RESIDENTS have revealed the locations in Colchester where they would most like to see new cycle lanes installed.

A £12-million transport scheme has recently been unveiled by Essex County Council, with some of the funding going towards the installation of eight cycle lanes in Colchester and the surrounding areas.

Cyclists and locals in the city have now stated where they would ideally like to see some of those new routes established.

Some of the suggested areas for bike lanes included Stanway, Marks Tey, and West Bergholt.

Resident Jayne Richardson, meanwhile, expressed a desire for a path connecting the Avenue of Remembrance to Lexden and Stanway. She would also like easier pathways for students to use.

She said: “Along Avenue of Remembrance south side, [I’d like a] dual cycle and foot path linking Lexden and Stanway to Colchester Institute college and St Helena School and easier access to get to station using a crossing.

"It’s too dangerous to get to the north side cycle track as A12 traffic exits.

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Another resident, Glynis Hutchins, explained how she would like for Colchester to have more interconnected cycle lanes which service Colchester and the surrounding outer towns.

 

"I would like to see dedicated cycle lanes linking Colchester to the outer small towns with permanent lighting so they can be used after 4pm in the winter," she added.

"Colchester to Wivenhoe is already there, so now we need Wivenhoe to Alresford, then Alresford to Thorrington, all the way out to Mersea via Langenhoe and Fingeringhoe.

"We need to link all of the satellite towns around Colchester, so we can use their cycle lanes safely.

"It’s asking the impossible I know but that’s what I would like to see."

Alongside the council's multi-million pound scheme, plans are already underway for the authority to open a new two-way cycle lane in Head Street, Colchester. 

Gazette: Scheme - eight cycle routes are to be created connecting communities to Colchester city centre (Image: Essex County Council)Scheme - eight cycle routes are to be created connecting communities to Colchester city centre (Image: Essex County Council) (Image: Essex County Council)

However, as previously reported by The Gazette, figures recently released by the Department for Transport suggest less people are cycling in the city.

The survey showed that 13.4 per cent of people in Colchester were cycling at least once a month in the year to November 2022.

This signifies a drop from 22.7 per cent in 2019, while the amount of people who say they cycle for leisure also fell over the same period from 19.8 per cent to 8.8 per cent.