Lancaster Commuting Question - anyone in the area?

[Tangled Metal]

Has anyone cycled into Lancaster from the North this year? If so have you found a safe way through the junctions between the Skerton High school (now closed) and the bridge? Both ways?

Probably late in considering the greyhound bridge been scheduled to open for a few months now but it's rumoured to be a week or two away. But it's something I've never thought to ask anyone about. It has to be the worst planned maintenance works for cyclists around. Cars coming on from every direction. Mixed use Crossings that ultimately go nowhere the cyclists want or leads the cyclists directly into traffic IMHO.

Heading north you come over Millenium Bridge and along the quiet road to the main car route from the north (apart from motorway / Caton Road). Straight onto that road and sit on traffic that's about to split onto two directions?

Or along a side road to to mixed use crossings? These lead into a park which loops away and back straight into a busy T junction up the side road (upright of the T}. That park route lines you up straight into the corner of the T junction and often sees cyclists just riding into the junction without stopping.

It's not the most dangerous set of road junctions but IMHO lead contractors for the county council should at least offer a decent, safe route for cyclists. Of course there is one but it seems to send you so far out of your way nobody seems to use it ime.

Sorry for a mini rant.

[Paulatic]

I’ve not cycled in that way this year just from Caton road side. From the view of a car seat cyclists appear to have it good. As vehicles are going so slow, if moving at all, I wouldn’t have felt unsafe on a bike.
The further north you come in from don’t some of the wider alternatives arriving at the millennium bridge look viable? Route 6 or 69

Edit: I assume construction work has blocked that way under the bridge coming along the riverside from Skerton. (Mainway)

[reohn2]

It would help if you gave a to and from destination.I know the area quite well and agree it's a dog's dinner of thing crossing the river by road.
The canal towpath to circumnavigate the mess is my default route even if it takes longer

[Wanlock Dod]

No I haven't, but have you tried taking the canal instead?

[geocycle]

Yes, best bet is to get onto Halton Road, over the Lune aqueduct and down the ramp to the river path. Or if you are on the A6 use the shared/pedestrian crossings from the A6 near the school to Lune Street and across the millennium cycle bridge.

[cycleruk]

Look on map and see "Mainway" - what I would term as out of the back of the school.
Go S/W along Mainway to Skerton Bridge and there is an underpass to Derby Road. From Derby road then Lune Street and take S/W to bend and under A6 where there is access to the Millennium Bridge.
Do you have specific destination ?

[Tangled Metal]

I can take the canal route all the way to Lancaster but the wrong part of Lancaster so a city centre route to get from the canal. Plus seriously adds a lot of time to my commute. Would mean I miss important family time like seeing my son wake up and saying goodbye as I leave. No my main criteria is getting home as quickly as possible (or to work but not as enjoyable direction) just like the motorists.

My issue is this set of junctions form the only route I know that is direct enough. When it was one way and traffic came round from greyhound Bridge you took the road from millennium bridge towards the main road but ducked along in front of the shops to the mixed use path and crossing lights. Traffic came from the right to go back into the centre or northwards turning around the corner of the park. You could use the lights to cross both lanes after the split point and the last lights allowed a safe (if not technically legal) cut from the mixed use crossing to the turning lane heading north away from town.

Now this point has traffic turning left to go towards morecambe where the traffic turned into the centre before. It has a filter lane to the middle of this road to go north. And there's the south bound lane heading into centre over Skerton Bridge. There is the same mixed use crossings but the last crossing you cannot safely take the north turn lane because there's now traffic filtering in where there wasn't before and filtering in from behind as you take the turn. Not safe so I don't take it.

From the millennium bridge you can head straight to the main road, avoiding the crossings. This then puts you into the ball between the centre filter lane to head north and the more free flowing traffic turning left towards Morecambe. There are no safe place for cyclists there. Indeed coming south there's no ASL at the lights near the corner of the park. IMHO they should allow for cyclists to reach a safe place to wait for lights to change.

Another issue, I think (but will stand to be corrected if wrong) that the cycle route directs cyclists to cross the river via railway bridge pedestrian part of the bridge further along the quay from millennium bridge. Steps up and down, then a pedestrian crossing (that a woman got mowed down on a few weeks back). Then through the park to the corner by the T junction.

It's not beyond my comfort zone since tbh I don't get phased by traffic so long as it's not seriously dangerous. Like the rat run through BLS and Carnforth for trucks avoiding the Heysham link roadworks a while back. I've been between truck wheels after dodgy overtake cut in too soon and that shook me up a bit. So unless it's that dangerous I just get on with it.

My question is whether anyone here has a good / sneaky route through it. Like take the road by the shops but cross over and rejoin the north route or there's a gap in the pattern of lights where you can take the crossing and rejoin the north route. Or a short cut from the quay over the river and avoiding the junctions from the bridge to the north end of the park.

It's just that I believe the traffic flow during the bridge works never had any consideration of cyclists when designed. It's annoying but you just have to carry on. Although I've taken the bike less often than normal since it started. Not intentionally just lost interest a bit which was probably due in part to this works. I also notice less cyclists I used to see every afternoon ride home. It seems to me cycle commuting north has been affected. Regulars stopped but some new commuters have taken to bikes. Probably because car use in rush hour is a nightmare.

[Tangled Metal]

Look on map and see "Mainway" - what I would term as out of the back of the school.
Go S/W along Mainway to Skerton Bridge and there is an underpass to Derby Road. From Derby road then Lune Street and take S/W to bend and under A6 where there is access to the Millennium Bridge.
Do you have specific destination ?

Mainway? Never heard of it.

I'm basically heading from the quay to Carnforth. So over Millenium bridge then whichever way I can to get on the A6 towards BLS and on.

I used to see a guy I took as a keen cyclist riding a single speed (a lot faster than me) used to cross over the A6 where that road from the millennium bridge meets it. Or another guy goes off behind the tower block on the right just before the A6. I used to see the guy further up the A6 so it's a longer route but I guess avoids traffic.

Will look Mainway up.

[Paulatic]

Mainway , go behind the old school down Pinfold Lane. Right at the bottom and there is a path under the bridge. That’s the one I was wondering if it had been blocked as I’ve used that in the past and found it a very quiet way to get along to Lune Lane and the Mil Bridge.

[Tangled Metal]

In at Aldrens Lane or you can keep going past Skerton weir towards Halton but back across to Beaumont Bridge I reckon. Then you're on the quieter section of the A6.

Might try that. Set a route on CycleStreets then let it direct me satnav style (the voice isn't annoying neither like some satnavs).

[Cugel]

In at Aldrens Lane or you can keep going past Skerton weir towards Halton but back across to Beaumont Bridge I reckon. Then you're on the quieter section of the A6.

Might try that. Set a route on CycleStreets then let it direct me satnav style (the voice isn't annoying neither like some satnavs).

From south Lancaster there are many quiet ways on to the Millennium Bridge. Go over it then right on the north bank of the Lune along to the Skerton Bridge underpass; then Halton Road until the turn left up to the tele mast via Kellet Lane; then down to the junction where you turn right to Nether Kellet. Through Nether Kellet, turning left at the far (east) end to swoop down into Carnforth.

Much nicer than the A6.

Do the same route but get to Halton Road via the canal bridge over The Lune from south Lancaster.

Yes, it has little hills. Use gears.

Get a map. Explore.

Cugel