Do Arbroath residents really hate forthcoming cycle-friendly A92 changes?
Arbroath residents remain fiercely divided over cycle-friendly changes to the towns infrastructure at the end of a four week trial. The trial period of the 13m A Place for Everyone scheme came to an end last week. Active travel campaigners have said it is just what the town needs to promote walking, cycling and greater accessibility. But the plans have come in for renewed fierce criticism from some quarters  especially after footage emerged of an ambulance with its sirens blaring becoming stuck in traffic during the trial. Arbroath cycling hubs high hopes  Bollards along Arbroaths Lady Loan and Burnside Drive have shown residents how the Sustrans led project may work. The plans are part of active travel charity Sustrans 60 million investment in infrastructure changes to support walking, cycling and wheeling. Scott Francis started Angus Cycle Hub in 2015 in a cupboard to promote bike use. The enterprise has since exploded and they have a town centre premises in Market Place. Scott is excited to see the plans finally take shape. I hope this is just the first step, he said. This is a massive thing, but I would like this to be just the start of having more cycle space to promote active travel. Theres been a lot of noise about there already being a cycle lane in the area, but I think thats not enough.  Scott feels the heated debate online over the Arbroath cycling plans is not representative of what he sees. When we speak to people at the local level, we find most are in favour. Its not just cyclists who may benefit. Kristina Aburrow and her partner Robert Nicol found the number of dropped kerbs in the town troublesome while out with their one-year old daughter Saela, who was born during lockdown. Kristina said: Arbroath is the first destination in Scotland for such a project, this will create a buzz about the town and throughout Scotland. A massive thank you to everyone who got involved in the Arbroath Active Travel Festival 2021 this weekend! More information on the A92 Arbroath 'A Place For Everyone' Active Travel Corridor can be found using the following link: https://t.co/492UU49YX1 pic.twitter.com/sheVxhj8ip  Angus Cycle Hub (@AngusCycleHub) July 6, 2021  As a regular public transport user and cyclist, I have always been aware of how tricky road and pavement access is. But it wasnt until I started pushing a pram around the town that I realised just how hostile the access is. There are some really difficult sections that this project will help eliminate.  Kristina said she has been appalled by the vulgarity of criticism by some. It has been a real eye opener to online abuse, she added. It is obvious that many of those opposing the project have not grasped the nature of it. It is not just drivers who are against the changes. Cyclist Mike Morrison is also against the plan. He took a video, which was widely shared on local Facebook group Arbroath Online, of an ambulance stuck behind a car at a red light. He said: It was there for a good minute or two. I have epilepsy and if that was coming for me, that could have been my life. Its putting other drivers in a state of panic. You cant run a red light, but theres no space, so you feel you have to if an ambulance needs past. Youll always feel in the wrong. I hope it doesnt go ahead at all, and thats coming from a cyclist. The two lanes were put there for a reason. The traffic has been really bad since these bollards have been put up. Ive maybe seen two people using it, and Ive passed there about 40 times since its been put up. Its a farce.  Mike, 31, says he is regularly out on his bike to clear the mind and for health benefits. He thinks there is no need for so much road space on a main thoroughfare to be taken up by cycle lanes. I am not a seasoned cyclist, despite the temptation to get back on the saddle through lockdown. So the thought of my first bike ride in years being on the busiest roads through Arbroath should have been a nerve-wracking affair. But that could not be further from the truth. To have the space afforded by a whole lane is a true luxury  which is needed if local authorities across the country want to encourage unsure cyclists such as myself to give it a try. The most treacherous stretch of the path is, of course, junctions and roundabouts. Scott gets on his bike to try out the trial route. But on my short trip, I found drivers to be patient and courteous. Hopefully my experience was not a one-off. The trial infrastructure just gives a small sense of what the final design will look like. Its right that Sustrans and Angus Council look seriously at concerns raised by the likes of Mike Morrison. It should go without saying that emergency vehicles should not be hampered by any changes to the road network. But if places across the world, such as Copenhagen and Amsterdam, can transform their streets in a way that works, then these types of initiatives are something cities and towns across Scotland should grab with both hands. Sustrans officials will take feedback and findings from the trial to draw up further plans. Paul Downie, senior project officer, reviewed the route last week with colleagues. He said: Its amazing how much safer it feels  and thats just with the bollards there. These are being used to replicate the main changes that will be implemented when the scheme is constructed. The trial gives people a flavour of what it could be like.  Feedback, such as criticisms over ambulance access, will inform further plans drawn up ahead of consultation, he added.