CATH Prenton makes a lot of valid points about people cycling on pavements and the need to respect one another and share the city (The Argus, April 20).

The problem is the amount of space that is left after road traffic has been prioritised.

Until a better balance is found, people who want to walk and cycle are always going to be left squeezed into totally unsuitable spaces.

Beaconsfield Road is a classic example where three lanes of road traffic and a lane for parked cars, doesn’t leave space for a properly sized pavement, let alone any cycle facilities.

The pavement here is not big enough for the numbers of people walking on it who regularly have to stop or squeeze past each other.

However, her suggestion of teaching cyclists a lesson by blocking cycle lanes would barely be noticed.

There isn’t a cycle facility or route in the city that isn’t blocked on a daily basis.

Examples include:

  • Lewes Road: The urban clearway is often ignored blocking the cycle lane and rubbish bins regularly narrow or obstruct the lane too.
  •  Lewes Road, Preston Barracks: The cycle lane has been blocked for months, a pavement and traffic lane remain in place but no cycle provision
  • Lewes Road: North of Coldean Lane the shared space which was already too narrow was narrowed further by lamp columns being placed in it
  • The Level: Cycle lanes on the busy Lewes Road side often taken over by event vehicles (which could be placed elsewhere)
  • The Drive: The only cycle connection to the seafront was blocked northbound by a parked vehicle
  • Preston Road: Apart from having to dodge trees, posts and stray pedestrians this part of National Cycle Network route 20 (NCN20) is often blocked by parked vehicles. NCN20 goes along East Street which is blocked by tables and chairs at weekends, the main cycle connection to the seafront 
  • The seafront cycle lane is often walked all over by pedestrians, mostly because they are not paying attention, but some deliberately as I have experienced
  • Kensington Street has been blocked for months with no cycle diversion
  • Sydney Street and Gardner Street also completely blocked at weekends when people should be able to cycle through them l Gloucester Road shared space often blocked for cycles and many more.

Make no mistake, I have no problem with places like Sydney Street and Gardner Street becoming pedestrian places at the weekend, but then there needs to be clear alternatives put in place which are easy to follow.

It’s also why the changes with Valley Gardens Phase 3 are so important.

For the first time they would provide a permanent cycle link to the seafront that would not be blocked off every weekend as currently happens.

It would also lead to a 30 per cent increase in space on the promenade for people walking and cycling, something that needs to happen all the way along to West Street.

If anyone is interested in these or other transport issues, then I would recommend getting along to the transport hustings we are helping to organise this Thursday, 7pm at the Brighthelm Centre in North Road.

There is much to discuss.

Chris Todd Brighton and Hove Friends of the Earth Hollingdean Terrace Brighton