Last stretch of the Cross City cycle route opens after being delayed for a year
THE lights are finally green along the whole length of Newport Road’s cycle lane after a year of delays.
The last stretch of the Cross City cycle route, running from Dumfries Place to the junction with Broadway, opened after it was delayed by safety concerns and problems obtaining construction materials.
The city-wide cycle route, which runs from Broadway to Canton, was supposed to have been completed by Christmas 2020 but the first sections did not open until March 2021.
The Dumfries Place to Broadway section is separated from the main traffic with the same bollards that can be seen across the route.
There are bicycle traffic lights and a blue painted lane at the crossroads with the main road through Adamsdown, where the route changes to the other side of the road.
Though most cyclists are glad to see more cycle lanes, opinions are varied.
Cyclist Ceri Davies, 46, said: “All such infrastructure is to be welcomed and I understand why they follow the main car arteries but I will likely try and avoid such main road routes with the fumes and pollution about.”
On the other hand, Lloyd Bingham, 32, said: “It’s great for my commute from Canton to Splott. Previously, it finished at the junction with Queen Street and there wasn’t a safe way to continue the journey east. This has now provided the missing link.
“It’s still unfortunate that the lane runs in front of bus stops. I’d like to understand the thinking behind this.”
At bus stops, there are zebra crossings across the bike lane which connect the bus shelters on the pavement with where the buses stop on the road.
Cyclists need to be aware that some people may step out into the lane to hail buses.
Other cyclists raised worries about how the route ends suddenly by the junction with Broadway, with the cycle lane reverting to being a bus lane.
Will Henson, 30, has been cycling around Cardiff for six years.
“I’ve ridden along it and it works well. The way it currently ends suddenly and spits you out into a bus lane without warning further down Newport Road could feel dangerous for less confident people on bikes though,” he said.
The council is looking at developing more cycle lanes, including one to Roath Park and a permanent segregated one along the Newport Road corridor extending all the way to Newport itself.
Some cyclists find that motorists can still be a danger despite the bike lanes.
Mr Bingham said: “There doesn’t seem to have been any awareness campaign for drivers, so it’s a bit unfair on them in that respect. Often they ignore – whether through ignorance or intention – the give way markings and I’ve had a few near misses.”
Recent changes to The Highway Code have clarified motorists’ responsibility to not endanger people on bikes. Dangerous manoeuvres such as the left hook, where a driver makes a left turn into the path of a cyclist, have now been explicitly banned. Drivers must also leave 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists (even more if travelling over 30mph) and should check for cyclists before opening car doors.
Mr Henson said that he felt car drivers in Cardiff had become more considerate to cyclists, but he added: “The single thing that would have the greatest impact, other than many more cycle lanes which will take time, would be to enforce 20mph speed limits where they exist. That’s down to the police, though.”
