Since the completion of the upgrading of the Douglas Terrace walkway I have been asked a number of times by constituents why there is no white line to separate cyclists from pedestrians. I raised the matter with the council’s city development department and was issued with the following reasons, which I thought would be of interest to users of the walkway:
1. The volume of bicycle traffic is just not high enough for segregation.
2. The average width of the Douglas Terrace walkway is 2.5 to 3.0m. A similar section of the green circular cycle route to the west of the city (Riverside Drive) has sections less than 2.5m in width. No know problems have occurred. When you combine this width with the volume of pedestrian/cycle traffic then there is adequate space for give and take pedestrian/cycle movements.
3. If a white line were to be incorporated to form segregation then how is this enforced? Police resources are already stretched and this would fall into very low priority for them.
4. The current widths of the cycleway would not permit segregation as design width could not be achieved for the appropriate lanes.
5. Links throughout the city joining onto this route have no segregation facilities in place. No such pedestrian conflict has occurred there.
6. There has to be some level of respect for both users of the path. It is the responsibility of the individual to cycle with respect and due care for other road users/pedestrians in accordance with guidelines in the “Highway Code”. The Tay Road Bridge walkway for example is 2.5m wide and edged with a 1.5m high barrier. It is promoted as a shared use, is part of the National Cycle Network and no segregation line is used. This has worked fine for many years and pedestrian/cycle traffic is high on this route compared to Douglas Terrace.
7. Our accident records show no reported collisions between pedestrian/cyclists on this section of cycle route or any other part of the route itself.
8. This is the design criteria and specification promoted by the Scottish Government and by Sustrans with the network spanning the length and breadth of the UK.
9. Sustrans have played a major part in funding this extremely scenic coastal route. They have contributed hundreds of thousands of pounds to upgrading the route and have had a close relationship in design and operation.
