Cycling in east 'restrictive' for commuting

A lack of cycling infrastructure in part of the island is discouraging commuters on bikes and people riding for pleasure locally.

Anaïs Pansart from Gorey said though she enjoyed cycling, it was "restrictive" and "complicated" in the east because of a lack of cycle paths so she had stopped commuting to work by bike.

People cycling to work from the west of Jersey benefit from cycle routes along the railway walk, St Peter's Valley, and from St Aubin into St Helier.

The government has spent £2.5m on eastern cycle paths and the infrastructure minister said he hoped the public would soon see proposals for a wider network.

Pansart's route to work begins with a cycle path but she said it was a "maze" to get to town by bike.

She wanted the government to build more infrastructure: "I know it's difficult, I know it's hard with land, but I think it could be really good."

Car traffic can be a big problem for commuters in mornings and evenings.

While Jersey has more cars than people, by contrast the Netherlands has more bicycles than citizens.

The country is well-known for its cycling infrastructure and the Dutch Cycling Embassy, which promotes cycling abroad, has advised Jersey's politicians.

Its international relations manager, Chris Bruntlett, said: "The island is fairly small and compact, so the distances people are travelling are fairly short.

"But the network was a long way from being built out.

"It's not going to happen overnight... but I think a place like Jersey is very well-placed to create that uptake [of cycling]."

He said it was "definitely" possible for Jersey to expand its cycle network, despite it having many narrow roads.

The Minister for Infrastructure, Deputy Jonathan Renouf, said all plans for an eastern cycle network had compromises and challenges.

"It's going to, effectively, have to use existing roads.

"We can't plough a new route, and there is no unused bit of road real estate that you could just put a cycle network on.

"So it's going to be about how we use the existing road network to make it cycle-friendly."

Renouf said he hoped to receive proposals from his department by the end of October and would then consider how to consult the public.

Cycling tour guide, Danny Wherry, said the whole cycling infrastructure could be "greatly improved".

He said it was "unpleasant" to cycle on roads in the east, and he rarely takes tour groups there because it was nicer to cycle in the west.

Heidi Grimes, a regular cyclist who also takes out groups, said there was a great network of green lanes but not much room for new infrastructure.

"If you know how to use them, it does make your life a lot easier and safer," she said.

She said a key concern was people's attitudes towards cyclists and said people had crossed the road right in front of her.

"We have a different mindset in that it's 'us first', and that really shocked me. Their two minutes was worth more than my safety."

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