East Sussex County Council has a responsibility as the County Highways Authority to plan and implement transport policy. This should be a holistic approach to not only maintain the road infrastructure but also to encourage the use of public transport, walking and cycling. The latter takes on greater importance as we become ever more mindful of the looming climate emergency.
It is therefore disappointing that ESCC has taken the decision to take £5 million from the Walking and Cycling Capital fund (which was meant to be ring-fenced) and using it to deal with an over-spend on road building – £2m (out of £9m) from Eastbourne and South Wealden and £3m (out of £12m) from Hastings and Bexhill. Now there is only limited funding for a small number of schemes. This is totally unacceptable, it makes a mockery of the council’s commitments to carbon reduction and an increase in active travel.
A coalition of cycling groups in East Sussex has therefore set up a petition to restore this funding, which can be found here, running until January 21.
If you are supportive of this petition please sign and share.
Image Credits: Pixabay https://pixabay.com/en/park-life-park-people-walking-life-2251981/ Free to use .
No surprise really. ESCC haven’t carried out any maintenance to the cycle paths around Rye since they were built, 20 years ago. I’ve written to the Leader of ESCC, Keith Glazier on numerous occasions about the state of the paths between Rye and the Kent border and Rye to Dumb Woman’s Lane but always told there was no financial support available.
Perhaps ESCC need to abide by their Environmental Strategy document which supports green open spaces and promotes walking and cycling ?
Talking about safe cycling, I find the designated cycle path from Rye Harbour Road to Rye Harbour potentially dangerous for cyclists.
It needs a barrier to separate the road from the cycle path. The road is used as a rat run at weekends with some car users speeding up and down Rye Harbour Road. It would only take one driver to mount the pavement/ cycle path to cause a tragedy. Maybe the odds against this happening are high but it’s like flying, we know the statistics but can’t help imagining ourselves on a plane about to crash.
Cyclists also have to be alert during the week, and often at weekends, to vans etc going in and out of the entrances to the industrial estate units. You can’t just cycle on regardless straight down to the harbour. A barrier between the path and the road (obviously stopping at the factory exits) would be a great addition.