Colchester Station Way cycle lane 'a death trap' for cyclists

The North Station contraflow cycle lane, which was first built in 2020, has been made permanent as Essex County Council continue their plans to introduce safer and more environmentally friendly ways for people to make their way across the city.

Essex County Council has spent £160,000 alone on the scheme, which has been criticised on numerous occasions by High Steward for Colchester, Sir Bob Russell.

Now, the former MP has taken aim at the lack of safety considerations that have been made for bus drivers and cyclists alike.

Dangerous – cyclists could collide head-on with buses entering the bus stop, Sir Bob has argued (Image: Sir Bob Russell)

One such route could, Sir Bob argues, result in cyclists careering head-on with vehicles at the bus stop near Essex Hall roundabout.

He said: “Highways engineers should be designing road safety dangers out of schemes, not putting people at risk which is what has happened here in Station Way to the south of the railway bridge at North Station.

“The whole set up is appalling.

“The death trap is not the only thing I shall be telling the Transport Minister about.

“The nearby pavement has been marked as a two-way cycle path, also used by pedestrians, but this does not comply with the dual-use width requirements of the Department for Transport.”

Colchester Cycling Campaign, which supports the construction of cycle lanes across the city, agreed the new set-up is sub-standard.

Concerned – Sir Bob Russell has been a long-standing critic of cycle lanes in Colchester (Image: Newsquest)

Will Bramhill, speaking for the campaign group, said: “For once, Sir Bob Russell is right: the segue between the bus lay-by and the cycleway is not ideal.

“That said, Essex is awaiting further funds to complete the project and we hope to see a solution soon.

“At least we now have a short section of cycleway that is top class.

“The bus stop connection is not ideal but Rome wasn’t built in a day; I do hope Sir Bob has had a lightbulb moment and will now get behind our aspirations which will improve the mobility of everyone who doesn’t have a car or who chooses not to drive.”

A spokesman for Essex County Council said: “The two-way segregated cycle facility is part of our aim to make the transport network safer, greener and healthier, with around 40 per cent of all journeys under 5km in Colchester currently taking place in cars.

“The cycle facility will address the pinch-point under the Station Way bridge and improve overall north-south Active Travel infrastructure, while boosting green transport.

“These measures will help support a safer cycling network at this location, while the local bus network and city centre will benefit from wider improvements to bus infrastructure across Colchester through the Rapid Transit Scheme (RTS).”