A 'first-of-its-kind' roundabout for cyclists has opened in Salford. It has been built as part of Salford City Council’s biggest ever road improvement scheme that has seen huge changes made to Trafford Road.
Every junction along both sides of the mile-long road has been upgraded and a mile of segregated cycle track has also been introduced as part of a package of measures to encourage more cycling along with new crossings and signals.
The new roundabout sits at the junction of existing segregated cycle lanes in Trafford Road, Broadway and Rowland Street. The council say it has been developed after "extensive consultation with members of the public, cyclists and groups representing people with a wide range of disabilities and visual impairment" in order to "provide the safest crossing solution".
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However cyclist Hamish Gray, who runs the campaigning group Walk Ride Central Salford, is not convinced. He tweeted: " First, the pedestrian experience here is hugely compromised. You have to cross into a ring of fire to exit. Every desire line is away from the path you are supposed to take.
"Similarly, the cycle desire line is also the opposite to what's designed. You want to either cut across the opposite lane or go across the middle. These both leave peds and cycles in conflict.
"For these reasons, there is actually more conflict here than if the design was left to the users via shared space. An ideological desire to keep peds and cycles separate has blinkered the designers common sense.
"The reason given for a roundabout is capacity, yet because of the kerbs, radius and general lack of space - the capacity here is actually lower than if it was shared space or a cross roads. I don't design cycle lanes, but I use them every day, as a pedestrian, as a road cyclist and as a cargo bike rider The user is always right."
Salford Council's lead member for planning and sustainable development, Coun Mike McCusker claimed that the roundabout is 'possibly the first of its kind' in England. He added that although the roundabout has 'created debate', there has been 'positive feedback' as well.
“This is possibly the first roundabout of its kind in the country, so it is certainly creating some debate and we have had a lot of positive feedback," he said.
“The roundabout allows pedestrians to cross the junction safely in two short moves so they only have to be aware of one lane of cycle traffic at a time. It provides a quicker crossing for them and is safer than trying to cross a wider junction with traffic from both directions.
"It has been designed to accommodate people on foot or in wheelchairs or pushing buggies. Cyclists circulate round it like a ‘normal’ road roundabout so they, too, can get round this junction safely without putting pedestrians in danger.”
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