Cyclists also expressed concern about safety on Gillygate and the railway station. Non-cyclists and those who used to cycle but don't any more mentioned Gillygate.
That's from a York council survey of local attitudes to cycling in the city.
So, Gillygate is a dangerous and unpleasant street to cycle on? Yes it is. But that’s not the conclusion York Council reaches:
This suggests that cyclists with different levels of skill and confidence may perceive danger differently
What you might call the vehicular cycling fallback position. This assumes that because hardcore cyclists will use Gillygate, those who don’t and won’t cycle there suffer from erroneous perceptions of danger which derive from their inadequate skills and confidence. These wallflowers need to be toughened up with cycle training, which will give them the confidence to adapt to dangerous streets. These people must also be persuaded to cycle by telling them not to be so silly in their perception of danger, because the CTC has scientifically proved that York is the safest place in Britain to cycle. It’s a perspective that breezily ignores the crucial issue of subjective safety.
York the safest place in Britain to cycle? Yeah, right… Spot the cycle lane for right-turning cyclists which runs between the right-turning lorry and the car. There’s an Advanced Stop Line for cyclists in front of/under the lorry.
