In the same week that a report into the state of shared and zero-emission mobility in European cities ranked Manchester as the 'worst in Europe for clean and green transport', Mancunian cyclists have found one of their cycle lanes under attack from vandals removing segregation cones to turn the bike lane into a third motor vehicle lane.

Photos shared on social media show the A56 in Trafford reopened to three lanes again, the lane that was a dedicated cycle lane, formerly separated from traffic with cones, once again filled with queueing vehicles, and the removed cones stacked at the side of the road.

"Is this how we do democracy in Trafford?" one local cyclist asked. "Why is this being allowed to happen? We have been complaining for weeks about cones being removed and now large sections are missing. Maybe I should go back to driving."

Another said they had now raised an official complaint against Trafford Council as the "complete silence" on the matter is "very frustrating".

Speaking to WalkRideAlty, a campaign group hoping "to make Altrincham, Timperley and Broadheath better places to walk and ride" road.cc was told the council is "painfully slow" at dealing with such instances.

"Bit by bit, the council has nibbled away at removing cones, and therefore removing a safe place to cycle, whenever car drivers moan about congestion," a spokesperson for the campaign explained.

"The road was heavily congested before lockdown and before this scheme was put in place, but drivers may think that the cause is the cycle lane, rather than too many cars on the road. Today there is nothing south of the M60 junction, and sections near junctions have been removed, ie. Where people on bikes need the most protection.

"It seems as if the outsourced service provider Amey ('One Trafford') are struggling to keep up with vigilantes who are removing and stealing the temporary road cones from the A56 through Stretford. There are a series of tweeted photos of sections going missing overnight, and complaints that they're not being replaced.

"Is this a strategy by the council, or are they just a bit rubbish? Either way, it's not going to get people out of their cars and on to bikes, if their 'safe route' keeps being stolen."

road.cc contacted Trafford Council for comment but did not receive a reply.

In April, Trafford Council came under fire after resurfacing an entire road, except the strips of cycle lane, resulting in this bizarre scene below.
Talbot Road (@DomCycling)

One swift backlash later and the Greater Manchester council backtracked on its statement that the works were "complete", confirming that it would resume work on the bike path later in the month.

'Worst city in Europe for clean and green transport'

The vandalism comes in a week where Manchester was ranked the 'worst city in Europe for clean and green transport' by a new Clean Cities Campaign (link is external) report.

Ranking 42 European cities, the report found that Manchester was 42nd, achieving a total 8 per cent score and 'F ranking', compared with 1st placed Copenhagen's 87 per cent.

Of the other UK cities included, London was the highest-ranked in 24th, Glasgow 25th, Edinburgh 38th and Birmingham 39th, the Campaign's UK head suggesting that: "The poor performance of UK cities in our ranking is partly down to the government's much-delayed transport bill, which has stalled the rollout of e-scooters and is now clearly damaging the country’s longstanding reputation as a frontrunner in climate and new technology."

https://road.cc/content/news/cyclists-call-vandals-stop-targeting-cycle-lane-302293

On 05/07/2023 06:34 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

> In the same week that a report into the state of shared and zero-emission mobility in European cities ranked Manchester as the 'worst in Europe for clean and green transport', Mancunian chav-cyclists have found one of "their" [sic] chav-cycle lanes under attack from vandals removing segregation cones to turn the chav-bike lane into a third motor vehicle lane.
>
> Photos shared on social media show the A56 in Trafford reopened to three lanes again, the lane that was a dedicated chav-cycle lane, formerly separated from traffic with cones, once again filled with queueing vehicles, and the removed cones stacked at the side of the road.
>
> "Is this how we do democracy in Trafford?" one local chav-cyclist asked. "Why is this being allowed to happen? We have been complaining for weeks about cones being removed and now large sections are missing. Maybe I should go back to driving."

Oh? Was there a democratic vote about stealing a third of the road-space
for the exclusive use of 2% of the traffic?

No, didn't think so.
>
> Another said they had now raised an official complaint against Trafford Council as the "complete silence" on the matter is "very frustrating".
> Speaking to WalkRideAlty, a campaign group hoping "to make Altrincham, Timperley and Broadheath better places to walk and ride" road.cc was told the council is "painfully slow" at dealing with such instances.
> "Bit by bit, the council has nibbled away at removing cones, and therefore removing a safe place to ride a chav-cycle, whenever car drivers moan about congestion," a spokesperson for the campaign explained.

Democracy. 98% versus a paltry and negligible 2%. No contest.
>
> "The road was heavily congested before lockdown and before this scheme was put in place, but drivers may think that the cause is the chav-cycle lane,

Gerraway!

> rather than too many cars on the road. Today there is nothing south of the M60 junction, and sections near junctions have been removed, ie. Where people on chav-bikes need the most protection.

Three options if you are not competent to use a road:

Go a different way. Take the bus. Walk.

Oh, or stay at home.

> "It seems as if the outsourced service provider Amey ('One Trafford') are struggling to keep up with vigilantes who are removing and stealing the temporary road cones from the A56 through Stretford. There are a series of tweeted photos of sections going missing overnight, and complaints that they're not being replaced.
> "Is this a strategy by the council, or are they just a bit rubbish? Either way, it's not going to get people out of their cars and on to chav-bikes, if their 'safe route' keeps being stolen."

Oh, the irony!!
>
> road.cc contacted Trafford Council for comment but did not receive a reply.
> In April, Trafford Council came under fire after resurfacing an entire road, except the strips of chav-cycle lane, resulting in this bizarre scene below.
> Talbot Road (@DomChavCycling)
> One swift backlash later and the Greater Manchester council backtracked on its statement that the works were "complete", confirming that it would resume work on the chav-bike path [sic] later in the month.
> 'Worst city in Europe for clean and green transport'
> The vandalism comes in a week where Manchester was ranked the 'worst city in Europe for clean and green transport' by a new Clean Cities Campaign (link is external) report.
> Ranking 42 European cities, the report found that Manchester was 42nd, achieving a total 8 per cent score and 'F ranking', compared with 1st placed Copenhagen's 87 per cent.

STOP PRESS!

CHAV-CYCLING PRESSURE GROUP "RANKS" MANCHESTER WORST IN EUROPE!

NO-ONE CARES!

NOTHING TO SEE

MOVE ALONG THERE

> Of the other UK cities included, London was the highest-ranked in 24th, Glasgow 25th, Edinburgh 38th and Birmingham 39th, the Campaign's UK head suggesting that: "The poor performance of UK cities in our ranking is partly down to the government's much-delayed transport bill, which has stalled the rollout of e-scooters and is now clearly damaging the country’s longstanding reputation as a frontrunner in climate and new technology."
>
> https://road.cc/content/news/cyclists-call-vandals-stop-targeting-cycle-lane-302293

Ah yes... the illiterates' journal.

Car Delenda Est | 406 posts | 1 day ago
7 likes

Curious why those who block and vandalise cycle lanes are never prosecuted under the Public Order Act

And if anyone were to do the same to disrupt cars, you'd have half of the local station bearing down on you before you drew your first breath.

On 06/07/2023 07:27 am, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> Car Delenda Est | 406 posts | 1 day ago
> 7 likes
>
> Curious why those who block and vandalise chav-cycle lanes are never prosecuted under the Public Order Act

Probably because it isn't a Public Order offence?

Just saying...
> And if anyone were to do the same to disrupt cars, you'd have half of the local station bearing down on you before you drew your first breath.

What "disruption" was caused to anyone in the cited incident?

Where chav-cyclists held in an enforced queue for hours on end? Were any
of the chavs on bikes prevented from taking an alternative route? More
importantly, did the police turn up and offer tea and sandwiches to
those who allegedly "block[ed] and vandalise[d] so called cycle-lanes?

IOW, what was the threat to public order?

This scheme was installed as an EATF cycle lane, under the leadership of Cllr Andrew Western, who is now an MP.

The council regularly "repair" the damage but lately they've shown an unwillingness to act, and as you can see are ignoring people who call this out.

If they continue to allow this route to degrade they are at risk of losing the EATF funding that enabled it. Which means Trafford taxpayers will have to pay.

Trafford Council seems to be unwilling to engage with local campaigners. The mindset from some councillors and officers seems to be "it's our toy box, go play with someone else" when local campaigners try to talk to them