I have lived, and cycled in London, Paris, Cambridge and Southampton and (apart from the time I recklessly cycled across Hyde Park Corner) the only place I have felt nervous about cycling is Southampton. It is definitely better than it was when I moved here 14 years ago but it is still far from great. Too many cycle lanes (when they exist) suddenly stop or aren't properly separated from car lanes and there are very few cycle filters. The biggest problem is driver behaviour, though. For instance, although I live in St Denys I won't cycle across the new Thomas Lewis Way/St Denys Road junction as there is too much unpredictable and entitled driver behaviour for it to feel safe. There are plenty of very courteous and respectful drivers around but there remains a small but vocal minority of drivers who seem to view cyclists as an annoyance and who resist any attempt to discourage driving or to give priority (safety) to cyclists. There is also a woeful lack of secure cycle parking in Southampton, making it risky for anyone to cycle into the city centre. I don't drive so don't have that option anyway but would definitely visit the city centre shops more often if there was somewhere secure to leave my bike. The local train network isn't bad but if travel by train were free within a few miles of Southampton, I'm sure a lot more people who currently drive would get the train to Eastleigh, Romsey, Chandlers Ford, the New Forest etc. Fewer cars on the roads would not only help reduce pollution but also make for a more enjoyable experience for anyone who really does have to drive.
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