Should cycle lanes be removed in Brighton and Hove?

Government-funded lanes were installed on the A259 and Old Shoreham Road in a bid to encourage socially distanced travel throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

Supporters have praised the lanes, believing they are a step towards a more environmentally-friendly, healthy, alternative mode of city-wide transport.

But opponents say they are little-used, causing congestion and introduced with no consultation with residents.

This week, West Sussex County Council announced that lanes would be removed following complaints over congestion and low use.

READ MORE: 'Halt the expansion of Brighton and Hove cycle lanes'

Peter Harland, who is vehemently against the schemes,  said: "It is great to see that common sense is now prevailing in neighbouring towns and cities, but will Brighton and Hove follow suit?

"What is really annoying is that from day one the negative impact has been obvious, but they have still maintained their bloody minded approach and refused to listen to us council tax payers and businesses. All the daily evidence that is in front of all of our faces."

The A259 lane was installed earlier this year

Earlier this year, we reported on the anger of disabled groups who said they were not consulted on the cycle lanes– despite a bid made to government claiming they were.

The controversial lanes on the Old Shoreham Road and A259 seafront Road were funded using £663,000 in government cash.

In a bid to get that central funding, Brighton and Hove City Council told the Government in June that it had consulted on the plans disabled people “as appropriate”.

But The Argus revealed that disabled groups were not consulted until July 14 – when they were sent an email from council officers.

Mr Harland added: "We believe our the Labour/Green alliance weren't truthful in the bid for the money that they have used to cause this chaos.  It was an excellent opportunity for them to use this as a Trojan Horse and put in place what they have wanted to do for years and they didn't waste time implementing the changes.

Part of the seafront lane was removed amid concerns about traffic

"The councils own online consultation regarding the OSR cycle lanes showed that in excess of 65 per cent of people wanted them removed, but once again they ignore the majority.

"It is well past time.  Remove them all now and stop causing this division. "

Despite the backlash against the lanes, the new measures have been widely-praised by the people using them to navigate the city.

Cycling campaigners, such as Chris Williams from Bricycles, have criticised the decision to remove lanes across the county and have urged Brighton and Hove City Council not to follow suit.

Mr Williams said: "We’re really disappointed by the decision to remove cycle lanes. We’re locked in a vicious circle where the majority of roads are unsafe for cycling and many are unsafe for walking.

"A few isolated cycle lanes will not get large numbers of people cycling. How do you get to the cycle lane safely, if the roads leading to it are full of fast-moving traffic? Instead of using low cycling numbers as a reason to remove cycle lanes, we should be looking at how to increase their use."

Mr Williams reminded Brighton and Hove City Council of its commitment to "do everything it can" to get the city to zero emissions by 2030.

Cycling campaigners say the schemes have been a success 

He said: "There has been much talk of cycle lanes increasing congestion and emissions. Congestion and emissions are dangerously high across the UK because of excessive vehicle use, and have been for a long time.

"As a society, we need to take responsibility, and redesign our roads so people have other options than driving, and so those who have no option but to drive can do so more easily. We need to redesign our towns so people have jobs, shops and facilities on their doorsteps, not on an industrial estate off a motorway.

READ MORE: Environment chief on Brighton and Hove's new cycle lanes

"Forty percent of households in Brighton don’t have access to a car, and at the moment, these people have great difficulties in getting around.

"By removing safe space for cycling and halting its expansion, we’re not only ignoring government guidance on a huge public health and environmental problem, but are returning to the status quo.

"We need to be clear about what the status quo is. It’s not just high car dependency, but ever increasing car dependency, congestion, pollution, road danger, CO2 and inactivity-related diseases, as we’ve seen over the last 70 years."