Cycle lanes in rural areas?

[thirdcrank]

This was in today's Daily Telegraph behind the paywall and I I've not found it anywhere else

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/0 ... es-reveal/.

The general theme of the report is about dangers to cyclists in the countryside, largely blaming middle-aged Wiggo wannabes, but this is reported as a quote from Nick Chamberlin (sic) of British Cycling:

He said that some of the £2billion earmarked for nationwide cycling upgrades should also be spent on cycle lanes in rural areas with high accident rates, as well as traffic calming for motorists at black spots.

I hope that he has been misquoted because I think/ hope he meant that rural lanes should be made safer for cyclists, rather than that rural roads should have cycle lanes

[Cyril Haearn]

Cycleways next to but seperate from main roads would be good, with the same gradients, often there is plenty of room on the banks when roads are 'upgraded', and they carry much less load, I wonder if adding them would increase the cost by 1%

Easy direct routes from A to B

[Richard Fairhurst]

A few targeted improvements in rural areas would make all the difference. There's almost a superb route on lanes from Stow-on-the-Wold to Burford, for example, but you have to suffer half a mile on the A424 (between Icomb and Westcote) to join up the two halves. Same goes for the A49 between Church Stretton and Craven Arms. And then there's the infamous bit of the A465 (Heads of the Valleys) between Hirwaun and Gellideg - just one mile missing a cycle track, but there's literally no other way round for at least 10 miles, unless you haul your bike over Mynydd Aberdare on a track surfaced with rubble. (I did that on Saturday. I don't recommend it.)