Calls for removal of Keynsham 'optical illusion' cycle lane

One person who fell described the lane as an "optical illusion"

A councillor is calling for a cycle lane to be removed after 59 people said they had sustained injuries on it.

In March 2022, a new cycle lane was installed on Keynsham High Street.

Personal injury claims against Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) Council have been made by 21 people. Seven of those have been rejected, but the rest remain open and under investigation.

The council stated that no insurance claims had currently been settled and no payments had been made yet.

People have described the white road markings as "optical illusions", as the white kerbs and painted white lines look similar.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the figures were obtained through a freedom of information request to BANES Council, submitted by Councillor Alan Hale.

The councillor for Keynsham South said: "There can be no other local authority in the country that has created a development that has succeeded in seriously injuring 59 people at least, and have done nothing to address the situation.

"We are elected to make our community safe, not to inflict significant injuries.

"To make it safe we need the administration and officers to take positive action, not sit on their hands."

He is calling for the cycle lane to be removed in the interest of public health and safety.

The lane was painted red in August 2022 with the hope of reducing the number of falls.

Councillor Mark Roper, the cabinet member for economic development, regeneration and growth, defended the council's response to the issues.

He said the cycle lane was built to the government's current LTN120 standards and a series of mitigations were put in place in response to the reported incidents, and a Stage 4 Road Safety Audit had been commissioned to suggest any further improvements.

Mr Roper said: "All reported falls are carefully examined, including by CCTV, to establish where and why they happen.

"We have worked with the town council and local councillors to make sure we record all incidents."

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