New ‘protected’ contraflow cycle lane opens on one-way road – and drivers immediately begin parking in it and crashing into bollards

It appears that motorists in Darlington are struggling to get used to a newly opened protected cycle lane in the County Durham town. When the contraflow bike lane opened on Duke Street in late June, drivers were spotted almost immediately parking their cars on it, while earlier this week a motorist was captured on CCTV crashing into one of the new bollards, knocking it out of the ground.

The new one-way bike lane, which takes cyclists out of Darlington town centre, forms part of Darlington Borough Council’s plans to improve walking and cycling infrastructure in the town, with similar works also being carried out on Woodland Street and Outram Street.

The work, which also involved widening the pavement to provide better pedestrian access, was completed at the end of June following a series of delays, and adds to earlier changes made to Duke Street, including the introduction of a one-way system for motor traffic and a 20mph speed limit in 2020.

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The lengthy construction process was criticised by local business owners, with one telling the Northern Echo on the week the lane opened in June that “hospitality businesses are suffering because of the roadworks”.

Tori Gill, the owner of a marketing company on the road, continued: “Cycle paths are important, but people would rather have parking.”

Of course, for some motorists the introduction of a seemingly ‘protected’ cycle lane doesn’t necessarily negate the opportunity for parking.

How do you know that a cycle lane is finished? Someone parks in it.@darlingtonbc pic.twitter.com/J60g63u2tS

— Mike McTimoney (@miketually) June 26, 2023

On the same week business owners were complaining of the bike lane’s impact on parking spaces, one driver was photographed using the segregated infrastructure as a handy parking space, an image local cyclist Mike captioned: “How do you know that a cycle lane is finished? Someone parks in it.”

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Explaining the decision to make the cycle lane one way, a spokesperson for Darlington Borough Council said: “Duke Street isn’t wide enough to accommodate two-way cycling infrastructure whilst also considering pedestrians’ needs as well as parking and loading for businesses.

“Cyclists coming into town will use the traffic calmed 20mph road. The bike lane for cyclists leaving town is segregated with a stepped feature.

“It is anticipated that the reduced number of vehicles using the road and the low speeds associated with the traffic calming and one-way system will help make the road safer.”

However, that particular hope also appears to be unfulfilled, with CCTV footage from this week showing a confused driver turning the wrong way up the one-way street, before crashing straight into one of the new bollards on the cycle lane, knocking it out of the ground.

The incident, which occurred at around 7.30pm on Monday evening, saw the driver emerge from a junction, seemingly unaware that the road had been transformed into a one-way system three years ago.

Car crashes into bollard on Darlington's new Duke Street cycle lane https://t.co/rE5nuJpUOA pic.twitter.com/3NuOvjA7Wz

— Breaking News (Teesside) (@BNTeesside) July 31, 2023

“I haven’t been down here for a while,” the anonymous motorist told the Northern Echo, which published the CCTV footage, following the collision with the bollard.

“It used to be a two-way road. I turned the corner and I heard a car beeping. It must have been letting me know it was a no entry… and that is when I hit the bollard.”

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Tori Gill, who criticised the roadworks in June, also told the Echo that incidents at the junction involving distracted motorists are a common occurrence.

“I have sent the footage to the Highways team – I send them everything. Because it seems no matter what happens on that junction – signage, no signage – there is always an issue,” she said.

“I mean it is clearly signposted. There have been lots of problems on that junction. It has been a one-way for over a year. Normally cars come straight out of that junction and just don’t look, so there’s been at least five or six accidents. And I have had my bollards replaced outside my building on that corner six times.”

She continued: “I am not sure what on earth is going on at that junction. The council are aware of my concerns.

“That junction is well known. It’s a bit of a notorious spot. We were hoping with the introduction of the one-way and better signage that the junction would improve.”