Category: Infrastructure

Highlights from 2023

There has been some limited progress in improving cycling Infrastructure in the Taunton area but as ever progress is very slow. Here are some of the highlights from 2023.

  • You are now allowed to cycle through High Street. The original prohibition of cycling has been removed but of course, we recommend that people take it steady and walk through when crowded.
  • Progress on the Wellington-Taunton route had stalled. Following pressure from TACC, the strategic outline case technical report is now being drafted and will form the basis of the business plan for the scheme. However, Somerset Council say that its work won’t start in 2025 as previously pledged.
  • A priority for Somerset Council was the development of two secure cycle hubs with lockable access in the town centre as payable facilities. The first one has been constructed in the Crescent car park and a second was proposed at Saint James Street. However, Somerset Council have now told us that the funding for these projects has been re-allocated and no further work will be done.
  • A new Aldi has opened at Chip Lane. TACC campaigned strongly for improved cycle parking and access as the original plan was extremely poor. Fortunately, a high quality covered secure facility together with a link to Chip Lane Bridge has been provided. We congratulate Aldi on providing such a good facility for cyclists.

Continue reading the complete list of highlights from 2023 »

Trenchard Way works: no provisions for cyclists

Update (26 April 2023): The orginal shared cycle and pedestrian path on the south side has re-opened. The situation is much safer.

The new access into Firepool off Trenchard Way is being built. During the works, a long section of Trenchard Way is operating with shuttle traffic signals. A length of the shared footway on the south side of Trenchard Way is now rubble.
There is no provision for cycling and no information on how cyclists are supposed to get through the area.

Shared cyclepath/footway closed but no directions for cyclists.
Start of road works on western approach of Trenchard Way.
The footway during the works
Footway on Trenchard Way has sufficient space for temporary shared use.

Somerset County Council’s response

We sent a sketch proposal to Somerset County Council (SCC) asking that cyclists be allowed to use the footway on a temporary basis with priority to pedestrians, utilising the crossings at each end of the works. This was based on observing what most people seem to be doing, without problem. They replied as follows: ‘We have worked closely with the contractor to consider all temporary traffic management options, regrettably due to the lack of available width and the need to balance the needs of all users, it is not possible in this instance to safely accommodate cyclists through the temporary layout. Cyclists are therefore advised to dismount at either end of the works and follow the pedestrian route along the north side.’

It would take several minutes to walk along the footway, a significant time penalty and an unpleasant experience. Not surprisingly most cyclists are cycling on the footway. We’ve asked SCC to formalise this on a temporary basis, with priority for pedestrians. The combined flows are low but as ever, SCC say ‘no’.

Our personal experience

We’ve tried riding with the traffic. The first time, traffic was coming towards us in the narrow section before we were able to ride through (with traffic behind us). The signal timings didn’t allow sufficient time for a cyclist to clear the section affected.

The second time was even more farcical. Cycling westbound on Monday afternoon, we were the first to reach the signals. Another cyclist came up behind us. After waiting three cycles for oncoming traffic to come through, it was clear that cyclists aren’t even detected. We were forced to go back to a car waiting behind to ask the driver to come forward to be detected. It put us in a vulnerable position.

We then cycled through on the road as SCC won’t allow us to use the footway on a temporary basis, with a huge amount of impatient traffic behind. When we got to the end we were pretty desperate to rejoin the shared footway, but SCC had made no provision to do that, so we were stuck on the carriageway.

One of our group, an experienced rider, now avoids the route. Another reported that ‘I had to get to the station and used the footway on the northern side of Trenchard way approaching from the east and it was fine and very few, if any, pedestrians. I dismounted for one pedestrian in the narrow section near the lights at the eastern end of the workings as it was technically only a pedestrian walkway. But he understood why I was there and appreciated me dismounting for him. It shows that, consideration for others is key to success when people share the roadways.

Coming from the railway station, the situation for cycling is highly ambiguous. Cyclists seem to be invited to use the footway.
We also noticed that the push buttons for pedestrians aren’t working and we have reported this too.

Coming from the railway station with traffic lights
Coming from the railway station.
Cyclist on footway on Trenchard Way
We propose to allow temporary cycling on the footway.

Cycling on Trenchard Way – the user experience

To illustrate the issues we have with this scheme, we made the following video clips (all posted on YouTube).

1a. Cycling from west to east on the carriage way
Holding up traffic, cars trying to overtake as soon as they see a gap and passing too close.
View from front facing camera
View from back facing camera
1b. Proposed safe option using the footway
Coming from the station

2a. Cycling from east to west on the carriage way
Holding up traffic. When you reach the end of the roadworks, there is no dropped curb to rejoin the shared footway.
View from front facing camera
View from back facing camera
2b. Proposed safe option using the footway
From east to west

Market House cobbles: advisor offers Council low cost ideas

On 8 October 2022 TACC organised a protest to call upon Somerset West & Taunton Council (SWT) to make the road surface on the Market House roundabout safer. TACC thanks all who supported this.

Protest against the dangerous road surface of the Market House roundabout.The road surface of the Market House roundabout made of cobbles.

People have been hurt

The roundabout hasn’t been properly maintained since it was built in 1996. It is unfair that people are being hurt due to the Councils’ breach of duty of care at the junction. We know that crashes happen on this roundabout. Fiona Lewis referred to her injury in the Gazette (August 2022): “I had a nasty accident there on my way to work a few years ago – on a wet day, when a bus driver, having looked to check he was safe to pull out, decided an upcoming cyclist was something to ignore. As soon as I tried to swerve to get out of his way I was off – thrown in the air and landed on my helmeted head. I was wearing hi-vis, I was using sensible tyres. I was concussed for two days, which was a lucky escape.”

Independent advice

TACC has been contacted by Euan Clayton who is an independent safety consultant. He has been giving us advice on this issue. Given that SWT worry that their original scheme to improve the surface might need to be ‘ripped out’ in a couple of years, he has suggested a low cost interim scheme. Clayton has suggested a primer and powder which is applied to the required area, and this fills in all of the actual grooves, after which a high friction surface can be applied.
This would cost between £10,000 and £20,000 compared with the original budget of £1.4 million to improve the surface.

Duty of Care

In case the Council is sued for a breach of duty of care, compensating one slight injury could cost SWT money, valued at approximately £25,000 in 2020. The value of a serious crash with a lasting injury is estimated at £217,000. These amounts are substantially higher than the spending on improving the road surface.

We would very much welcome a face-to-face discussion with Councillor Mike Rigby to find a low cost interim solution. Possibly deferring the proposed replacement Goodlands Gardens crossing, given that a crossing already exists here.

Call to make Market House cobbles safer

Many people have told us that they find the Market House junction to be scary, and some people avoid the area with their bikes. This is due to a slippery and very uneven surface making it difficult to properly steer a cycle and hand signal. This is especially so when vehicles are in conflict with cyclists’ movements. We know that people have sustained injuries, either due to other vehicles hitting them or by slipping and sustaining a broken limb. By ignoring this danger for vulnerable road users for so many years, Somerset West & Taunton Council and Somerset County Council are both in breach of their ‘duty of care’.

On behalf on many cyclists, TACC is asking the local authorities to re-instate the funded scheme to improve safety for two-wheelers at this junction. This could be with an outer smooth surface in a colour matching the existing cobbles, retaining the central cobbles. Please support our petition. (We also have paper copies.)

The Market House roundabout with cobbles

Why is this important?

Yet it is the heart of town routes that people wish to use. It is one of the 15 hotspots from our 2016 user survey. It is part of the SWT proposed Vivary Park-Station route. Without greater safety here, this route will not be effective.
Here are just a few of over 60 comments  that we have received or seen:

‘Death trap as it’s so wobbly. Never risked going round in the rain.’

‘The cobbles are so bumpy and dangerously slippery in wet weather and makes it impossible to signal to other motorists where you are exiting. Both hands need to be on the handlebars to be able to maintain control of the bike.’

‘The cobbles and ridges between mean that the bike wheel gets stuck in the ruts and therefore difficult to steer. Need to hold very tight to handle-bars – therefore impossible to make signals to other road users. Also very prone to wobbling across the traffic because to the ruts.’

‘The cobbles are dangerous as I feel that my tyres will slip, especially in wet weather. Also, the jolting on my bike is uncomfortable and painful. I try to avoid cycling on this part whenever possible.’

‘Vibration through seat handle bars for no suspension bike. Also bad for walkers on carnival night.’

‘You have my full support on this issue-I was nearly thrown off on the cobbles adjacent to the bus lay-by last Thursday-light rain had made them quite slippery’

‘MotorBike tires slide during wet weather.’

View the complete list of comments » (as PDF) made in several media.

Somerset West & Taunton Council is pulling the scheme

We supported SWT’s High St Fund bid which included funding to provide a safer surface for cycling at the junction. We’ve been in discussion with SWT on how this would be designed, for several of years. Now SWT say they are pulling this project.

This is a major let down. They are pulling the scheme because bus priority measures are being considered for East Reach and this might affect the Market Street roundabout (although buses currently use the junction in all directions without issues).

Our feeling is that they have the funding and improvements have been planned for several years. SWT should keep to this. The funding is there to do it. SWT and SCC are in breach of a clear ‘duty of care’ to address safety problems that affect so many people and should address this.

Cycle network petition debated in SWT Council

Somerset West and Taunton (SWT) full council debated our petition to new cycling routes and parking on 5 July. The petition has nearly 2000 signatures. Over a dozen councillor’s spoke, and there was strong support. There were calls to extend our tube network map to West Somerset.

We have also been asked to ‘represent’ the petition to Somerset County Council (SCC). Although we presented it in 2019, the response was fairly lukewarm. This time a more positive response is expected. The presentation will be at a special SCC full council meeting to discuss the formation of Town Council for Taunton, probably in September.

Map of Turning the Cycle Network Blue

We have summarised the SWT Full Council meeting debate and comments from Councillors here:

  1. Mike Rigby – TACC asked for 4 areas of work. Working three of these.  Schools is=SCC . Need change in SCC attitude, working on it. A number of cycle routes we are working on and we should see change in the direction of travel.
  2. Roger Habgood – This is cross council. The receipt of the petition is not just a procedural issue and all in the room are behind it.
  3. Dave Maunsell – Strongly supports. Great potential to increase cycling. Better when paths are separate. Would like connections from Withy to Taunton involving the NCN 3 through Bishops Hull. Silk Mills Park and Ride through Long Run Meadow needs improvement. This is long overdue.
  4. Marcus Bath – Lots of petitions? TACC should come to the Wellington Town Council and liaise with the Town Clerk. (NB: we were confused by this as we we have been doing this for some time.)
  5. Brenda Weston – Praises the work of TACC which is a successful organisation. Thanks TACC.
  6. Loretta Wellton- Supports. Good if we could have groups in West Somerset. Desperately need areas were cycling is safe.
  7. Janet Lloyd – Clarified that Mike co-ordinates the Wellington to Taunton project group meetings. (TACC note: Wellington Town Council is part of this group and there was a recent presentation to the Town Council. Needs to be wider than just Taunton.)
  8. Federica Smith – Great work done by TACC. Suggested representing to SCC.
  9. John Hunt – Referred to 2017 hustings organised by TACC where many promises were made but nothing has changed. Always get a lot of talk but nothing gets done. Please get on with it. Can’t cycle into town because scared of traffic on Wellington Road.
  10. Hazel Prior Sankey – Exponential growth in the number of cycleways in past 30 years . She can show what has been done in South Taunton. Can go on and do more.
  11. Dixie Darch – TACC has done much work for the Council and we are fortunate to have a tenacious group that doesn’t give up. Schemes are more complicated than they often seem. SCC and SWT have been working closely and this model needs to be rolled out to the new Somerset Council. Detailed good practice needs to be rolled out to West Somerset.
  12. Ian Alridge (ex-daily cyclist to work) – Fully supports. Sympathic reference to a cyclist on Williton hill with lots of traffic behind. Knows two people killed while cycling. Referred to the importance of long distance routes and tourism. Need to get through routes Watchet to Minehead. Wants to be encouraged to get back on a bike. We should query whether advice from the Highway Authority to the Planning Committee take into account the affect of junctions on cyclists.
  13. Benet Allen – Thanks TACC. Has 2 bikes I in daily use. Would like to be able to cycle Minehead to Williton for daily work but needs a safe route.
  14. Mike Rigby – To give greater visibility to the issue he is happy to receive and facilitate the petition at SCC.
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