‘Horsham’s cycle lane is predominantly empty – please end this madness’

We are now three weeks into the ongoing farce that is the great Horsham ‘pop-up’ cycle lane.

Headline: The cycle lane is still predominately EMPTY!

I note the fact that in last week’s letters page, in the interest of balance and fairness, you published a number of letters from what I will call the ‘local’ cycling community. Very laudable on your part and entirely fair.

However, I find I cannot let these contributions stand without strongly challenging the basic assertions they make.

Let me address this by referring to the half page feature you published at beginning of this sorry tale from the ‘chair’ of the Horsham District Cycle Forum, Francis Vernon.

In the main, this sums up the general gist of the subsequent letters. When we first read the article, both my wife and I burst out laughing at the audacious conceit of his arguments which contradict themselves throughout the piece.

For example:

‘Getting people on bikes…benefits everyone, not just cyclists!’ (Huh!?)

‘Better for your health’ – can’t argue that one.

‘Saves you money’ - What? We’d still need cars to go anywhere beyond Horsham, to pick up the kids, visit granny in Hampshire, do the shopping, take stuff to the tip…

‘Reduces (this one’s a doozey) … congestion’ – Lol!!! Really? Have you seen the queues…?

‘Improves (another good one this)… air quality’ – tell that to the towns people breathing in the additional polluting fumes from the interminable traffic jam alongside the empty cycle lane. Or even those hapless cyclists who might actually use it! You really couldn’t make this up. Oh sorry, Francis has.

‘And is often the fastest way to get about in urban areas’ – Sorry, no! It’s still quicker for me to get to the local shop by car as it’s over a mile away. And finally…

‘Everyone wins!’ - Yes, he really does believe that we would all be better off if we banished the car altogether - in his cyclist’s utopian vision. Surely, this is the only way any of the above would have any chance of coming to fruition.

Sadly, he goes on to tell us that he’s disappointed that the scheme has only implemented ‘half’ of his forum’s vision – they wanted protected cycle lanes in both directions!

He’s DISAPPOINTED!? How do you think the rest of us feel?

Most tellingly, it’s Mr Vernon’s view that ‘we should give it a try’ and ‘although there will be some initial disruption’ and ‘it will take time for people to adjust to the new layout’ (and this is the key bit) for people to ‘…adjust their travel habits’.

So it’s us: the motorist, the bus, lorry and the delivery drivers and all other types of commercial vehicles from taxis to dustcarts, not forgetting the emergency services – we’re the ones that need to adjust our behaviour?

I think not.

Let’s put this into perspective: Horsham District Cycle Forum has an approximate membership of 600+, according to Twitter, whom Mr Vernon’s views apparently represent.

Horsham’s population is in excess of 50,000. To be generous, let’s say that’s in the region of 10,000 drivers who are impacted one way or the other if they work, shop or visit the town.

Doesn’t it then strike anyone as absurd that this minority view should now be held to ‘trump’ all else?

And remember, this ‘temporary’ scheme (not so temporary now the lines have been painted in) is just the tip of the iceberg (refer to HDC’s Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan) - there is much, much more to come.

To return to Mr Vernon’s piece – he ends: ‘How would you like to see it improved?’

We’d all like to see it removed, COMPLETELY! End of.

Finally, and this is important. We need to address the following fallacy:

In a written response to me from our local MP, Jeremy Quin, he quoted the same tired phrase that is repeated time and again in trying to justify this madness. ‘We must harness the unprecedented levels of walking and cycling recently seen across the UK’ (during lockdown).

Let’s be honest here. This ‘unprecedented’ surge was not in response to some urgent need to get fit, or because the roads were empty and therefore safe. It was more a reaction to the deadly boredom of lockdown and more an expression of the desire to just ‘get out there’ and enjoy the ‘unprecedentedly’ glorious weather this spring/early summer.

That’s the truth of it. Now autumn has kicked in, big time, with the atrocious weather of the last week, when we’re all trying to get back to some level of normality - those days are gone.

Do they really think that those liberated people, when they need to visit the supermarkets in town, with the wind and rain lashing at the window, will think; Let’s take the bikes…

End this madness now.