The Great Highway Divide

Has anyone got a solution for crossing this car canyon?

Queensway underpass: Great for cars, rubbish for everyone else

I know, I know - long time, no write. Well, I've been busy living and breathing. But, finally, it's blogging time! 
In my defence, I have been out there, cycling the quiet backstreets of Southend, looking for my next Savvy Cycle Route. 
Savvy what? Well, to discover my favourite traffic-lite route between Leigh-on-sea to Southend-on-sea just click here. At the moment, it only offers directions one way, but I am working on the return route - Number 2 - honest! 
Today's blog has actually been inspired by my plans for Savvy Cycle Route Number 3. I've just finished checking it out and I'm happy to share it with the world. 
But before I do, there's one little issue that is worthy of a blog: no-go roads. Let me explain.  
I cycle. A lot. It is my primary transport. And it keeps me fit. (To see past blogs on the benefits of turning a commute into your daily gym routine, click here and here.) 
So I like to think I'm pretty road savvy. But even I find some roads so darn brutal that they become hard to navigate. They can literally turn into a barrier for anyone riding a bike, crushing any clever little route you might be planning to use. One such road in Southend is Queensway. 
For a town that won a stack of EU cash not so long ago to improve it's cycling reputation, this road is a disgrace. It carves its way through the very heart of Southend, splitting the town in two. To get from one side to the other takes nerves of steel. 
The main section of Queensway that worries me most runs from Southend Victoria Rail Station down to the seafront. Outside the station it's wide and very busy, but it is navigable if you keep your wits about you. The problem is this bit of the road is at the end of big funnel that focuses all of the traffic from the A127 into Queensway, and Queensway feeds it towards...a giant car park and the seafront. Of course, this is perfect if you're popping down to Southend for a bit of sun, sand and seaside fun. 
After the station, it quickly turns into an underpass - which is great for the cars - but not for anything made out of flesh and blood, like pedestrians and cyclists. As I hope my photo goes to show, this ugly gash casts a terrible blot on the landscape. 
And thanks to the underpass, there is a huge roundabout above it. Naturally, there is no pavement access around the roundabout - far too dangerous! Pedestrians are expected to use a segregated underpass which snakes down into this vile chasm. Of course, being independent thinkers, many pedestrians don't use the underpass at all, preferring instead to literally run the gauntlet of walking to the town centre on the road with the cars. (If you don't believe me, look it up on Google Street Map!) This is especially so at night. Let's be honest, who wants to descend into a dim underworld full of dark nooks and crannies? Not a single Southend councillor I bet! Or either of our town's MPs. 
Cyclists, of course, are road users and should stick to the surface. But even I find this roundabout pretty alarming - and that is putting it mildly. The cars hurtle around it confident that they have complete command of their surroundings. And they do: it's been built for cars, and and loved by cars. However, this no-go road doesn't stop there. 

Dedicated crossing: The joint pedestrian-bike crossing in Queensway

Queensway now crawls out of its grave and carries on as a nice dual carriageway, right down to the next roundabout, firmly slicing any routes across it in two. Yes, there are pedestrian crossings - and, yes, they are cycle friendly. But even the council has been stumped by this monstrosity. It's solution has been to encourage cyclists to stick to the "shared" pavements. Something I'm not a fan of. (If you want to know why riding on pavements is so damn confusing, click here.)
To be blunt, it is an eyesore and one of the worst barriers to pedestrians and cyclists. 
Unfortunately, this is the legacy we have to live with in Southend, and a lot of Britain, thanks to our car-fixated forefathers. 
The solution? Well, it's not going to get ripped up, is it? 
I'm loathed to admit, but the everyday answer is I just avoid crossing the town at this point - which is a pain as it is usually the most direct route, and the least undulating, from where I live to the east of Southend. 
And that brings me back to my Savvy Cycle Route Number 3. After much soul-searching, I've finally found a neat direct route that I'm happy with. Sadly, it's a cheat - the only underpass that cuts across Queensway quickly and neatly. 
It would be great if the powers that be could create some clean and safe way for cyclists to bridge this barrier. Until then, this underpass is the best solution I can find. 
And where is it? Well, that'll will be the subject of my Savvy Cycle Route Number 3! 

On the hunt for traffic-lite cycling routes - part II

My very first Savvy Cycle Route

Sitting comfortably? With a brew? Then let's begin. 
Last time, I was explaining what I like to look for in the perfect quiet route for urban cycling. It has to dodge traffic and jams and isn't too arduous to pedal. 
If you're thinking of finding such a mythical route, how do you go about it?
Let's take my home town - Southend-on-sea - as an example. (By the way, don't be put off if you're not local to Southend. I'm confident my reasoning here can apply to wherever you are.)
I live near Leigh-on-sea - a delightful part of Southend with a working harbour and an abundance of independent shops. About three miles away is Southend High Street with all the big chain stores you would expect in any decent town. 

Crowded: A typical jam in London Road, Westcliff-on-sea

The main link between these two towns - imaginatively called London Road - is one of only two long-distance routes in and out of the borough. It can get horribly busy, jammed with cars, buses, vans and lorries at times, especially during the tourist season and at the weekends. 
The council has spent many years building pedestrian refuges, push-button crossings and expanding the pavement to create pinch points to slow down the traffic and help people cross more easily. 
Despite being a very well-used main road, this route has two advantages for cycling between the two towns. Firstly, it's pretty flat with only a few gentle inclines here and there. Secondly, it's the most direct route for me to use. 
For years, I've cycled this route without much thought given to finding an alternative. Then one day, for no particular reason, I decided it was time to find a quiet route. 
My first search for information was to check Southend Council's cycle map of the town - which is very good. Unfortunately, it's not that easy to find online on our council's website. 
As with many of these sorts of maps, it only highlighted cycle paths that would have sent me out of my way on this occasion. 
A quick search of Google Maps using its bicycle filter revealed a similar set of out-of-the-way routes. When I actually searched Google Maps for directions, it even highlighted the main road I was trying to avoid as the best choice!
So out came the my trusty street map and I began to think. 
I knew of an alternative route between the two towns, but parts of it were quite hilly - that is "hilly" in Southend terms, and certainly not anything like the never-ending gradients on the Tour de France!
But I digress. Getting back to those Southend inclines, I began to wonder if there was a way to dodge them.
Slowly, I began to realise there was. A left turn here, a right turn there and you practically had a neat little backstreet route.
The only snag was a particularly unpleasant up and down section. This wide stretch of road is where cars have a tendency to speed up and travel at what feels like a lot more than the 30mph speed limit. (For all those locals who are interested, it's Kings Road, Westcliff-on-sea.)
The eureka moment came when I realised cycling across Chalkwell Park would dodge all this - although the park, to the best of my knowledge, is not an official cycling route. (Now, there's a subject for another blog post!) 
After forming a plan, the only thing left was to get out there and give it a go. 
Everything went brilliantly on my way into Southend until I encountered a maze of one-way streets near my goal. Contrary to the stereotypical opinion about cyclists, there was no way I wanted to ride the wrong way along these roads. (And that'll be another future blog post topic, too.) 
After a quick rethink, I hit on a route which varies slightly, depending if you're heading to Southend or heading to Leigh. 
I use this route all the time now. No more sneaking past queues of cars waiting at traffic lights or struggling to breathe among all the fumes. It really has made cycling between the towns a pleasure and not a chore. 
For me, I like to think of it as my Savvy Cycle Route! 
But what is this wonderful route? Ah, well that's going to be the subject of my next post. Until then, keep on riding.

Resources 

If you want a copy of Southend-on-Sea's cycle map, the council advise you to email cyclesouthend@southend.gov.uk
If you have a rummage around the web, you can find it here online at Southend Council's dedicated cycling portal, Cycle Southend. 
Or alternatively here is a direct link to the main map.