Gary's views

Gary's weekly views

Each week an article by Gary has appeared in the Plympton Plymstock and Ivybridge News in South West Devon. The articles are published here

CYCLE TRACKS

I support action to tackle global warming and reduce car emissions. We should be encouraged to get out of our cars and into our lycra cycling gear, despite the rain and the contours locally that don’t help.

But have you seen the new scar on our city landscape that runs by the side of Glen Road in Plympton, flanking the Fire Station? They started work on digging up the wide grass verge about 4 months ago, clearly a work of some scale. But what were they doing? Slowly all was revealed as ugly tarmac replaced attractive lawn, non-slip paving slabs were carefully laid at the junctions and vivid asphalt completed the extreme makeover. It was a cycle track.
But what was the point of it? All it did was substitute a wide straight road (perfect for cycling I would have thought) with a multi-coloured obstacle course requiring the rider to twist and turn to cover the same distance. As soon as it nears St Mary’s bridge, where traffic often queues, the track comes to an end and the bikes presumably have to rejoin the highway!

Over the last few weekends I have been scouring this new facility in the heart of my constituency for beneficiaries of the council’s munificence. Finally, last Friday I spotted one from a distance: a cyclist was powering his way impressively along Glen Road. My heart fluttered with excitement. It was only when I drew closer that the sad truth emerged: our cyclist was not negotiating the cycle track at all but was thundering along the same road as the cars. Another white elephant, to sit alongside the absurd traffic calming in Woodford and Radford Dip has entered our world.

It comes at a time when the Plymouth City Council has revealed a shortfall in its finances over the next 3 years of £33 million. I support their honesty and the attempts of the new Chief Executive to get to grips with it. I do not intend to try and score cheap political points against the Labour Council, but will work with them to get the city’s finances onto an even keel, and to roll out the exciting future that our city could have, for all of our sakes. It is certainly time for our potential to be realised, a time for delivery.

The City must focus on key priorities and spend our money wisely. No more Cycle Tracks to Nowhere please.

posted by Nigel on Monday, July 25, 2005