Bath & North East Somerset Council has announced it will be painting new lines in an attempt to make Keynsham High Street safer for pedestrians who have been tripping and falling since the new cycle lane was introduced almost two years ago.

The cycle lane on Keynsham’s High Street
The announcement comes as the most recent road safety report is made public and reveals that the previous audit team were wrong in their prediction that falls would decline over time.
More than 100 people have injured themselves since changes were made to the High Street, including a segregated contraflow cycle lane.
Since it opened in March 2022, injuries have included broken bones, head and facial injuries and lost teeth.
The falls began as soon as the lane opened. Signs advising people about the new layout were put up shortly afterwards and the cycle lane was painted red in August 2022, but the falls have continued.
B&NES Council says the latest Stage 4 Road Safety Audit was carried out at its request to further review the public realm improvements in Keynsham High Street, following complaints from people who have tripped and fallen.
“Auditors made a series of recommendations which were then considered by the consultants who designed the scheme and the council, in its role as highways authority, in line with the appropriate guidance.
“The agreed actions in the audit reflect the outcome of a design review undertaken in late 2023 and include the installation of double yellow line markings adjacent to the kerb between the cycle lane and carriageway to provide an additional cue to pedestrians as they cross the highway.
“The solid white line which demarks the edge of cycle lane will also be replaced with a broken white line to better delineate it from the kerb.
“The council will undertake lining works overnight, subject to weather conditions, under a Temporary Traffic Regulation Notice, to avoid disruption to business and traffic during the day.”
Cllr Paul Roper, cabinet member for Economic & Cultural Sustainable Development, said: “Following the Stage 4 audit report we will carry out lining work on Keynsham High Street.
“This mitigation should make the change in levels clearer to pedestrians and prevent further trips and falls.
“We are grateful for people’s patience while the audit was undertaken and the road safety report compiled, which we are acting on.”
The Stage 4 audit carried out by Transport Planning Associates highlights a number of reports made to the council by pedestrians who have tripped/fallen on the 50mm height kerb between the footway and cycle way.
The report says: “A total of 25 incidents of trips/falls were made in March and April 2022, before reducing to an average of three per month (ranging from one to six incidents per month) in the 17-month period thereafter.
“Changes were implemented in August 2022 to provide a red coloured surfacing within the cycle lane (previously black asphalt). In the next 14 months, there were 41 incidents of trips/falls, an average of 2.9 per month.
“It is noted that the number of incidents during the five-month period of August to December 2022 and each three-month period thereafter (January – March, April – June and July – September) showed averages of between 2.3 to 3.2 reports per month.
“This indicates that whilst the number of incidents has clearly reduced since opening, it remains an ongoing issue with a relatively consistent rate of incidents per month, rather than one which is reducing over time.
“A Stage 3 Road Safety Audit was undertaken by Jacobs. At that time, it was noted that a large number of the incidents were recorded within the first two weeks of the opening of the scheme and that these reduced in the following month.
“The Stage 3 Audit Team suggested that this indicated a declining trend as users became more familiar with the new arrangement, and no road safety issues were subsequently raised in relation to this.
“However, with the benefit of additional data since the Stage 3 Audit was undertaken, it can be seen that the rate of incidents per month has continued at a relatively constant rate, rather than declining as the Stage 3 Audit Team expected.”