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£10m roundabout redesign for Basingstoke - but it'll be so dangerous there's no provision for cyclists at all

Road design ignores government advice to include insfrastructure for vulnerable road users

A ten million pound redesign of a major roundabout in Basingstoke will not include any cyclist provision, as the junction is only considered safe for motorised vehicles.

Basingstoke is often nicknamed "Doughnut City" or "Roundabout City" because of the number of large roundabouts.

The Black Dam roundabout, which links the M3. A30 and A339 is extremely busy, and according to Pedaller, the Mayor of Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council for 2014/15 Cllr Roger Gardiner said: “It would be preferable for cyclists to to avoid this very heavily trafficked intersection.”

Construction work has already begun to widen the junction to four and five lanes across.

It’s a view echoed by the MP for Basingstoke Maria Miller, who told Parliament: “because the pre-existing road layout made cycling difficult, few cyclists regularly choose to use that junction.”

The Mayor added that he would be raising the safety concerns, saying: “While I would like to think [that] the Highway Authority and Hampshire County Council would not be so irresponsible as to introduce an unsafe highway, this is a busy junction and its suitability for cyclists and pedestrians is questionable.

An underpass beneath the M3 is available for cyclists but locals say it is not clearly signposted, and forcing cyclists to use it by creating an unsafe junction goes against the aims of government to make cycling infrastructure better.

In the Department for Transport’s‘Manual for Streets‘ it is written that: “Streets should not be designed just to accommodate the movement of motor vehicles.

“It is important that designers place a high priority on meeting the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport users, so that growth in these modes of travel is encouraged.”

The Local Transport Note on Cycle Infrastructure Design adds that: “The underpinning principle is that measures for pedestrians and cyclists should offer positive provision that reduces delay or diversion and improves safety.”

In 2013 we reported how Maria Miller, then Culture secretary, launching plans to get a further 1 million women cycling by 2020.

The MP and British Cycling pledged to continue campaigning for safer roads, with perceived danger a major barrier to cycling for many women, and also aims to make it easier for women to take up cycling as a sport.

Ms Miller said: “Cycling in Britain is in great shape after a fantastic London 2012, and it is fantastic that the sport wants to go further and get more women on their bikes.”

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23 comments

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ct | 9 years ago
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What England needs is an Active Travel Bill like what the provinces have

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DAG on a bike | 9 years ago
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I've never really found it too much of a problem. Sort of.

I have the joy of commuting (by car) from home to Aldershot and my driven route embraces the A339 and the M3 via the Black Dam roundabout, a journey of 24 miles.

When I choose to commute by bike I have a far more direct route that avoids the A339 altogether (and the M3, obviously). Again a journey of 24 miles on roads that are in the main unsuitable for lots of motorised traffic. Tractors excepted.

I used to ride from home into the centre of Basingstoke (a 'joyous' place) and my route passed through Old Basing and into the town centre, alongside Eastrop Park. There was an underpass that linked the two but was some distance from the M3.

Basingstoke is not the most cycle friendly town but there are many quite suitable routes into and around the town. The Black Dam roundabout is not a necessary part of most routes, I'm sure. But I don't suppose it is that much worse than the majority of junctions onto the motorways up and down the country.

And, I don't suppose that the roadworks will be completed in the 34 weeks scheduled (and which started 6 months later than originally scheduled). Oh joy.

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AndrewRH | 9 years ago
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The article on Pedallar has been updated to show the 2 alternate routes for a 2.3 mile journey from Old Basing to the B&DBC council offices (and the nearby War Memorial Park).

The mayor of B&DBC and others have been asked for follow-up info about how much of the £10m was allocated to ensuring the alternate routes that they suggested are useable (ie. not overgrown, wide enough etc) and can be found (ie signage). Also asked was whether, because the new roundabout is not safe for cycling, traffic orders will be put in place.

Pedaller: Highways Agency admits £10m Basingstoke roundabout unsafe for cycling

~Andrew~

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Simmo72 | 9 years ago
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I know the location well and ride a lot in the area but have never had any need to go near that god awful roundabout on a bike. There are plenty of quieter alternatives. Maybe this isn't the point but you could spend the money provisioning for cyclists better elsewhere.

Bracknell is another roundabout town but it has done a half decent job of making itself bike friendly by building an extensive series of cycle paths. This however is the only + point I can give this concrete hell hole, and its actually a necessity, because local drivers and commuters seem intent on trying to kill you should you dare ride on the road.

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JeevesBath | 9 years ago
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Maybe this conversation happened:
"Well, we don't have enough money to build a Dutch roundabout, and if we build something we can afford the cyclists will all hate it and complain it's not Dutch and refuse to use it. So why bother with cyclists at all?"
 22

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Martyn_K | 9 years ago
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Cycle clubs in Basingstoke:
CCB (Race) - already mentioned.
North Hants (Race) - based in Monk Sherbourne within 2 miles of Basingstoke
Oakley Pedalers (Recreation) - within 5 miles of Basingstoke
Breeze (Ladies) - meets in Basingstoke

There are also a few new clubs popping up in the surrounding villages. So cycling in the town/ area is certainly popular.

Direct route from Old Basing to Basingstoke? Either the cycle path through Crabtree plantation or take Basing Road to enter through Eastrop Park. Both are quiet, well used and pretty quick, while removing the survival gauntlet that is the junction in question.

Let me clarify, i'm not saying lets give up on cycle infrastructure. Far from it. BUT as cyclists we need to pick our battles. There are already viable, well used alternatives to this junction.

Said junction leads to (S) motorway, (W) dual lane ring road, (N) three lane ring road, (E) main trunk road all of which carry national speed limits. Do you really want to cycle on these types of roads?

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Al__S | 9 years ago
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Martin: I'm not at all local, but it appears from maps that if one wanted to get between old Basing and southern Basingstoke, to avoid that junction would be a significant detour.

Why shouldn't we be demanding high quality direct routes?

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pikeamus | 9 years ago
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Two words for you Martyn: Induced demand.

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Mickyruff | 9 years ago
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I know Basingstoke very well. It's always been a 'motorists first' town. Cycling on any road in the town is dangerous. Basingstoke's population is 90,000. It ought to have hundreds of club cyclists, but Cycle Club Basingstoke (CCB), it's only club, has always struggled to get new members. This once thriving market town is now a very sad place for cyclists to live.

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Martyn_K | 9 years ago
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Almost as annoying as the perception that all drivers think that they have a divine right to road space is the increasing number of cyclists/ cycling groups that think all roads should cater for cyclists.

Personally i would not cycle on or around the link roads of that roundabout as it is just too busy. I will happily sacrifice cycling provisions in order to make the road one lane wider and increase capacity. Why? Well there is a chance that cars will then use the intended high capacity infrastructure and stay off the local lanes.

Ok, ok. So there is an argument for people who commute and don't just ride for leisure. If i needed to traverse that junction everyday to get to work i would be researching alternative options, and there are a few. Google maps and local authority websites hold this information. I'm pretty sure on this development there will be built in ways to avoid the roads.

We need to get out of this 'provide for all users' attitude on the roads. Build the main roads and bypasses for cars and increase their capacity. They can have the soul free 4 lane tarmac rivers. I'll happily roll through the country lanes in the serenity of nature.

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monty dog | 9 years ago
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My best advice from someone whose ridden these roads regularly over 25 years is simply to avoid Basingstoke, either looping to the south or north.

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Guyz2010 | 9 years ago
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Strange - I've just spent the weekends in Basingstoke driving over the very roundabout whilst it's under contruction. Chaos now and looks like it could be chaos later. Appalling design but given the number of motorised vehicle using it i'd say avoid it if you can or take your time and claim you roadspace if you cycle. Good luck.

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zagatosam | 9 years ago
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Good luck to anyone who tries to get into or out of Basingstoke across the A339 at any point on a bicycle. It's a kind of Berlin Wall, built to keep cyclists from escaping or entering. Once you do manage to leave Basingstoke and start heading towards civilisation you realise that it's in the other direction- places like Alresford, on lovely cycling roads. Oh, and I once spent 2 hours looking for that elusive M3 underpass before giving up and heading home  102

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I love my bike replied to zagatosam | 9 years ago
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The A339 isn't quite like the Berlin Wall, more like a 'no mans land' for cyclists. The underpass you were looking for was under the 'M3 motorway link road' off Black Dam Way. There is another crossing from Eastrop park.

Most experienced cyclists don't normally want to cycle on roads like this junction, but need other easy to find options that don't involve long detours or are poorly designed & maintained. Is that too much to . . .

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Al__S | 9 years ago
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I'm struggling to see how this junction costs £10 million anyway- that sort of money surely should be buying overpasses or underpasses suitable for motor traffic?

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oozaveared replied to Al__S | 9 years ago
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Al__S wrote:

I'm struggling to see how this junction costs £10 million anyway- that sort of money surely should be buying overpasses or underpasses suitable for motor traffic?

Back in 2010 It cost £24m to build 1 mile of motorway in the UK. It cost £13m per mile for a dual carriageway and £8m per mile for a normal 2-lane road.
The second you go for overpasses you can add another zero to those numbers. And if you go under anything you can add another 2 zeroes. The civils involved in ensuring that an overpass won't collapse for at least 70 years and that an underpass won't collapse or flood are very considerable.

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congokid | 9 years ago
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I used to commute by bike from Alton to Basingstoke but thankfully this particular roundabout - if it even existed back then - wasn't on my route. I see that NCN 23 now connects Basingstoke and Alton, but most of it is still on road. The big problem for me was riding in dark winter evenings, which on the main A339 road was terrifying, and the tubes often punctured as I couldn't see potholes when dazzled by oncoming cars. However it would also have added several miles to the journey and probably have been just as dark and dangerous.

Re Black Dam roundabout, if I'm correct in my understanding of how they approach this in the Netherlands, they're unlikely to try and crowbar cycling infrastructure alongside that for motor vehicles on such a big and busy roundabout, but instead create well-designed and well-lit dedicated underpasses.

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gazza_d | 9 years ago
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Clearly a case of Can't-be-arsed-ness.

they could provide an alternative if they had the will

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Peowpeowpeowlasers | 9 years ago
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If it isn't considered safe for cycling, then create an order prohibiting cyclists from using it - while simultaneously building a brand new, exclusive cycle path that cyclists can use. One of those floating roundabouts, like the nice Dutch people built, would be ideal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hovenring

The Hovenring was 6.3 million Euro.

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mad_scot_rider replied to Peowpeowpeowlasers | 9 years ago
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Peowpeowpeowlasers wrote:

If it isn't considered safe for cycling, then create an order prohibiting cyclists from using it - while simultaneously building a brand new, exclusive cycle path that cyclists can use. One of those floating roundabouts, like the nice Dutch people built, would be ideal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hovenring

The Hovenring was 6.3 million Euro.

Unfortunately your suggestion presupposes that the people in charge *actually* care about providing safe infrastructure for peds/cyclists - instead of just feeling they need to make the right noises

We are far too easy on our politicians - and so they get away with being lying, cheating, house-flipping, expenses-fiddling, worthless scumbags - and we only vote for them to stop the wrong scumbag getting into office

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PonteD replied to Peowpeowpeowlasers | 9 years ago
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Peowpeowpeowlasers wrote:

One of those floating roundabouts, like the nice Dutch people built, would be ideal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hovenring

The Hovenring was 6.3 million Euro.

 35 You people and your crazy ideas, next you'll be talking about segregated cycle lanes and priority for cyclists at junctions.

Whilst you're at it why not just start telling us that money spent on cycle infrastructure actually gives us a return on the investment as opposed to cars which do nothing but cost money.

Looks cool, I wish we had such forward looking people in UK local government with the intelligence to push for this sort of thing.

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oozaveared replied to Peowpeowpeowlasers | 9 years ago
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Peowpeowpeowlasers wrote:

If it isn't considered safe for cycling, then create an order prohibiting cyclists from using it - while simultaneously building a brand new, exclusive cycle path that cyclists can use. One of those floating roundabouts, like the nice Dutch people built, would be ideal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hovenring

The Hovenring was 6.3 million Euro.

That's not a trend we want to start is it?

Choice A: Spend millions making the road safe for cyclists.
Choice B: Save millions by just banning cyclists.

Which do you think would happen most.

As it happens the reason there aren't many cyclists using this roundabout is that it leads off the M3 in one direction n/s (cyclists aren't allowed on the M3) and the A30 in the other direction ~ e/w. Cyclist are allowed but there ain't that many of them. Taking the A30 Ring Road around Basingstoke. Anyone doing a long haul down the A30 could divert to south of the M3 and have a lovely ride.

I am against banning cyclists from roads. Personally I can't see any reason why a cyclist would choose to go across this roundabout to stay on the A30 when there is a much nicer route. Instead of forcing them to make very busy junctions dealing with Mway exit traffic safer for cyclists I'd rather they built a nice cheap cycle route that avoided it.

But banning. No. I don't want them seeing the easy way out and just banning cyclists.

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pmanc replied to oozaveared | 9 years ago
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oozaveared wrote:

But banning. No. I don't want them seeing the easy way out and just banning cyclists.

Of course banning cyclists from the carriageway is a retrograde idea, but this is mainly because it allows local authorities to get away with the kind of shoddy cycling infra we see all too often. It needs to be carrot rather than stick.

In this country we don't have a jaywalking law. In England, Wales and Scotland it is legal to cross (or indeed, walk along) all roads.... But we don't need that law. In town, pedestrians have a better option. A clear direct facility provided solely for them called a pavement.

If the council feels it wasn't appropriate to make the roundabout useful to cyclists, then fine, but the onus is on them to first explain which less hostile and direct routes they have provided for cycling, whether that's through dedicated (unbundled) cycleways, alternative roads with decent facilities or a fancy hovenring. But as the experts will tell us, there's no point in a hovenring if there isn't a cycling network to connect up to on the roads around it. No point in putting the icing before the cake.

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