Contraflow cycling on one way streets

Work started this weekend (Sunday 19 February 2012) in Shrewsbury town centre to install signs and lines to allow contraflow cycling on short sections of one-way streets. 

This work is part of wider measures being provided by Shropshire Council to make Shrewsbury’s town centre more ‘permeable’ for cyclists, and therefore more convenient to cycle around the town. 

The council’s successful Cycle Shrewsbury programme led to a review of the one-way streets in and around the town centre in 2010.  During 2011, more detailed proposals were developed in discussion with West Mercia Police, local residents and other organisations.   This has led to legal changes to permit cycling in a contraflow direction on short sections of Mardol and Roushill, as well as Market Street and Milk Street.  Contraflow cycle routes already exist on St Austin’s Friars and Meadow Place. 

All these streets are within Shrewsbury’s historic town centre, and careful consideration has been given to balance the safety of users with the appearance of the street.  Each route will be clearly marked at entrances and exits with appropriate no entry signs and ‘except cyclists’ plates, as well as blue contraflow cycle lane signs to warn other roadusers that cyclists will be travelling in a contraflow direction.  

Andrew Bannerman, Shropshire Councillor for Quarry and Coton Hill, said:

“It will take a little time for everyone to get used to sharing the road in this way, and we will take account of any specific problems which occur.  However, there are already places in the town centre where pedestrians and wheeled traffic safely share the space, because drivers recognise that they have to proceed with extreme caution.” 

Councillor Simon Jones, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for transport, added:

“We have worked closely with the police to provide clear signing on the streets and straightforward information for people to understand how to use the new contraflow cycle routes.” 

For more information, please see www.cycleshrewsbury.co.uk  

Further information

Contraflow cycle lanes are common in continental Europe and English ‘cycling towns’ such as Cambridge, York and Bristol.  They are particularly appropriate in historic towns, where the narrow streets are unsuitable for two-way motor traffic and traffic speeds are slow.  The opening up of just a small number of streets in Shrewsbury town centre for contraflow cycling will reduce long detours and enable people on bikes to have a far greater choice of routes to access town centre businesses and homes.  It is also hoped that contraflow cycle routes will help to reduce the problem of illegal cycling on pavements.