A campaign has been launched for a new cycle lane on one of the most dangerous roads in Lancaster.
Students and staff at Lancaster University have launched a petition for a segregated cycle lane on the A6 road between Lancaster railway station and the university.
They say "the A6 is a dangerous road for cyclists, we need a segregated cycle lane".
Within a few days of the launch, the petition had 336 signatures on the Lancashire County Council ePetitions website.
Students Sophie Standen and Matt Hanley, and lecturer Ivan Svetunkov are the group behind the initiative.
Campaigners are calling for 1.5m-wide cycle lanes along the A6, stretching from Lancaster University campus to Lancaster Railway Station, either bollards, or a kerb separating cyclists from the vehicles to prevent conflicts between different modes of transportation, and consistent continuous clear markings on the cycle lanes throughout the whole route to visually separate cyclists from the traffic.
The route was identified by the Road Safety Foundation as one of England's 50 roads with the highest risk of fatal and serious collisions.
A Lancaster University Cycle Lane Campaign spokesperson said: "In a small city like Lancaster, cycling should be a top priority for transportation. Lancashire City Council's declaration of a climate emergency in 2019 and 2020 commits to reducing carbon emissions, and promoting cycling can significantly contribute to this goal.
"With around 13,000 students commuting between Lancaster campus and town regularly, along with many other road users, the A6 road is heavily trafficked, dirty, and unsafe for cyclists. Implementing safe, segregated cycle lanes along its busiest section is crucial for creating a healthy, safe, and accessible A6 road.
"We should be able to cycle along the A6 road safely, without putting our lives or the lives of other road users at risk.
Campaigners say that problems include that parking bays force cyclists out of their normal path, placing them in the line of faster-moving vehicles, passengers opening car doors unexpectedly have caused numerous injuries to cyclists, parked cars obstruct visibility at junctions, making it challenging for drivers to spot approaching cyclists, speeding vehicles along the A6 pose a significant risk to cyclists, vehicles overtaking cyclists creates feelings of insecurity and unease and the lack of clear and continuous cycle lanes leads to confusion and potential hazards for cyclists.
They propose creating a dedicated lane for cyclists directly from Lancaster University to the train station, offering students a quick and safe route to town, and connecting the train station in the city centre to the university.
Here is a proposed map of the route.
"To accommodate two 1.5m cycle lanes and two 3m vehicle lanes, ‘A’ roads need to be 9m wide," said the spokesperson.
"According to the County's measurements, the road between South Road and Booths supermarket is wide enough, except for a short stretch near St Paul’s Parish Hall. So, there is no fundamental obstacle for creating the segregated cycle lanes."
The campaigners need to collect at least 1350 signatures for this to be considered by Lancashire County Council, who are in charge of the roads network in Lancashire.
More info and the petition can be found here.
We have approached Lancashire County Council for comment.
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