- The cycle track in Grouville will be extended along the edge of the Royal Jersey golf course
- Project to be carried out by TTS and estimated to cost £190,000
- Do you use the existing cycle track? Take our poll below
PLANS to extend the Eastern Cycle Track along the edge of the Royal Jersey golf course to the Pembroke pub have been unveiled.
More than 70 parents and residents attended a meeting at Grouville School on Friday to meet engineers from Transport and Technical Services, who have drawn up proposals for the £190,000 project.
The current track runs along the edge of Grouville Common and marsh from Gorey Village to the parish’s new 20 mph zone by Café Poste.
The Constable of Grouville, John Le Maistre, said that following discussions with the Chef Tenants of Grouville Common, the Environment Department and the golf club, it was now proposed to extend the track.
Under the plans, the track will go up a private road at the side of Costcutter, behind the houses around Café Poste and public car park and along the edge of the golf course to the Pembroke.
It will be shared by cyclists and pedestrians to avoid the busy junction with Rue à Don and Ville ès Renauds.
TTS plan to undertake the work in the autumn and it will be paid for using part of the £500,000 transferred in 2010 from the public car park fund for a cycle track from Gorey to town.
The first phase of the track cost £250,000, but £80,000 of that was spent on drainage and associated roadworks which came from TTS’s highways budget, leaving £140,000 for the remainder of the network.
The plans will be on display at Grouville Parish Hall all this week and the public are invited to comment..
A TRAUMA specialist who has treated horrific injuries suffered by cyclists in road accidents called for more cycle paths to be created across the Island last year.
Dr Simon Chapman, the clinical director of emergency medicine at the Hospital, said in December that cyclists were the most vulnerable of all road users and suffered the worst injuries out of all accident victims.
He said that there should be more dedicated cycle paths in the Island to reduce the risk of those on two wheels being hit by cars.
Dr Chapman said: ‘There are very few dedicated cycle lanes. We could do far better in an Island this small if there were more dedicated cycle paths.
‘A significant number of roads in Jersey are narrow and as a cyclist you run the risk of hitting either a granite wall or a car in a collision. If they are lucky they are wearing a polystyrene and foam helmet which is relatively limited in what it protects.
‘Of course, cyclists are also going too fast sometimes.
‘But the problem is that cyclists can be as careful as they possibly can, but if a car driver is not paying attention for a second and they make a silly mistake, the cyclist could get seriously hurt. Someone on a bike is significantly less resilient than someone in a car.’
He added: ‘It is very tough on families when they die, particularly when cyclists tend to be in the younger age range and tend to usually be very fit and have young families.’
Figures released during Road Safety Week showed that the number of accidents involving serious injury had increased in the past three years – from 48 in 2011 and 55 in 2012, to 60 last year.
More than half (33) involved cyclists or motorcyclists in 2013.
We asked you on Facebook – does Jersey need more cycle paths?
‘All very well and good to have more, but the cyclists need to use them. The one from Gorey to Grouville isn’t used at all by cyclists and was a waste of money.’
Matt Le Maistre
‘There are cycle paths around but they are rarely used. Instead cyclists ride racing bikes two or three abreast on the main roads.’
Steve Ozouf
‘I am a cyclist and a car driver. One reason why the cycle paths are not used is that they are only suitable for mountain bikes, not road bikes. The paths should be tarmac, then all cyclists could use them.’
Edd De Loynes
‘Yes, let’s spend loads creating more cycle tracks that cyclists don’t use. Great idea.’
Maria Galloway
‘It’s true: We need more paths in lots of places. The cyclists slow the cars also.’
Charlie Ngats Carlitos
Make a day for cyclists once a month, close a few roads to traffic that cyclists would find useful, then that may encourage more later on.’
Greg Cook
‘Island roads too dangerous for cycling? Have you tried cycling in London? Have some common sense and educate people. Where I’m from you used to need a licence to cycle on the roads.’
Hella Good
‘Another waste of taxpayers’ money. They don’t even use the ones that have already been created for them.’
Jason D’Abbot-Doyle
‘Cyclists aren’t suitable on Jersey’s roads, and it’s worse when you have stupid cyclists who think they own the road and at times don’t even use the cycle paths that are provided. Yes, we need to reduce the number of cars on the roads, but that doesn’t mean that cyclists can go around doing what they want.’
Jason De Freitas
ONE of Jersey’s oldest cyclists criticised the surface used on the Grouville cycle track.
Len Vautier, who took up pedalling in his 50s and is now in his late 80s, said in 2013 that he was disappointed with the Eastern cycle path.
The surface of the track, a gravel-based hoggin, has been described as hard to cycle on and Len, among others, thought it should be replaced with tarmac.
‘I understand that the gravel might be cheaper but it needs to be practical,’ he said.
‘Otherwise it’s just another cycle path that won’t be used.
‘All cycle tracks and paths should be tarmac.’
Len also wants the States to introduce cycle and pedestrian paths on the main ‘arteries’ connecting the country parishes with St Helier.
‘He says that these would make it safer for those on two wheels and two feet and will also encourage Islanders to leave their cars at home.
‘I have seen it in Japan, which I have visited more than 20 times, where they have a separate area for cyclists at the side of the road, marked by a white line,’ he says.
‘Jersey is really missing a trick when it comes to cycling.
