Rethinking Fender Lane: What the Data Tells Us, and What We Should Do Next

✍️ Author’s Note

This analysis was supported using AI tools to explore and interpret the data. Any omissions or errors are entirely unintentional. I welcome feedback, and any corrections will be made publicly and transparently.

I've reviewed the cycling data provided by Merseytravel, drawn from Vivacity sensors installed at both ends of the Fender Lane cycle route — one at Hoylake Road (Sensor 9) and one at Reeds Lane (Sensor 8).

🚲 What the Data Shows

Fender Lane is a continuous off-road cycle path with no intermediate access points. You’d expect sensors at each end to show roughly the same activity. But they don’t.

• Sensor 9 (Hoylake Road end) shows consistent and rising cycling activity, with counts exceeding 2,000 per month during peak seasons.

  • Average growth rate: +28 detections/month

  • Statistical trend strength: R² = 0.63

• Sensor 8 (Reeds Lane end) shows erratic data through 2020–2022 and a long period of undercounting, but from early 2023 onward it begins to show a trend, with seasonal fluctuations and cyclist detections exceeding 3,000 in peak months.

This is a red flag. With no physical reason for the mismatch, the issue is likely technical — a faulty or misconfigured sensor, or data logging problem. This aligns with earlier statements from Wirral Council acknowledging sensor issues on this route.

Let’s put that “+28 cyclists/month” in perspective

That means:

• Over a full year, it’s an increase of about 336 counts total

• Which could be just a handful of daily users riding both ways

• Or even a single regular commuter making round-trips

So is it a “great growing trend”?

No — not really. It’s a steady trend, statistically significant, but very modest in scale. It shows use is increasing, but not explosively.

It also reinforces earlier instincts:

• This isn’t a transformative shift

• The public perception of “low usage” isn’t completely disconnected from reality

• The scheme’s design and delivery still matter more than the raw data trend

Public Perception vs. Measured Use

Fender Lane remains deeply controversial. Many residents view the cycle lane as unnecessary, disruptive, and unsightly. Public consultation found:

• 63% wanted the road restored to its original layout.

• 80% of opponents pointed to "no visible cyclists" as the reason.

These concerns are legitimate. Early sensor failures likely created the impression of emptiness — reinforcing local frustration. Even now, the design feels alien to many: confusing, cluttered, and disconnected.

Still, the data shows cycling activity is increasing, particularly at the eastern end. Importantly, sensor counts reflect total detections, not unique individuals — so regular users are counted multiple times. But activity is activity. The trend is real.

Was This the Right Design?

Even with signs of usage, it’s fair to ask: was this ever the right approach?

The design imposed:

• Segregated cycle lanes on both sides of the road

• Traffic lane reductions in both directions

• Plastic orca separators widely seen as visual vandalism

• A fragmented pedestrian experience

There was a simpler, better solution: a bi-directional cycle lane on one side, a full-width footpath on the other. Instead, the scheme feels overengineered and underwhelming — a blunt instrument where careful planning was needed.

And worse: it could have been beautiful.

The route we should have built: a quiet, scenic greenway following the River Fender and Birket, linking Bidston Train station to the Nature Reserve and to the old Fender Lane. No cars, no clutter — just common sense.

There was a clear opportunity to create a scenic greenway, following the original Fender Lane alignment along the River Fender and along the River Birket. That would have created a welcoming, natural-feeling route — one that felt part of the place, not dropped in from elsewhere. What we got instead was a missed opportunity — and a textbook faux pas in how not to deliver cycling infrastructure.

Keeping an Open Mind

I believe in data. But I also believe in listening to people. This debate isn’t just about numbers — it’s about places, habits, trust, and dignity. The Fender Lane scheme failed to bring people along, and that's a problem regardless of what the sensors say.

That said, the data is starting to show that some people are using it. And increasingly so.

But usage alone doesn't make it good. A badly designed, widely resented scheme that gets just enough use to survive isn’t success. It’s survival — and we should aim higher than that.

Time to Rethink Fender Lane

Fender Lane shouldn’t be simply defended or scrapped. It should be redesigned.

Yes, cycling numbers are rising. Yes, some parts work. But the scheme is clearly flawed: duplicated lanes, poor aesthetics, and compromised walking space.

We should treat Fender Lane as a lesson learned — not a finished product.

Let it be the moment we stop building half-baked, grant-driven projects and start designing genuinely useful, beautiful, and joined-up infrastructure.

Let’s build:

• 🚲 Routes people actually want to use

• 🌿 Paths that follow green space, not just road geometry

• 🚶‍♂️ Walking environments that feel dignified, not squeezed

• 🧭 Transport networks that inspire confidence, not confusion

Fender Lane could be the turning point — if we allow it to be.

Bonus content

Fender Lane - The Cycleway That Should Have Been

Watching videos about motorways might sound boring, but Auto Shenanigans’ deep dive into the M53 is a must-watch. It’s a zinger of an episode that unintentionally exposes the complete failure of Wirral’s transport planning—especially when it comes to cycling infrastructure.

Take Fender Lane. When Wirral Council planned its cycleway, they had a golden opportunity to create a safe, scenic, and completely separated cycling route, away from traffic. The old Fender Lane still exists—an alignment that runs parallel to the motorway and the Fender River, with an abandoned bridge that once carried it over what is now the M53.

So why the hell didn’t the council use it? Instead, they squeezed cyclists onto a glorified strip of tarmac next to fast-moving traffic, creating one of the worst cycling infrastructure failures in Wirral. As Auto Shenanigans puts it:

"Between Junctions one and two, the A553 Fender Lane crosses over the motorway. This road had to be realigned due to the motorway's construction, and in doing so, there's an abandoned road bridge left over for us to look at. Before the motorway was built, Fender Lane would have followed this route where it crosses over the railway before entering the town of Bidston."

⚠️ Disclaimer

This analysis is based on publicly released data provided by Merseytravel. The findings reflect a personal interpretation of that data and associated infrastructure, and do not represent official figures or policy. While care has been taken to ensure accuracy, there may be errors, omissions, or limitations in the original dataset.

Sensor counts represent total detections, not unique individuals, and data from one of the sensors (Sensor 8) may be incomplete or misconfigured. All conclusions should be considered provisional and subject to further verification or technical clarification. This post is intended to inform debate, not dictate outcomes. Readers are encouraged to review the source data, visit the site themselves, and come to their own conclusions.