this year, the group started a petition urging Lancashire County Council to improve the cycling infrastructure on the A6 by adding secure, segregated cycling lanes.

They believe this would benefit both cyclists, who often feel unsafe on the A6, and drivers, who may be concerned about the unpredictable behaviour of some cyclists.

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The separate lanes would divide the traffic, reducing the risk of intersections and potential collisions.

An example of a road with segregated lanes, as featured in the campaign.placeholder image
An example of a road with segregated lanes, as featured in the campaign.

The petition, set up by PhD students Sophie Standen and Matt Hanley along with lecturer Ivan Svetunkov and marketing coordinator Aleksandra Dabrowska, asks for safe bike lanes between Lancaster University and the railway station.

They say: “Despite tens of thousands of Lancastrians living between the Lancaster University and the city centre, and approximately 13,000 students, there are currently no safe, segregated, and direct cycle routes from Lancaster University to the city centre.

"Many people in Lancaster, including children, students and university staff, need to travel safely between Lancaster University and the city centre.

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"Right now, there are no safe segregated bike lanes for this route. Instead, cyclists have to ride on the dangerous A6 road, where parked cars and high speed traffic pose a big risk.

The A6 leading to the city centre from Lancaster University, as pictured in the campaign.placeholder image
The A6 leading to the city centre from Lancaster University, as pictured in the campaign.

"Parking on both sides of the A6 forces cyclists into the middle of the road to overtake vehicles, which can be a dangerous manoeuvre. Over the years, this has caused deaths and serious injuries.

“Cycling should be a travel option open and accessible to all, and supports the climate emergency declaration by Lancashire County Council in 2019.

"To enhance safety and accessibility, and to promote sustainable travel, we petition the county council for dedicated bike lanes on the A6 to separate cyclists from other traffic.”

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The group wants to see changes to the A6 made to accommodate two 1.5m cycle lanes and two 3m vehicle lanes.

For this to happen, ‘A’ roads need to be 9 meters wide.

The campaigners say that according to the county council’s measurements, the road between South Road and Booths supermarket is wide enough, except for a short stretch near St Paul’s Parish Hall, meaning there is no fundamental obstacle for creating the segregated cycle lanes.

The group also suggests either bollards or a curb separating cyclists from the vehicles to prevent conflicts between different modes of transportation would help, along with continuous clear markings on the cycle lanes throughout the whole route to visually separate cyclists from the traffic.

The campaign has been given the backing of Lancaster University, City of Lancaster Triathlon, Lancaster Cycling Club, Salt Ayre Cogset, e-radicals, The Edge Cycleworks and Cycling UK’s Cycle Advocacy Network – Lancaster.

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The campaign team added: “While we cannot guarantee that the county council will make a decision, we can show them that there is a demand for a proper segregated lane.

“Showing that there are many people interested in the change will create an additional pressure on the county council.”

The petition is approaching its deadline and will close on November 22, but the group still needs 300 more signatures.

You can sign the petition by visiting the county council website at https://council.lancashire.gov.uk/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?id=317

To learn more about the project, go online at https://luclc.lp151.com/

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