RESIDENTS have called proposed plans to introduce a £9 million West Bradford cycle superhighway a "waste of money".

Consultations have begun on the first phase of the £9.14 Transforming Cities Thornton Road Cycleway scheme which will extend from the city centre to the junction of Thornton Road/Cemetery Road/Allerton Road.

A second phase continuing to Thornton is also being planned.

A “Northern spur” of the route that would have led to BRI was dropped, partly due to it being too steep to comply with cycleway standards.

T&A readers have made their feelings known about the scheme, with most opposing it but others supporting it.

Wolford666 said: "This £9 million scheme is futile. Thornton Road is already narrow to the point where the new cycleway will end. Installing it is a backdoor way of clogging arterial roads so that people will cycle or catch the bus."

Bobbo19 said: "Total waste of money - the cycle lanes we have are hardly used to warrant the money spent to construct them, better spent elsewhere."

BV Old Boy added: "Totally agree, underused, better things to sPend the money on. Ditch this idea."

Slightlylazy said: "I'm looking forward to seeing this implemented. The current cycle route is ok but not really fit for purpose (painted white lines don't really protect users). Both this route and Manningham Lane could do with updating."

City of culture added: "I agree. Who knows it might encourage better health and less pollution."

But many readers referred to the Wakefield Road cycleway introduced in October 2020 as part of Active Travel measures during the pandemic.

Jo90 said: "Absolute lunacy and another Wakefield Road underused cycleway fiasco in the making!"

Another reader, Roadkill UK, wrote: "How about you either finish the Wakefield Road cycle lanes or just get rid of them?

"They are barely used and I'm not surprised considering the state, full of rubbish, broken poles and further down, they are just plastic barriers with bags of sand on top, often moved across the cycle lane to block it."

The Return to Reason said: "Wakefield Road anyone, two full lanes handed over to cyclists on one of the steepest roads in the district which I have not seen a single cyclist use in the last two years."

In reply to this, another reader, U chat rubbish, said: "Not seen a single cyclist? It's a major arterial route. There are cyclists on it all the time.

"Not happy you're sat in traffic? Get out of the car and use a bike."

Some readers also suggested doing a count or onsite survey of the number of cyclists who use the Wakefield Road cycleway to determine how well used it is and if another would be beneficial.

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