Various

Penclawdd - Gowerton path Sustrans have been working on extending this path westward from The Sea Gardens (previously the Berthlwyd pub.) to link the section constructed in 2006 to the existing path to Penclawdd. A work day took place on 31 May when haunching and the spreading of cockle shells for the adjacent horse path was carried out. Since then a bench carved out of an oak tree in memory of Bob Burn, one of the founders of Wheelrights who died in 2005, has been installed. It is featured in the picture on the left. This is taken looking north across the path; the Loughor estuary is in the background. At the time of writing a bridge at the west end of the new section of path is nearing completion. This will link the new section to the existing path thus providing an alternative to the road for the westerly one and a half miles to Penclawdd.

Caution needed on NCN 4 between Siding's Bridge and the Jersey Marine junction
Cycling east from Swansea care needs to be taken where NCN 4 crosses the bus lane just before the Siding's Bridge (a mile out of Swansea) and at the roundabout by the new Amazon warehouse three miles further east. Here the path crosses five roads.

Siding's Bridge bus lane crossing The photo shows a bus approaching this crossing. The danger is the limited visibility of a cyclist coming from Swansea. At the time of writing there are no warning signs. The local authority has been alerted and they plan to provide appropriate signs/markings. (They do not it appears have the funds to install lights which would by default be green for path users but would be triggered by approaching buses. But there is a precedent at the nearby Amazon roundabout for this ideal solution. See below.)

Civic Centre cycle access
The refurbished County Hall, renamed Civic Centre, was opened to the public early this year and details of their cycle access plans were published in the March 2008 Swansea Leader.. Wheelrights were very unhappy with the arrangements and wrote a letter to Rob David, the project manager, expressing our concerns and providing suggestions for putting matters right. To view/download this letter click 12 March letter A reply was eventually received, dated 9 June. This did not accept any of our suggestions. Wheelrights responded on 27 June pointing out that CCS's strategies conflicted with WAG's Walking and Cycling Strategy for Wales. Rob David came back again on 22 July defending CCS's position. Altogether a very unsatisfactory exchange and we can only hope for a shift in the Council's attitude.

New path at Loughor

£1 billion to be spent in Swansea!
According to the Evening Post of 9 January this sum is to be spent in the next five years on a major redevelopment of the Swansea City Centre. A key feature is the redevelopment of Oystermouth Road into a European Boulevard. The plan is to reapportion the available width to provide more for pedestrians (and we trust cyclists) and less for motorised traffic. A 20 mph speed limit is also planned. By phasing of traffic lights they expect to achieve the same traffic flow as at present. And, using only at-grade crossings, they expect to improve pedestrian access to the Marina from the City Centre.
This is a splendid opportunity to get the cycle links we so badly need, and Wheelrights will endeavour to work with the Council and developers to ensure that this is done properly.
The prime needs are the establishment of a west - east link from the fork in the coast path just west of County Hall (before the dreaded sandy stretch), along the south side of Oystermouth Road, past the museums to re-connect with NCN 4 at the Sail Bridge. In addition links to the City Centre from this E-W link are needed and, last but not least, a path up the west side of the Afon Tawe to connect with NCN 43 at the Liberty Stadium.
These paths will need to accommodate the needs of pedestrians, the disabled (including the blind and partially sighted) as well as cyclists. This presents challenges and we hope that we will have the opportunity to work with others to ensure that the needs of all users are met in the best possible way.
The money needed to achieve this - one or two million? - is a drop in the bucket compared with a billion pounds.

Newsletters
To view/download the latest or earlier Wheelrights Newsletters ('WRNL'), or the last Swansea Sustrans Rangers Newsletter ('SSRNL').click it in the table.

Working group meetings
These are held bi-monthly. We do not have a formal committee and any Wheelrights member sufficiently interested is welcome to attend. Notes of previous meetings can be viewed/downloaded as a .pdf file by clicking the meeting date in the table.

SW Wales Regional Transport Plan
A consultation draft of this document is due for completion in March 2008. Wheelrights, together with other interested groups, were invited to submit their ideas as to what it should contain. This they did on 5 December 2007. To view their submission click Wheelrights RTP submission.

Cycle stations
Wheelrights were approached in November 2007 by an aide to the Plaid AM for Swansea and SW Wales Dai Lloyd to see if we were interested in an idea to provide safe cycle storage centres in Swansea. Of course we were! This led to a full page article in the 1 December issue of the Evening Post which included a photo of Dai LLoyd and Wheelrights Secretary, David Naylor. To view this article click here
There is already one such safe cycle storage place in Swansea. It is in the enclosed car park on the north side of Clarence Street, a block east of the prison. Bikes can be left there under supervision and under cover between 8.30am and 6.00pm. There is no charge. There are five Sheffield stands, providing parking for 10 bikes.
Prompted by this initiative the Council have now decided to provide similar bike storage in their other enclosed car parks in the City. While not as splendid as the Cycle Stations envisaged by Dai Lloyd they will be a very useful facility. We are hoping that WAG money will be forthcoming to develop the idea further. Such centres would increase the attractiveness of cycling in Swansea, whether to get to work, for shopping, or whatever; and would strengthen the case for the provision of good cycle routes into the city.

A shared path code
Wheelrights, in collaboration with Swansea's Cycling Officer, have prepared a sort of mini-highway code to encourage cyclists, pedestrians and other users of the Swansea Bay path to respect each other. It is particularly aimed at kids and uses as a theme the old Mumbles steam train on which a boy with a bell warned pedestrians of the approach of the train. The code is in the form of an A5 poster with a picture of the train and a poem on one side with the code on the back. To view/download it click Shared path code. It is intended for distribution at appropriate events. Copies can be obtained from the Cycling Officer. Enquire at the Civic Centre.

Swansea Bay Strategy
A strategy document on the proposed future development of Swansea Bay was out for consultation (by 10 August 2007). Wheelrights responded as did Sustrans. We have both welcomed the improved amenities proposed which include a widening of the foreshore path. We are however against proposals for increased car parking and a plan for a bridge at Blackpill. Click Wheelrights for our response and Sustrans for theirs.

How it might be
The provision for cyclists is so much better in Continental Europe than in the UK that we need to look at how they do it both to get ideas and obtain a vision of how it might be here. This report by CTC's Steve Kinsella on good practice in the Netherlands: Netherlands report shows how they do it there.

Back to home page.

Page updated on 28 August 2008.