Furious residents have slammed cash-strapped Birmingham City Council for painting what could be ‘Britain’s shortest cycle lane.’
The road markings in Stirchley are barely the length of a bike- measuring 7ft along- and are located outside Hazelwell Street’s Aldi.
Some locals have branded the new infrastructure ‘bizarre’, ‘useless’ and ‘a waste of money- despite council protestations about its actual use.
Mum-of-one Lauren Hastings, 32, said she couldn’t ‘believe it’ when she first saw it.
A new road fixture along a busy Birmingham road has been dubbed Britain’s shortest cycle lane
The new ‘cycle lane’ is just 7ft long and has been widely mocked online
She explained: ‘I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw it, I thought the council must have had some paint left over.
‘It’s completely useless, how does it benefit cyclists at all? They would be on there for a split second before they are back on the road.
‘It is probably more dangerous as it sends them straight back into traffic. You’ve got to laugh in a way but it’s just stupid planning really.
‘It’s just pointless and a waste of money. I don’t get why they went to the bother of even doing it.’
The marking has also drawn the ire of Tom Ryan, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance who, added: ‘Opening up the road to cyclists is not a bad thing but taxpayers will see through this half-hearted effort.’
When pictures of the new ‘bike lane’ reached social media the initiative was widely mocked and dubbed ‘a contender for Britain’s shortest cycle lane.’
Birmingham City Council has denied the markings are a cycle lane but were for ‘formal transition purposes’ for cyclists exiting a nearby crossing.
A council spokesperson said: ‘This isn’t a cycle lane it is just for transition purposes for cyclists getting off the Toucan crossing onto the carriageway.
‘There is a shared pedestrian and cycle route that connects to the River Rea route with two new Toucan crossings on Pershore Road and Hazelwell Street.
‘This carriageway marking provides the formal transition from the crossing or footway onto the carriageway.’
The new road fixture has been painted outside an Aldi in Birmingham
Birmingham City Council have denied it is an official cycle lane
Calderdale Council also had their workers paint a ‘confusing’ bike lane, which measures roughly 8ft, on Kings Cross Road in Halifax
Amazingly it’s not the first time this year Brits have been up in arms about puny bike lanes.
Just last week, Calderdale Council bosses were accused of wasting tax payer’s money after a ‘weird’ semi-circular cycle lane was painted on a busy main road in West Yorkshire.
The the ‘confusing’ bike lane, which measures roughly 8ft, was erected on Kings Cross Road in Halifax, using part of the £4.9m West Yorkshire plus Transport fund to improve local transport links.
