Digging up Liverpool Road - again...

As if there are not enough potholes in Manchester, somebody is digging new holes in Liverpool Road. The road has only recently been resurfaced, so this is damaging good tarmac.



The holes are rectangular and quite shallow.



Some longer ones have appeared across the minor junctions...



This doesn't look good - it looks like more pathetic tokenism to come...

Castlefield Utilities/Cycle Bridge Scheme Update...

Back in February I took a look at the progress of the Castlefield Utilities/Cycle Bridge Scheme and following my FoI request to Manchester City Council I discovered that it had not been built to the plans submitted to Manchester City Council. Apparently my request triggered a flurry of activity to try and sort the mess out.

Then a couple of months ago I went to a public PR exercise by the Network Rail Northern Programme at MOSI about the Ordsall Chord. There I was told that work was going to take place to fix the problems that had been highlighted by Salford and Manchester Councils and these works would be completed by 14th October and on that date Princes Street bridge would be closed and demolition would begin...

So works on the Ordsall Chord are already running over a month late as Princes Bridge is still open.



Though works have taken place on the Salford side.



On Trinity Way southbound, the cycle lane is now subsumed into the pavement before the junction.



The cycle crossing has been retained, but now without the jug-handle approach and the shared use pavement has been widened under the bridge.



Coming out from under the bridge a new yellow sign directs you back into the cycle lane for Trinity Way, but over the new bridge for NCN route 6.



However, the new bridge is still closed.



Access to the towpath is also still blocked, and the zig-zag down to the towpath is dreadful.



The cycle lane is still open along Trinity way and the pavement has now reopened.



At the other end of the new bridge the pavement has been reshaped slightly, but it is still not according to the original design which would have involved the cost of moving the BT box on the corner.



The Manchester end of the bridge is also blocked off. Note the obsession with telling people to slow down!



On the corner of Trinity way and Water Street there is a yellow CYCLISTS DISMOUNT sign with room for another sign above. It is not at all clear what this sign applies to.



Going left round into Water Street the pavement has been resurfaced, removing the  slippery concrete paving.



The shared use pavement ends in a right angled turn into a new, narrow cycle lane



which comes to an abrupt end long before the junction with Liverpool Road.



On the opposite side of the road a new and wider cycle lane starts just after the coach parking bays.



Though this Moxons coach was parked on top of it.



Past the junction with New Elm Road the cycle lane narrows abruptly



just before the fork left to the Trinity Way crossing.



The cycle lane then turns sharp left into the pavement.



This then takes you up to the traffic lights at Trinity Way.



Here there is another yellow CYCLISTS DISMOUNT sign along with a NCN 6 sign pointing across the pedestrian crossing



This explains why there are CYCLISTS DISMOUNT signs. Manchester City Council has failed to insist that Network Rail Northern Programme upgrade the crossing to shared use.



So the diversion of NCN 6 for the removal of Princes Bridge is still a cock up and now features the we-couldn't-give-a-shit CYCLISTS DISMOUNT signs that simply shouldn't be allowed.

#fail

Response to Manchester City Council: Proposal to Improve Deansgate Junction with Liverpool Road and Great Bridgewater Street

I don't know whether these plans have been discussed with the new Manchester Cycle Forum group, but I received it as a local resident. As far as I can tell these plans are not available on the City Council web site. If you wish to respond you can email c.ebizie(at)manchester.gov.uk by the 12th June. I have responded as a local resident along the following lines...





I frequently walk and cycle through this junction and occasionally have to drive through it.

This is a dangerous and intimidating junction for anyone cycling or walking. The behavior of drivers in this area is dreadful. Speeding is a frequent problem in this area, as are drivers using the wrong lanes, blocking cycle lanes and running red lights. Stand at this junction for more than 10 minutes and you will see cars, taxis or even buses being driven through red lights.


Looking North


Looking South


Looking East - note the respect shown for the cycle facilities!


Looking West


National Cycle Network Route 6 runs through this junction


This is what it is like to cycle NCN 6 here.

I support the proposal to ban right turns for motor vehicles from Deansgate in both directions, not least because I suggested this approach to the council last year. At the time I was told that it was not possible, so I am glad to see this first step. However, the proposals do not go far enough to make this junction safe and people friendly and are still dangerous. This design will encourage even more dangerous rat running along Barton Street and Southern Street to get around the banned right turn into Liverpool Road.


Barton Street

The proposed design lacks good quality segregated cycle tracks and the proposal places people cycling directly in the path of left turning traffic on all four approaches.

Also, these proposals have been brought forward in isolation without the plans for the junction on Deansgate by the station and the plans for Liverpool Road, both of which will have an impact on this design.

There are a number of changes that I think are necessary to ensure that this junction is safe:-

• Ban right turns for motor vehicles from Liverpool Road onto Deansgate southbound.

• Ban right turns for motor vehicles from Great Bridgewater Street onto Deansgate northbound.

• Reduce the northbound road to a single lane for motor traffic approaching the junction on Deansgate.

• Reduce the southbound road to a single lane for motor traffic approaching the junction on Deansgate.

• Use the road space reallocated by reducing the number of lanes to create 3 metre wide segregated cycle tracks on all four approaches to the junction and remove the advance stop boxes.

• Install traffic lights with separate traffic light phases for cycles.

• Enable right turns for cycles in all directions during the green cycle phase.

• Close Barton Street and Southern Street to motor vehicles by placing bollards in the road at the junction with Liverpool Road on both sides to prevent dangerous rat running.

Castlefield Utilities/Cycle Bridge Scheme

Now as far as I understand it, this bridge is supposed to be the temporary replacement for Princes Bridge, part of NCN route 6, when Network Rail demolish it to build the Ordsall Chord rail link.

It is also a replacement bridge to carry the utilities across the River Irwell.

However, since the whole Ordsall Chord Scheme is still awaiting the results of a public inquiry, this bridge may or may not have been necessary...



From the Salford side of the river, it is clear that a lot of money has been spent on this Bridge and the path on this side has been extensively reworked to change the level of the towpath.



In fact the towpath has been split in two to accommodate the ramps, and the new bridge has been finished off to match the road bridge.



The surface itself includes bollards at both ends, presumably to stop some idiot trying to drive a car over the bridge.



The bridge links back to the road bridge on the Manchester side,



and then crosses the pavement and dumps you in the eastbound cycle lane...



Yes, you've got it, there is no legal way of getting onto the bridge from the Manchester direction!



From Water Street you have no chance of getting across.



The only option seems to be the pedestrian crossing,



or crossing Water Street onto the pavement at the entrance to the car park



and cycling along here illegally.



It seems that Network Rail have failed to put in the rest of the two way cycle track needed to get the route round to Water Street, which should have gone across this patch of mud.



This bridge is an expensive failure. It will result in many people being forced to cycle illegally along the pavement. I don't know who got to see these plans before they were signed off, but I do remember them being mentioned in a GMCC meeting, so I am pretty sure I know where some of the blame lies.

Meantime preparations have started to demolish Princes Bridge and Network Rail have chosen to block the cycle route...

Great Bridgewater Street Cycle Lanes

Not really sure what is going on here. This looks like somebody spending the LSTF money because they haven't been able to sort out a safe design for the Deansgate junction.Alternatively I could spin it as a campaigning victory... See part way down this post where I insist on 2m wide cycle lanes but on second thoughts I'd rather not.

On the short (less than 100m) section of Great Bridgewater Street between Deansgate and Watson Street new cycle lanes have appeared over the past couple of weeks.



They could be claimed to be 2m wide, but only if you include the gutter and the thickness of the white line. Unfortunately the north side is only single yellow lines, so this will get blocked by parked cars in the evenings.



On the south side there is also a parking bay on the inside of the cycle lane.



And of course these are only advisory cycle lanes so there is no chance of any driver getting done for driving in them..



All in all one has to wonder why this piece of tokenism has been rolled out now...