What is the point of the proposed cycle lanes and parking bays in Thorpe Hall Avenue and Southchurch Boulevard, Thorpe Bay, (Oct 1)?

There is no parking issue and thus no need for parking bays.

Indeed the number of cars parked in Thorpe Hall Avenue on an evening I observed amounted to 25 and that took into account both sides of the carriageway a total of approximately two miles of road.

There is no call for a cycle lane on these roads and putting a cycle lane in the middle of the road is the height of folly, as this is a danger to cyclists and no help to car drivers.

Forcing vehicles into a single lane during rush hour, thereby slowing the traffic down considerably, is hardly helpful to the environment and I am aghast at the unnecessary expense that is proposed to fund these proposals.

Has a cost benefit analysis been carried out? If so may we see the results?

Quite simply, there is no need for this scheme. It is a vanity proposal and should be cancelled immediately to save any further waste of money.

W D Taylor
Thorpe Hall Close
Southend

...I am annoyed to see Southend Council intends to create yet more cycle lanes in Thorpe and Southchurch Boulevards.

This is putting bicycles on a par with cars and other transport, including emergency services, when the ratio of bicycles to other road users is extremely small. All, it seems, in order for Southend Council to win a civic “gong”.

Of course, the cycle lanes will not be used when it is raining or cold (ie the winter!) and, in any case, walking provides more exercise than cycling.

You also cannot carry much from the supermarket on a bike. Or carry passengers.

So stop clogging yet more of the town’s arteries and capillaries and allow traffic to move efficiently, thereby burning less fuel and emitting less pollution.

As for waste, how much money was recently spent to install traffic lights and a bus lane to allow buses to exit Victoria Station and cross the Queensway into Chichester Road? It has now all been dug up for the wasteful Victoria Circus scheme!

Alan Froy
Southchurch Road
Southend

...Now come on, is this Holland or even China?

How many cycles does the council think we have in Southend?

This is a time of cuts and and the last thing we need is more hare-brained schemes from the council, which will more than likely mean the removal of yet more trees.

I use a road that has a cycle path, yet I am always held up by cyclists who do not use it. Why I don’t know, perhaps it’s not cool.

I live on a main bus route where I can’t have a driveway because my house is too far from the road. I have to park two wheels on the road and two on the pavement.

Our cars are always getting clipped by lorries and buses. We got the council here to see if it could do anything about it, like take away a bit of the grass and put a tarmac strip so we can park off the road. We were told there are no funds available.

If this is the case, where is it going to get funds for cycle paths?

K B Humphries
Archer Avenue
Southend