Station Road is the only direct way from the river path to the town centre, and it is where most of our members say they feel least safe. We are asking the council for a lane separated from traffic.
Why Station Road
Station Road is the only direct way from the river path to the town centre and the station. The alternatives add a long detour or send riders through the one-way system by the market, so almost everyone who commutes by bike from the east side of town uses it at some point. It is also where members most often describe close passes, lorries turning across the painted lane and cars parked in it, in threads on the forum and in conversation at Fix-up night.
The painted lane that is there now stops and starts. It disappears at the bus stops and at the junction by the market, which is exactly where riders need space the most. A lane that runs out where the traffic gets heavier does not protect anyone. For many members it is also the way to Fix-up night, to the station clock where Saturday rides start and to the river path loop.
What we are asking for
A kerb-separated lane in both directions between the river path and the station, with a protected crossing at the junction by the market. Separation matters more than width: a kerb or a line of solid islands keeps vehicles out of the lane, where a painted line only asks them to stay out.
We are also asking for the lane to continue past the bus stops, with a floating stop or a clear priority marking, so riders are not pushed into the traffic lane every few hundred metres. And we are asking the council to count bikes on the road before and after, so the decision can be judged on what happens, not on what people expect to happen.
We are not asking for the road to close to traffic, or for every parking space to go. We are asking for one safe, direct route into town that people of any age can use.
What a protected lane is, and what it is not
A protected lane is a lane for cycling that traffic cannot drift into. On Station Road that means a raised kerb or a line of solid islands between the lane and the traffic, a lane that keeps its width past the side roads, and priority for people on bikes across the junctions along the way. It does not mean a line of paint, a shared pavement or a lane that ends at the first bus stop. Those are what the road has now, and they are why so many members avoid it.
A good lane is not only for the people who ride Station Road today. It is for the parent who would let a teenager cycle to school on it, the commuter who drives the short trip because the road feels hostile, and the rider heading home from Fix-up night on a dark Thursday.
The questions we hear most
What about deliveries and parking? Loading can use bays set into the kerb line, with fixed hours, so vans stop clear of both the lane and the traffic. We are asking the council to talk to the businesses on the road before any design is fixed.
Will buses be slowed down? Floating bus stops let the lane pass behind the stop, so a bus pulls in without crossing a cyclist and a rider passes without overtaking a bus.
Is this only for confident riders? The opposite. Confident riders already use Station Road; a protected lane is for everyone who does not.
What the council has said
The council has opened a consultation on the town centre transport plan, and Station Road is part of it. The consultation asks for comments on the route and for evidence of problems on it. That is the opening we are using: a short, specific response from the club, backed by members’ own experience of the road.
How you can help
- Add your name in the pinned Advocacy thread, Protected lane on Station Road: add your name before Friday. The more members sign, the harder the letter is to treat as one person’s complaint. It takes a minute, and you can add a line about your own journey if you want to.
- Tell us where on Station Road you have had a close pass or been blocked, and roughly when. We are marking every report on a map that goes with the letter, so be as precise as you can about the place.
- If you have a photo of a vehicle parked in the lane or a gap in the markings, post it in the same thread with the date and the location.
- Come to the public meeting and say, in your own words, why the lane matters to you. Two minutes of a real story is worth more than any number of form letters.
What happens after Friday
When the signatures close on Friday, we send the letter and the map of reports to the consultation and post a copy in the thread. When the council replies, the reply goes in the same thread, whatever it says. If a public meeting is called, we will add it to the club’s events and ride there together.
How we keep it useful
Keep it polite and keep it specific. Council officers read a lot of angry messages; the ones that change plans describe a place, a time and a problem that can be fixed. Avoid guesses and avoid numbers you cannot back up. Thank the officers who reply, even when the answer is no. If you are not sure whether something belongs in the response, ask in the thread first. That approach is how the last crossing on the river path got built, and it is how this one will.