“WOULD-BE cyclists” are being urged to use new pop-up bike lanes if they do not want to see them removed.

In recent months government-funded cycleways have been setup in Chichester, Crawley, East Grinstead, Horsham, Shoreham and Worthing.

The lanes, intended to encourage people to opt for more active modes of transport, have delighted cyclists.

But motorists have argued that they are the cause of congestion in some areas, taking a lane of the road which was originally allocated to traffic.

West Sussex County Council says there are to be no more pop-up cycle lanes, and encouraged “would-be cyclists” to try them out for themselves.

A spokesman for the authority said: “An important part of assessing the cycleways will be to monitor usage: these are trial schemes, so if people want them to stay, please use them.”

The cycleways will remain open as the council collects feedback such as cyclist numbers, traffic congestion, related crashes and changes in the air quality of the areas around the lanes.

READ MORE>>>Trial cycle lane launches in Worthing

This will be collated throughout this month and into November, and once the information has been analysed a decision will be made on whether or not the bike lanes should remain open for longer.

The data will also decide if any changes should be made to the cycleways to allow them to operate more efficiently, or if they should be removed altogether.

A council spokesman said: “The pop-up cycleways for West Sussex aim to create safe space for active travel and encourage people to cycle rather than use the car. They are an emergency response to increase travel options as part of the government-led recovery plan from COVID-19.

“The introduction of social distancing has reduced public transport capacity and people from different households are discouraged from car sharing.

“As an emergency response, the government required the trial schemes to be planned and installed within three months.

The Argus:

“Given the timeframe, we consulted key partners including district and borough councils, emergency services and bus operators.

“Normally schemes of this nature would take years to develop and be subject to various stages of public consultation that might last two or more months and involve exhibitions, etc.

“This was not possible given the timescale limitations required.

“The cycleway routes are the result of collaborative work with the district and borough councils.”