Controversial £17 Million Cycle Lane Accused of Worsening Traffic in Poole
A newly constructed £17 million cycle lane in Poole, Dorset, has been fiercely criticised as a 'monumental waste of public money' after reports emerged that it has substantially increased congestion while being used by only a handful of cyclists. The contentious infrastructure project spans a two-mile stretch of Ringwood Road, one of the area's main thoroughfares, and has drawn widespread condemnation from motorists and residents alike.
Design Flaws and Safety Concerns
The cycle lane, which measures over 11 feet wide in certain sections, provides cyclists with more space than motorists who are now confined to a restricted 10-foot-wide carriageway. This design has squeezed vehicle traffic into narrower lanes, creating hazardous driving conditions. Extended pavement 'build-outs' at junctions force vehicles emerging from side roads into sharp, near-right-angle turns, often causing drivers to swing out into oncoming lanes to complete manoeuvres.
Steve Moody, chairman of the campaign group BCP & Dorset Motorists, which boasts over 5,600 members, stated: 'All the anecdotal evidence suggests that cyclists are rarely seen using the new cycle path. And these narrow roads actually increase congestion. They aren't going to reduce emissions by increasing congestion but this is lost on the council.'
The narrower carriageway has created additional problems: motorcycles struggle to overtake and filter through traffic, while lorry drivers must fold in their wing mirrors to avoid clipping oncoming vehicles. Emergency services also face challenges navigating the constricted space.
Environmental and Practical Backlash
Beyond traffic issues, residents have raised concerns about the environmental impact of the scheme. Mature trees and grass verges have been removed to accommodate widened pavements and the brightly coloured cycle lane, with some locals dubbing the area an 'Asphalt Desert'. The removal of bus laybys has forced buses to stop directly in traffic flow, causing significant bottlenecks and increasing tailpipe emissions as vehicles idle behind them.
Safety questions were further highlighted last week when a 13-year-old girl suffered facial cuts after her scooter wheel reportedly caught on loose chippings on the cycle lane, causing her to fall.
Broader Context and Criticism
The Ringwood Road project forms part of a £120 million initiative to lay almost 50 miles of new cycle lanes across south-east Dorset, under the 'Transforming Travel' programme aimed at encouraging cycling and scooting in Bournemouth, Poole, Ferndown, and Wimborne. However, critics argue this aligns with BCP Council's purported 'war on motorists', citing officials' pledge to reduce local car journeys by 50%.
Mr Moody added: 'There is definitely a war on motorists and people are really fed up with it. This is all part of the council wanting to reduce car journeys by 50 per cent, that is their stated aim. To do that you are going to have to make anti-car measures. What they haven't taken into account is that people need their cars for work and for business and things like shopping and taking their kids to places like school. Can you do your weekly shop on a bike?'
Many argue that the millions in public funds would have been better spent repairing crumbling road surfaces and addressing the pothole crisis, rather than on underutilised cycling infrastructure.
Council's Climate Goals Versus Local Reality
BCP Council has declared a 'climate emergency' and aims to be carbon neutral by 2040, with increasing sustainable travel as a key component. However, the implementation has sparked backlash. Mr Moody concluded: 'The council has closed its ears to anything other than their own agenda. Their approach is "if you build it, they will come". The ideology of certain members overtakes what is beneficial to the vast majority of the residents they are meant to serve.'
The project remains a focal point of local discontent, with campaigners describing it as an 'absolute fiasco' that prioritises ideological goals over practical community needs.
