A council has been ridiculed after painting a miniature zebra crossing within a larger crossing as part of a controversial £17m cycle lane project in Poole, Dorset. The crossing, featuring just one or two white stripes, is designed to allow pedestrians to cross the 3ft-wide cycle path to reach a floating bus stop.
Cyclists are required to stop when someone waits to cross, but critics fear the unusual layout will cause confusion and accidents. The cycle lane on Ringwood Road is up to 11ft wide—broader than the often 10ft carriageway for cars. Several such mini crossings have been installed along the two-mile stretch, part of a wider £120m scheme to build nearly 50 miles of cycle lanes across south east Dorset.
Local resident Justin Midgley of the protest group BCP and Dorset Motorists said: 'I think these crossings will spark confusion… who on earth has priority now? The mechanics are strange as you are crossing an active cycle lane to get to a bus stop still in the cycle lane.' Social media users branded the crossing a 'waste of money', with one comparing it to a child's car play mat.
Motorists have raised concerns that the cycle lane is rarely used and makes journeys more hazardous, with widened pavement corners forcing vehicles into oncoming traffic. Lorry drivers must fold in mirrors, and emergency vehicles have less room. A 13-year-old girl suffered facial cuts when her scooter wheel caught on loose chippings.
BCP Council defended the markings, stating they are 'to ensure the safety of pedestrians crossing the cycle lanes to access bus stops.'
