Cyclist almost hit by driver while swerving to avoid massive puddle on “unfinished, dangerous” bike lane

A cycle lane previously criticised as a “good initiative badly implemented”, due to its bumpy surface and elevated sections which disappear before junctions, spitting cyclists back out into traffic, has once again come under fire, after a councillor claimed that a section of the supposedly protected route has been flooded for almost a year.

The huge puddle on the Shinfield Road cycle lane in Reading, located just before a set of traffic lights, has led to complaints from numerous cyclists over the last ten months, who claim they have had to swerve back into the path of drivers to avoid it, with one rider reportedly being “nearly knocked off his bike” by a motorist as he was unexpectedly forced to exit the bike path.

The ‘protected’ cycle lane on Shinfield Road, between Christchurch Green and Shinfield Rise in the south of Reading, was completed in March 2023, as part of Reading Borough Council’s plans to improve active travel links between Royal Berkshire Hospital, the University of Reading, and the town centre.

However, the scheme became the subject of local and national ridicule almost immediately, after a council video extolling the benefits of the supposedly ‘segregated’ infrastructure was interrupted by a motorist driving a van straight over the new cycle lane, before veering back onto the road at the last moment to avoid hitting the oblivious council official.

> Council update on cycle lane's "excellent progress" interrupted by... motorist driving into segregated infrastructure

And in April 2023, a local cyclist criticised the layout and surface used for the new lane, arguing that a “good initiative badly implemented won’t work” to encourage more people to ride their bikes in Reading.

“The surface on the cycle paths they create is bumpy. It would be acceptable for a pavement but not for a cycle path,” Reading cyclist Leonid Yanovich said at the time.

“I will not cycle on this bumpy surface, which pushes me into more danger than before the ‘improvements’ on the narrow remains of the car lanes.”

> “A good initiative badly implemented won’t work”: Resident slams new cycle lane as “bumpy” and “dangerous”

Yanovich also added that the lane consisted of short stretches of elevated surface, causing cyclists to “jump up and down from them”, while the infrastructure also disappears just before junctions, forcing cyclists back into a lane with motor traffic.

“Hence, there is absolutely nothing that would add to the cyclists’ safety to encourage more cycling,” he told the local press.

And now, a local councillor has complained that the road’s historic drainage problems are making things even more dangerous for people on bikes.

In a Reading Borough Council meeting, Rob White, the leader of the local authority’s Green opposition, called for work to be carried out immediately to ensure the safety of cyclists using what he described as the “unfinished” Shinfield Road cycle lane, the Reading Chronicle reports.

(Rob White)

“Shinfield Road cycle lane remains unfinished, and maintenance problems are making it dangerous,” White told the meeting.

“A number of cyclists have raised a very large puddle caused by a blocked drain which has been going on for at least 10 months. I’ve raised this with the council at the time, and have followed up since.

“One cyclist said while trying to avoid this puddle he was nearly knocked off his bike. What works to the cycle lane, drainage in the area, and anything else relevant remains outstanding, and when will they be completed?”

Responding to White’s question, John Ennis, the Labour lead councillor for transport in Reading, said: “Transport and highways officers are aware of a number of issues with the drainage and the gullies on Shinfield Road, which are on or near to the cycle scheme, and have also had correspondence with the Reading Cycle Campaign on these issues.

“While some of the drainage issues are more historic and require larger works from Thames Water, there are a number of remedial actions that we can take to address the issues. This includes installing new gullies and ensuring existing gullies are clear.

“Transport officers are meeting with colleagues from highways before Christmas to review the issues, and plan that highways undertake these works, including connecting a new gully to the Thames Water sewer in the new year.”