Come on '“ it's time to start taking cycling seriously in Bognor

He wants to make the town cycle-friendly to enable its residents and businesses to reap the benefits of improved health and easy access.

The best place to start is the seafront, he says.

Dr Ridley said: "The answer to improving access to Bognor town centre is not to build more car parks.

"It is to provide a network of uninterrupted dedicated cycleways from all directions right into the heart of the town.

"The benefits are manifold '“ to the transport system, the ecology, the health of the population and, not least, providing a selling point for Bognor as a cycle-friendly town.

"Where cycleways do exist in Bognor, they are inadequate and incomplete. I am not, however, a cycle geek. I also drive a nice car and ride a motorcycle.

"I do not race. I represent the cyclists who use their bikes to get about and enjoy themselves. There is a time and a place for all forms of transport."

That time is now and the place is Bognor with its flat terrain, according to Dr Ridley.

Two of the town centre's biggest car parks '“ at the Regis Centre and at Hothamton '“ are the subject of a 100m regeneration scheme of entertainment facilities, restaurants, offices and flats.

The chosen developer, St Modwen Properties, intends to replace the 418 spaces with more parking provision. How that will be done has yet to be revealed, though it is likely to involve tiered parking areas.

But Barrack Lane resident Dr Ridley (63) said a change of culture and attitude was necessary to get across the message cars were not the only way to reach the town centre.

"The obvious place to start is the access from the east," he stated.

"The promenade from Middleton to the pier is an ideal amenity which is currently barred from use by all but pedestrians by local bylaw.

"This bylaw is based on the erroneous notion all pedestrians and cyclists are so stupid they would spend their time colliding with each other."

He said this attitude contrasted with the experience he and his wife had in Barcelona earlier this year.

The Spanish city's promenade was swarming with cyclists, roller bladers and skateboarders alongside pedestrians of all ages.

Separate lanes kept them apart and they all had respect for each other.

A slow-moving review of Bognor's promenade bylaw is under way by West Sussex and Arun councils which could change the situation.

Dr Ridley described access to the town from the north for cyclists as a 'joke'.

Cycle lanes were painted alongside the A29, after the death of a cyclist in the 1990s, as the dual carriageway approached Bognor.

He pointed out: "These lanes, however, are so punctuated with 'stop' signs and 'cyclist dismount' signs as to make them at best thoroughly irritating to use '“ not that I have ever seen any cyclist complying with these pointless instructions.

"Then, as soon as the A29 gets really dangerous in its approach to Bognor, the cycleway peters out all together.

"This leaves the cyclist to take his chances with the rest of the traffic on the large roundabout junction with the A259."

What do you think? Click here to send a letter or leave a comment below.

Click here to go back to Chichester news

Click here to go back to Bognor Regis news

Click here to go back to Midhurst and Petworth news

To tell us where in the world you are reading this story click on the link below to add yourself to our readers' map.

MAP

What do you think? Click here to send a letter or leave a comment below.

Click here to go back to Chichester news

Click here to go back to Bognor Regis news

Click here to go back to Midhurst and Petworth news

To tell us where in the world you are reading this story click on the link below to add yourself to our readers' map.

MAP