Today's tragic (yet avoidable) news, involving
my street, has raised a question in my mind - Where do we start/prioritize - urban roads with high volumes of traffic or rural roads with fast moving motorised vehicles and a few cyclists?
It seems rational to first build cycling infrastructure in towns and cites, yet many cyclists use rural roads, often with speed limits of 60mph and vehicles travelling at 70, 80mph... along them.
There is limited money available, and most money on cycling infrastructure is "wasted". We have all seen, and continue to see, terrible and often dangerous cycle lanes appearing in gutters or under parked cars. I could make a strong argument for politicians and engineers subconsciously trying to make cycling less attractive - whilst spending money on cycling projects.
So, given the limited funds, are safe routes in rural areas a priority, or should give them less priority than ensuring children can cycle safely in an urban to the school in their town? Do we focus on safe cycling infrastructure for as many people as possible - or concentrate on rural areas where motorised vehicles are travelling at high speeds?
One last question: This accident was avoidable - had we had Dutch style of cycling infrastructure, it is likely that Simon Richardson would be in good health today. The van driver will be held liable, yet is it the engineers and politicians who have ignored the lessons from Europe that are ultimately responsible - and should these people, rather than (or as well as) the driver be held legally and morally responsible?
--- for those who do not know the A48 near Bridgend, it is a wide road, 4 car widths wide in places, which was designed to have three lanes - though most of it is not 2 lanes (one in each direction) - often with wide islands painted in the middle There is plenty of space for infrastructure to be built, but it will cost money... Vehicles do travel at high speeds, often failing to slow for villages (like mine) with 30 or 40mph speed limits. Last year, a van partly demolished a cottage killing both the vehicles occupants. Recently a few metres of segregated cycle path was built close to Bridgend - but it is not suitable for most cyclists... I wouldn't use it, anyone racing would not use it, and it's a kerb drop onto the road, so not suitable for young children either.