The transport watchdog had three years to find a cyclist-friendly solution on the busy Manwel Dimech Street, Qormi, but instead proposed a four-lane road, riders complain.
Their comments follow an announcement by the transport authorities about road alterations aimed at easing bottlenecks on congested main roads.
The planned roadworks include widening Manwel Dimech Street to accommodate an additional lane on each side and introducing a small junction just outside the Marsa park-and-ride.
The Bicycling Advocacy Group said it was disappointed that recommendations made in October 2014 for a bike lane had not been included in the planned alterations.
The current proposal for a dual-lane arrangement may make it difficult for motorcycles and bicycles to filter past traffic
The cyclists had criticised the then changes to the Qormi roundabout that blocked the route to Marsa, a move that had also infuriated drivers. According to BAG, the changes created a significant 74% drop in bicycle commuters there, while numbers elsewhere increased.
The group said its 2014 call for cycle lanes had been turned down by Transport Malta to provide parking lanes for the Saturday morning market. BAG had suggested central cycle lanes similar to those in Seville, which it considered a win-win for all stakeholders.
“The current proposal for a dual-lane arrangement may make it difficult for motorcycles and bicycles to filter past traffic, compounding an already unfriendly roundabout,” the group said
BAG spokesman Jim Wightman said requests to the transport watchdog at the time to come up with alternative, bike-friendly routes remained unanswered.
“It’s not as if we are expecting a magic wand but just a viable alternative.
“Transport Malta has had three years to think about it. We have already seen a significant drop in ridership, and the authority needs to come up with a plan,” he said.
The comments follow Transport Minister Ian Borg’s statement on Monday when he was asked about cyclists’ safety concerns related to the works underway at roundabouts in Lija and Gudja.
Dr Borg said the transport authorities had taken the concerns raised on board but there was “no magic wand” that would solve traffic problems for all road users.