By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
Cheltenham residents fear a new cycle path poses a road hazard and are calling for the entrance to their drives to be widened.
The Evesham Road section of the 26-mile cycle spine Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) is building to link Bishop’s Cleeve to Stroud via the spa town and Gloucester has sparked road safety concerns.
Residents say the road access to their homes at Goldington House, in Pittville, is too narrow and when vehicles exit the site and turn left, they are forced into the opposite lane by the tight angle.
They are calling on the County Highways to widen the entrance, lower the kerb height and make it more visible to road users.
Alice Reeve fears it is only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt or worse.
She and her neighbour Carol Tallis are among those calling on the council to address these concerns.
“It’s a safety issue,” she said.
“It’s got to be addressed. We need to get the access wider. It somehow needs markings so that people can see it in the dark.
“I don’t know if there is any way of slowing down the traffic. But the kerbs are too high.”
Carol Tallis is also concerned that the access is not wide enough. She also said that despite the construction of the new cycle lane she sees many cyclists using the road.
Borough Councillor Julian Tooke (LD, Pittville) says many residents have written to him with concerns about the new cycle lane.
“Lots of residents have written to me to tell me that turnings on and off Evesham Road are dangerously sharp since the installation of the cycle lane,” he said.
“The entrance from Goldington House is the worst example. GCC should listen to residents rather than keep saying that they’re wrong or that they can’t drive properly.”
A spokesperson for Gloucestershire County Council said they have met with residents at the site and say the segregated cycleway has been built in line with national highway design standards.
“The new cycle route is part of the 26-mile walking and cycling route we’re building across the county, which is a fantastic resource for residents and the community and will encourage active travel and reduce carbon emissions,” a spokesperson said.
“We along with the contractor have met with residents at this site several times and appreciate their concerns raised.
“This segregated cycleway has been built in line with national highway design standards, designed to slow vehicles to make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists and reflect the priorities at junctions as highlighted in the highway code.
“We are confident that there is ample visibility from the driveway when exiting or entering to see pedestrians and oncoming cyclists, but of course all drivers are still expected to be suitably careful of all road users when accessing their property.
“The design has been independently reviewed by a road safety team, including the police, twice prior to the build.
“A third is scheduled to take place in January when the completed build will be reviewed and any concerns will be identified, and there will be a final audit 12 months after completion to look at any reported incidents and monitor how well it is working.”