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Councillor hits out at cycle lanes
A councillor claims a new Wigan cycleway is pedalling towards disaster.
Under the new Urban Clearway scheme for the busy A49, cyclists using the road between Landgate and Marus Bridge roundabouts will be routed on to the pavement, with a third of the width marked out for bikes.
Bryn Independent councillor Gary Wilkes is now battling to pull the plug on that part of the plan because he fears accidents involving cyclists and pedestrians.
He also branded cycle lane provision in the area a "waste of time and taxpayers money".
Coun Wilkes regularly cycles this route as part of his 14 mile journey to work at Wrightington Hospital.
But he won't be using the "dangerous" cycleway.
He said: "As a regular cyclist I have found that the cycle lane provision around this area already strikes me as just a token gesture and a waste of time and tax payers' money.
"This new one, though, is positively dangerous because all you need are two or three people walking together or perhaps a parent with a pram and there are going to be some horrendous collisions.
"It is certainly not ideal to have cyclists and pedestrians using the same surface because, some people won't be aware, cyclists are reaching average speeds of 20mph quite easily these days on modern machines.
"Almost everywhere else in the borough we are legislating to keep people from riding on the pavement and yet here we are telling them to do just that.
"It opens a real can of worms."
He is also accusing the Metro of employing "double standards" in the vicinity, because the road past neighbouring St Paul's CE Primary School has been refused permission as one of the new 20mph safety zones due to its locality as a feeder for the A49 and the Clearway zone, he claims.
Following complaints during the legal consultation period, the council are proposing that the clearway operates from Monday to Saturday between 6am to 10am and then 3pm to 7pm.
Coun Wilkes's father, Winstanley independent councillor Bill Wilkes, said that news of the clearway now shows "the real reason" why the council have routed cyclists on to Crestwood Avenue in an earlier controversial move.
He said: "The next thing, no doubt, is an application for the speed limit to be increased to 40mph on this section between the Marus Bridge roundabout and the A49 link at Goose Green.
"So much for the proposed 20mph at schools within the borough. You have to ask who the council are appeasing, council tax paying residents or companies who operate warehousing?"
Click next page for more ...A spokesman for Wigan's highways department said that the proposed clearway "has no bearing" on the cycleway.
He said: "It is being developed solely as a measure to reduce congestion on this stretch of highway by preventing parking.
"The A49 clearway has been advertised as a 24 hour clearway between the M6 Junction 25 roundabout, to the Marus Bridge roundabout at Poolstock Lane.
"It certainly does not impact on the stretch to the north of this fronting the school and the Pemberton Colliery development.
"Given the objections received during the statutory consultation period, a report is to be prepared recommending the proposals are amended.
"This alternative will have less of an impact as the length will be reduced from Marus Bridge roundabout to a point 170m south of the roundabout to exclude the residential frontages.
"The proposed order will also be scaled down from a 24 hour clearway to an urban clearway, effective only during peak traffic periods.
"There are no proposals to increase the speed limit from 30mph to 40mph.
"In fact, in 2001 we reduced the length of 40mph on the A49 due to road safety concerns.
"As the A49 runs through an urban area, the existing limit of 30mph is appropriate and will not change."
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Weather for Wigan
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
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