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From ‘always a good thing’ to a ‘nightmare’: Mapperley residents have their say on £1.7m cycle lane as first phase is completed

By Callum Wright

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Mapperley residents say part of a new £1.7 million cycle lane installed on a busy road in the town has been a ‘nightmare’ as the first phase of work is completed.

Nottingham City Council was awarded the money from the  Government to make improvements to Porchester Road, which includes a segregated, two-way cycle path.

With work completed on March 28, there have also been improvements to bus stops, pedestrians access to shops and businesses, existing pedestrian crossings and access for visually-impaired people.

The cycle path, running from Burgass Road to Cherrywood Gardens, is said by the Council to “deliver a modern pedestrian and cycling-friendly scheme, with clear segregation from traffic”, as well as providing a safer active travel route for those travelling to and from residential areas.

Despite the improvements said to be made to the road, some have said its implementation has done more harm than good.

Rochelle Grimes, one local resident, says the work has not been worth it due to the disruption caused.

“It’s not really added a huge amount to the safety of the cyclist because the road was wide enough to be able to go past them anyway,” she said.

“The construction has been a nightmare, trying to get up and down the road, the nursery is literally two minutes away from me and it took me about 20 because of all the roadworks.”

Bernie Dixon said that the work has been “pointless” and improvements should’ve been made elsewhere.

“It’s a waste of time because I see lots of cyclist but they’re not even using the bike lane, and it holds me up during the school run, holding up all the traffic,” she said.

“They’re making the road so much more tiny, I think they’re gonna cause more accidents, it’s very difficult for drivers.”

Work is set to begin soon on a second phase to the project, which will see a segregated two-way cycle path built from Cherrywood Gardens north to Kenrick Avenue, and a one-way cycle path for northbound and southbound users from Kenrick Road to Emmanuel Avenue.

Danny Clearly, who also lives nearby the road, says that any project that gets people cycling should be encouraged.

“I think cycle lanes are always a good thing, I think we need more,” he said.

“There’s obviously going to be some disruption but anything that gets people on their bikes and out of their cars is a positive.”

Nottingham City Council Leader and Executive Member for Strategic Regeneration, Transport and Communications, Cllr Neghat Khan said: “By creating safer spaces for walking and cycling on Porchester Road, we’re giving people real alternatives to car travel, reducing congestion, improving air quality, and making our streets safer for everyone.