ALMOST half of Argus readers want the immediate removal of temporary cycleways set up in Sussex during lockdown.

It comes after West Sussex County Council urged “would-be cyclists” to use its new government-funded bike lanes, saying their popularity will be key to deciding their future.

The temporary cycle lanes have been set up in areas across Sussex including Chichester, Crawley, East Grinstead, Horsham, Shoreham, Worthing and along Brighton and Hove seafront.

The lanes aim to provide a “safe space for active travel and encourage people to cycle rather than use the car” as part of the government-led recovery plan from Covid-19, providing an alternative to potentially infection-spreading activities such as taking public transport or car-sharing.

“As an emergency response, the government required the trial schemes to be planned and installed within three months,” a West Sussex County Council spokesman said.

“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 Argus:

The schemes have delighted many cyclists, giving riders more space and safety on key roads across the county.

However, there has also been a considerable backlash with drivers arguing the lanes are the cause of congestion in some areas, taking up a lane of the road that was originally allocated to traffic.

The Argus ran a poll to gauge public opinion on the cycle lanes, but the results were split.

Of four possible answers to the question “do you think the new pop-up cycle lanes in Sussex have been a positive move for the county?” 49 per cent of the 1,417 respondents chose “no, they should be removed immediately”.

The Argus:

A further seven per cent said the cycle lanes had not been a benefit to residents, with “big changes needed to make them a success”.

However, 29 per cent of people said they thought the cycle lanes had been a “great idea” while the remaining 15 per cent of respondents believed they had been a positive move for Sussex, but “need to be adapted in order to work more efficiently”.

West Sussex County Council said this week the cycleways will remain open as data is collected on cyclist numbers, traffic congestion, related crashes and changes in the air quality of the areas around the lanes.

This feedback will be used to decide their future.