Putting cyclists first is not a better transport plan - Vale douzaine
Cyclists are getting road improvements at the expense of motorists, the Vale Douzaine has said in its response to the States’ Better Transport Plan for the north of the island.
In its formal response to Traffic & Highway Services' consultation on the plan, the douzaine raised a number of concerns after the proposals were discussed by members earlier this week.
‘Too much emphasis has been placed on making improvements for cyclists to the detriment of those who for many reasons rely on a car to get about,’ it said.
‘A number of these route changes are being forced on to parishioners due to the over-development of the north of the island, which then forces them to all travel southwards for employment.’
The plan was released by the States in May to try to mitigate the effect of new housing developments in the north of the island, which could lead to the construction of 1,000 new homes.
The parish has also told the committee that plans for Ruette des Habitants – streets with motor access to properties only – did not ‘sit well’ with douzeniers because these were public thoroughfares and should not be denied to people who did not live there.
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‘The douzaine appreciates that people are entitled to peace and quiet, but not at the expense of those who live on other streets,’ it said.
‘Creating these Ruette des Habitants is artificially increasing the value of those properties and decreasing the value of those on more major routes. How can this be fair and equitable to all?’
It added that the need for these changes could well be levelled at poor planning in the past, with no overall view taken of the infrastructure needed to sustain such development.
One man, an advocate for active travel, who wanted to remain anonymous, said it was incorrect to suggest that the plan favoured cyclists over motorists.
‘We are now at a crisis point where our road network creates systematic problems for our economy and renders many housing sites unviable,’ he said.
‘The actual dedicated new cycle infrastructure included in the plan is extremely limited and sporadic, failing to create a coherent network. More safe walking and cycling infrastructure would alleviate the current pressure on roads and create a “quieter” parish.
‘For too long, Guernsey has neglected the role of active travel from housing, congestion, and public health perspectives.’
