From Steve Carpenter, Cycle Touring Club’s representative, Jersey.

I WAS delighted to read the letter by Gary Bowman (JEP, 30 May) concerning the necessity of resurfacing sections of the cycle way along St Aubin’s Bay. However, if this route is to be outstanding and overshadow the quality of those in the UK other improvements have to be undertaken.

Firstly, and most importantly, the sections of sea wall which do not have safety rails around the La Haule area must have this equipment installed to prevent accidents.

Other improvements include painting over the disintegrating older bike logos; if this was implemented a meticulous image would be conveyed to users about road signage.

A policy which encourages both cyclists and pedestrians to keep in their respective zones should be discreetly and sympathetically introduced during weekends in summer when user rates are very high. If such an approach was adopted the likelihood of a confrontation between bike riders and walkers should be considerably reduced.

The Transport department can only be praised for installing five shark fin Sheffield stands in a highly visible area of St Aubin’s village and providing plentiful and informative signage, as well as removing the tight bend at the area around the Gunsite Café.

I have been informed by Tourism that funding is now available to complete the cycle route on Route des Quennevais; when finished – subject to the necessary administrative and legal procedures being agreed upon – a traffic-free bike path will stretch from the Waterfront to St Peter’s Village.

When this section of cycle path is completed and if all the above suggestions were accepted as well as those made by Gary Bowman, Jersey could justifiably boast of a bike route higher in quality than any found in the UK.

Lastly, this cycle path has, in addition to spectacular panoramic views, a quaint fishing village, a sports centre, locations for watching kite boarding, wind surfing, Hobie cat yachting, examples of Jersey’s railway heritage and access to a one-mile asphalted circuit for bicycle racing along its route. Above all it has the related ambience unique to our Island.
Haut Pignon,
Les Huriaux,
Grouville.