Project Update: Bash The Barrier
Councillor Tor Pingree with new bollards by The Paul Pry
Success in Riverside and We Need Your Help!
Our "Bash the Barrier" project continues to make Worcester more accessible for everyone on wheels. We have some fantastic news from the Riverside division, but there is still work to do, and Councillor Tor Pingree needs your help.
Progress in Riverside
We are pleased to report that the only barriers we were aware of in the Riverside Division, located by The Paul Pry, have now been removed. This is a significant win for local residents and cyclists alike.
Councillor Tor Pingree, who championed this change, highlighted why these removals are so vital:
“The barriers made it difficult to push bikes, pushchairs and wheelchairs through, so I requested them to be removed. They were removed very quickly by the county council.”
Help Us Identify More Barriers
While we’ve made great strides, we want to ensure no barrier is left behind. Are there any more cycleway barriers in the Riverside division that we’ve missed? If you know of any, they can be addressed.
Please help Tor identify any remaining obstacles by emailing her directly (tpingree@worcestershire.gov.uk)
A Community-Powered Campaign
The "Bash the Barrier" project is a testament to what we can achieve when the Bike Worcester community rallies together. The project was originally suggested by Councillor Hannah Cooper at a Bike Worcester AGM, and the response was immediate.
The campaign built upon a foundation laid during the CoViD-19 lockdowns, using a map originally created by "Fat Bike" Nick P. Since then, a dedicated team of volunteers has been out across the city, painstakingly measuring barriers to prove they were unfit for purpose.
These measurements were then transformed into detailed maps and 3D renderings by Dan Brothwell, providing the visual evidence needed to make our case. Finally, liaison with the County Council has been led by Rob Collier, ensuring our data turned into real-world action.
This has been a really successful campaign, proving that by working together, we can remove the physical obstacles to active travel in our city. Let’s keep the momentum going!
Have you spotted a barrier elsewhere in Worcester? Check out our Cycleway Barrier Map to see if it's already been logged, or get in touch to help us update our data.
