Local High Steward blames congestion on new “cycle-only” traffic light on bike lane which services “very few cyclists”… but data shows over 400 cyclists using it every day, with cycling levels continuing to rise

A former Liberal Democrat MP, who has served as the High Steward of Colchester since 2015, has accused a “cycle-only” traffic light on a new bike lane of causing congestion on a town centre street; however, the claims have been refuted by both the council and the local cycling campaign, with data showing that over 400 cyclists are using the street, and cycling levels are up by 300 per cent in the last two years.

The street in question is Head Street in Colchester, just off the high street in the town centre. The city has recently become infamous for its “rogue wardens” who would allegedly lie waiting to pounce on cyclists and issue them with £100 fines for riding on the pavement — with one incident of a lone female cyclist slapped with a fine and left feeling “picked on” for riding on a street which had been a shared-use path since 2011 making the headlines in April.

Since then, Colchester City Council has apologised and agreed to waive recent fines mistakenly issued to cyclists for allegedly breaching the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), notoriously used for implementing cycling bans, after local campaigners complained that people on bikes were being unfairly targeted by third-party “cowboy” wardens “running amok”, discouraging people from cycling in the city.

Now, the Colchester Gazette reports that Colchester High Steward Sir Bob Russell has entered the discussion and implied that the congestion on Head Street is a result of the cycle lane built earlier this year — specifically, the traffic light which turns green only for cyclists.

> “Why pick on a lone female cyclist?” Cyclist slapped with £100 fine – for riding on a cycle path

Russell, who has served as the leader of Colchester Borough Council and was elected as an MP from Colchester from 1997 to 2015, undertook a 12-hour session of checks on the junction that connects Head Street, North Hill and the High Street for six days, before coming to the conclusion that it services “very few cyclists” and is a “waste of taxpayers’ money”.

According to Russell’s ‘study’, the traffic light turned green 40 times every hour for around 20 seconds, with an average of three cyclists an hour, meaning that only 36 cyclists crossed the junction in a 12-hour window while the cycle-only signal remained green for around 160 minutes.

Russell said: “This is another example of Essex County Council squandering taxpayers’ money on cycle lanes and the like when all the evidence shows that there are simply very few cyclists.”

He added that he believes the “only solution for the cycle only green light only to be activated manually when a cyclist is there”.

Head Street cycle lane in Colchester (Essex County Council)

However, according to Essex County Council, Essex Highways has been monitoring the activity of the cycle lane on Head Street and found that the average number of cyclists per day on the street has been 402 from August 2022 to the end of September 2024.

A spokesperson for the council said: “Currently, around 40 per cent of all car journeys in Colchester are under 5km, which can lead to congestion.

"This cycle lane is part of our long-term aim to give residents more choice in how they travel, making the transport network safer, greener and healthier. A big reason some people choose not to cycle is concerns for their safety on the road.

“This cycle facility provides riders of all ages and abilities the protection they need to travel safely and confidently.

“Like any new facility, it takes time for people to adopt it, but we have already seen a number of people making use of the cycle lane and we have received positive feedback from the public.”

> “Rogue” wardens accused of “lying in wait” for cyclists riding on pavement beside busy roundabout, as two cyclists fined £100 for breaching anti-social cycling order at same spot

The council also pointed out that there’s a known issue with a sensor in the traffic which is meant to detect cyclists. It added: “As a safety mechanism, the lights will routinely turn green for a minimum period to ensure no one goes undetected and gets stuck on a red light. The Essex Highways team is working to resolve this as soon as possible.

“The cycle facility is part of cycling and walking improvements across the county through Active Travel funding awarded to the council. With all Active Travel funding ringfenced by central government, the project does not detract from highway maintenance. This means funding for the cycle lane could not have been used for any other works, such as pothole repairs.”

Head Street, Colchester (Colchester Cycling Campaign)

The Head Street cycle lane had come under fierce criticism from motorists on social media earlier this year, who branded the two-way bike lane a “big load of wasted money” and “an accident waiting to happen for pedestrians” that will “cause carnage on the roads”.

However, Colchester Cycling Campaign argued that the new bike lane will “revolutionise people’s journeys”, coaxing them out of their cars, and giving “thousands” of children the “choice” to cycle to school every day.

> New protected cycle lane – in city where cyclist was fined for riding on bike path – slammed as “accident waiting to happen for pedestrians” that will “cause carnage on the roads”

And a month later, Essex County Council reported that the infrastructure was receiving “positive feedback from the public”, with an FOI request also showing that the average number of cyclists using the route went up more than 300 per cent on 2019 levels.

Meanwhile, Colchester Cycling Campaign’s secretary Will Bramhill said that the congestion Russell is concerned about is instead caused by parked lorries and drivers intending to turn into High Street from Head Street, despite the area being pedestrianised.

Bramhill said: “Head Street does have an issue with congestion caused by parked lorries, although those problems do not last for long.

“We urge the councils to look at remedies such as timed deliveries or even an electric cargohopper system which is proven to work on city streets. 

“Of course a substantial part of each Head Street jam is made up of car drivers who plan to turn into High Street, despite the fact that cars are banned unless they carry a blue-badge holder or require access.

“Greater control of this is needed.”

> “We are sorry if we have not always got it right”: Council waives penalties for cyclists fined by “cowboy” wardens for riding on pavements and town centre streets

Sir Bob Russell hasn’t shied away from sharing his thoughts on Colchester’s cycling infrastructure in the past. In December, he claimed that a two-way contraflow cycle lane on Station Way would result in cyclists colliding with vehicles stopped at a bus stop and described it as a “death trap”.

Bramhill seemed to agree with the former MP on that instance, saying: “For once, Sir Bob Russell is right: the segue between the bus lay-by and the cycleway is not ideal.

“That said, Essex is awaiting further funds to complete the project and we hope to see a solution soon. At least we now have a short section of cycleway that is top class.

“The bus stop connection is not ideal but Rome wasn’t built in a day; I do hope Sir Bob has had a lightbulb moment and will now get behind our aspirations which will improve the mobility of everyone who doesn’t have a car or who chooses not to drive.”