Spital Hill - Better Buses'
Road layout changes to Spital Hill. These changes were identified as potentially dangerous by Sheffield Council Cycle Audit, however, they are still going ahead.
CycleSheffield response to changes:
Commenting on the specifics of this design, which leaves the road fundamentally unsafe for cyclists, might be seen to condone it, so we will refrain. The minor changes represent no significant improvement for cyclists (existing or potential).
In summary: Spital Hill is the natural major cycle route connecting the Burngreave and Pitsmoor to the city centre. There is no convenient alternative.
Again this is an extremely busy road, with a complex junction. During rush hour, having to compete for lane spaces with 10 ton busses and numerous taxi cabs which will be switching lanes, is unpleasant and risky, and will in itself discourage inexperienced cyclists to start cycle commuting. In addition the proposed lane layouts are confusing to both motorists and cyclists which will lead to unpredictable road behaviour which is a further grave risk to cyclists in the traffic stream.
Both the traffic volumes and complexity of the junction make it unreasonable to expect people to share them for cycling.
The width of the streets (both Savile Street and A6135/Spital Hill) have ample room for the Council to provide protected space for cycling. It is disappointing that Sheffield City Council has not taken the opportunity to utilise this space to allow people in Sheffield to cycle safely and confidently in this area.