The Royal Windsor Web Site

May 2003
Updated June and November 2003

The Thick Red Line

Residents bemused by strange red line
running from Windsor to Maidenhead

In May 2003, we brought you the strange story of the thick red line. Reference to the Highway Code lists no such line, apart of course from the Red Routes to be found in London and perhaps elsewhere. But these are not Red Route lines, these are, apparently, warnings to motorists, or perhaps to pedestrians, that the pavement is also used by cyclists. Not that the meaning is very clear. In fact there are no signs of any sort anywhere to inform pedestrians, or motorists, or cyclists why the red line is there.
  In our picture above you can see that the colour of the red line is variable too. They obviously could not make up their mind.
  Perhaps on someone's desk in Maidenhead there is a memo asking for a supplier of red grass to be found, because where there is grass, there is no line!

Here at Sutherland Grange on the Maidenhead Road the red line suddenly stops as the grass gets in its way! At other points, for example by the Jet Petrol Station, mud thrown up by passing traffic has totally obliterated the line.
  Both local papers (Windsor Express, May 15th and Windsor Observer, May 16th) have reported that residents are 'furious' and 'seeing red'. The line is very obtrusive and a council spokesman claimed that it helped motorists be more aware of cyclists. We doubt it. When I was a boy I was told not to cycle on the pavement.
  The line originally cost £2000 to paint. Now it is to be repainted at additional cost. We are pleased that every single other problem in the Borough has now been so perfectly solved that surplus cash remains in the budget for not only one bright red line, but a second stab at getting a colour that calms down the furious residents. I doubt that there is a colour on this planet that will have that effect! The entire idea is foolish in the extreme, a stunning waste of money and engenders despair at the nuttiness of the borough council officers. But that comes as no surprise, does it?
  How is that anti-graffiti campaign getting on, WMBC?

Lib Dems to remove the red line!...

In early June the new Lib Dem controlled council announced that the red line was to go... and the pavement, for its entire length from Windsor to Maidenhead, was to be resurfaced. Good. But why incur the costs in the first place?

...but not yet

The Weekend Express, a free Windsor paper, in their edition dated 20th June 2003, reported that the plan to remove the thick red line which so angered local residents has yet to be implemented. Several reasons have been given by the Borough including improving signposting and removing over-hanging shrubbery, to which must be added quotations from contractors. Consultation with local home owners to whom the overhanging shrubs belong, must also be consulted. We trust that this will not be long delayed as the pointless red line seems to be getting thicker and more irritating by the day!

Finally removed in November 2003

In their issue dated 30th October 2003 The Windsor Express reports that the 'Red Line' is now being removed. A pneumatic drill is being used to dig up the area painted red and the pathway then resurfaced.
  Strangely, it has been claimed that the pathway required resurfacing anyway, and so the line removal could be removed at the same time and at minimal expense. If this is the case, then why are those stretches of pathway that had not been painted red being left without a new surface dressing??? The truth of the matter is that the council are paying for the line to be removed and not for the resurfacing the entire pathway.

  We still have not been told who was responsible for this extreme waste of public money. I think we should be told!

A red line appeared on Albert Bridge after its refurbishment in 2004. See story of Albert Bridge refurbishment.

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