Originally Posted by salus.populi

I'd say a 24/7 camera installed and monitored by a University is more accurare and independent than people with an axe to grind standing on a corner for 5 hours on 1 day.

If the 'University' data bore any resemblance to the reality that the residents see with their own eyes then an additional sample survey undertaken by these residents would not have been deemed necessary, if it had been believable!
Just to add a little more 'reality' to this survey of 78 'journeys' - four of them were mine to and from work. Therefore the underlying number of cyclists using the lanes should be reduced by a range of one half (39) to one quarter (19.5) if like me they make four journeys per day.
Salus Populi - me thinks you come from the same class of 'surveys' and 'consultation' as SusTrans aka George Orwell's Animal Farm.......

Originally Posted by Tallboy

Just to add a little more 'reality' to this survey of 78 'journeys' - four of them were mine to and from work. Therefore the underlying number of cyclists using the lanes should be reduced by a range of one half (39) to one quarter (19.5) if like me they make four journeys per day.
.

No it shouldn't. 4 journeys is 4 journeys. The point is to measure usage not individuals.
Would you like it if the lane was closed in the afternoon because you'd already used it in the morning?
And i doubt many people make 4 journeys to and from work in 1 day.

Originally Posted by Tallboy

If the 'University' data bore any resemblance to the reality that the residents see with their own eyes then an additional sample survey undertaken by these residents would not have been deemed necessary, if it had been believable!
Just to add a little more 'reality' to this survey of 78 'journeys' - four of them were mine to and from work. Therefore the underlying number of cyclists using the lanes should be reduced by a range of one half (39) to one quarter (19.5) if like me they make four journeys per day.
Salus Populi - me thinks you come from the same class of 'surveys' and 'consultation' as SusTrans aka George Orwell's Animal Farm.......

You seem to be missing that this limited survey agrees with the councils figures of well over 100,000 journeys in a year.

Originally Posted by editor

Attachment 205283

On October 1st Southport Conservative councillors and campaigners hit back at claims from Sefton Labour that ‘hundreds and thousands of cycle journeys’ have been made on the supposedly temporary cycle lane on Hoghton Street and Chapel Street.

Cabinet member, Cllr John Fairclough, has highlighted data that apparently shows a huge number of such journeys being made along the routes on Hoghton Street and Chapel Street. However, the claims are contested by many in Southport.
........


One hundred thousand cyclists would take 38 weeks.

But they weren't claiming 100's of thousands they said hundreds AND thousands.

Originally Posted by Alikado

But they weren't claiming 100's of thousands they said hundreds AND thousands.

There's a lot of hundreds and a lot of thousands in 100,000.

It is cringeworthy trying to pretend that these cycle lanes have been anything other than a gigantic flop.

I have cycled along them usually on my own.

Why not campaign for the funds to be used in a practical way to promote cycling where people want to do it?

Maybe some safer cycling funding for schools, some cycle racing around the streets just be realistic and stop trying to make out it's wanted when it isn't.

At this rate, cycling will be lucky to get a Mars Bar at Christmas from the public purse.

These ludicrous claims are banding us, real cyclists, as fantasists and idiots.

Originally Posted by editor

Qlocal statement - Qlocal supplied the counters in good faith with no political affiliation and find it a little insulting that the results of the count over a five hour period should be questioned over their integrity.

Likewise as reported the count of 78 was higher than many expected. Personal experience of deliverying the counters driving down Hoghton St two days before at lunchtime just one cyclist was spotted on Hoghton St in either direction.

The lady you gave the counters made several posts on Facebook defending Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin during the hour she was stood on the corner supposedly counting cyclists.
When it was mentioned to her that she'd been seen engrossed in her phone at the time she claimed it was because she was recording evidence for the survey. Is there any video evidence with this survey to corroborate her version of events?

Originally Posted by local

It is cringeworthy trying to pretend that these cycle lanes have been anything other than a gigantic flop.

I have cycled along them usually on my own.

Why not campaign for the funds to be used in a practical way to promote cycling where people want to do it?

Maybe some safer cycling funding for schools, some cycle racing around the streets just be realistic and stop trying to make out it's wanted when it isn't.

At this rate, cycling will be lucky to get a Mars Bar at Christmas from the public purse.

These ludicrous claims are banding us, real cyclists, as fantasists and idiots.

The Government issue the edicts that these things have to be done or they lose the grant money and more besides, it's perverse but thats they way it works.

Originally Posted by editor

Attachment 205283

On October 1st Southport Conservative councillors and campaigners hit back at claims from Sefton Labour that ‘hundreds and thousands of cycle journeys’ have been made on the supposedly temporary cycle lane on Hoghton Street and Chapel Street.

Cabinet member, Cllr John Fairclough, has highlighted data that apparently shows a huge number of such journeys being made along the routes on Hoghton Street and Chapel Street. However, the claims are contested by many in Southport.

Qlocal provided a set of four clicker / counters for locals to do some of ot their own counting and the report back was as follows:

We did our first cycle count today Thursday, October 14th between 8.30am and 1.30pm inclusive.

Grey day that threatened rain but was fine.

Total of 78 which was more than I thought we’d see!

We were counting all cyclists both ways on Hoghton St and both ways on Queen’s Rd. including the cyclists who rode past on the pavement! We also counted every time a cyclist passed us (including one gentleman who passed by four times that I saw!).

Interestingly, I saw 3 separate cyclists ride up Manchester Rd (no cycle lane) turning left on to Lords Street (again no cycle lane) when they could have used Hoghton Street cycle lane. Obviously they didn’t see the need.

A great many cyclists (12 that I saw) used the pavement rather than the cycle lane!

DOING THE MATHS

Total of 78 cyclists in a five hour period = 16 per hour

78 cyclists over five gours = One cyclist every 4 minutes

Even if 78 cyclists in day time was an average for a 24 hour day, the daily total would be 374 cyclists a day, or 2,618 a week, though everyone would doubt how much usage overnight.

One hundred thousand cyclists would take 38 weeks.

Spot the difference....

‘hundreds and thousands of cycle journeys’



'One hundred thousand cyclists'


What a numpty.

Well, the numbers recorded are imo about par for the course, considering this is effectively a 'stand alone' route.

Imagine how many times usage would be multiplied, if this one route was fed by a comprehensive 'grid' of interconnected routes, allowing safe cycling into town from not just a few blocks away, but from virtually every property in Southport!

Originally Posted by salus.populi

You seem to be missing that this limited survey agrees with the councils figures of well over 100,000 journeys in a year.

From memory, I think the actual statement from the Council went something like,
”hundreds of thousands of journeys in the first SIX MONTHS”.

Originally Posted by justbecause

From memory, I think the actual statement from the Council went something like,
”hundreds of thousands of journeys in the first SIX MONTHS”.

Between December 2020 and June 2021 alone, more than 100,000 cycle based journeys were been recorded using state of the art real time counters which have been installed on Chapel Street, measuring the amount of bike based traffic between Talbot Street and Hoghton Street.

https://www.qlocal.co.uk/southport/n...l-55052505.htm

An overall picture appears to be that very few cyclists are travelling along Hoghton St at any time of the day and night, whatever anyone questioning the integrity of the people doing the surveys says.

Originally Posted by TDM900

An overall picture appears to be that very few cyclists are travelling along Hoghton St at any time of the day and night, whatever anyone questioning the integrity of the people doing the surveys says.

A bike every four minutes when rain is forecast is not a bad result at all, and certainly not 'very few'.....Btw, how many would you say justifies the cycle-lane, one a minute?

78 ? did Labour arrange for friends to come out and ride round Hoghton St for a couple of hours. I regularly cross Hoghton St and Queens road and since it's inception have seen the fantastic total of 1 cyclist using Queens Rd and absolutely ZERO cyclists using Hoghton St. Like London St the cycle lanes are a complete waste of money that is my view as the pavement is far more popular with the idiots. In fact one numpty riding on the pavement in London St put on a comedy show whilst riding opposite the railway he came off the pavement to cross Scarisbrick St and hit the kerb as he attempted to remount the pavement and went flying over the handlebars, wonder why he didn't use the cycle lane that we paid for.