@IWRATS, I have been using the cycleway uphill (southbound) from the London Road junction through to Greenside Row ever since it was complete (construction-wise, anyway), and I've certainly seen quite a few people also using it. I for one will be glad to see the barriers removed along there.
It is far preferable, in my opinion, rather than having to slog up the hill there on the road.
Merging back on to the road at the Greenside Row junction itself sort of works just now, while there is much less car traffic and very few people walking. However, the "official" almost useless narrow merge point before the junction (it's not really a merge as you just get ejected into a lane probably full of other traffic rather into an on-road stretch of cycle lane, and so can't really use it safely without stopping to check behind you, and at least partly blocking the cycleway itself) is rubbish, and trying to fight through a sea of shoppers or festivallians at the unsegregated section at the junction When Things Are Back To Normal will be an absolute nightmare «sigh». If it wasn't for those parts, I'd be happy with this route, at least.
Downhill it is still far too much fun to whizz downhill and just stay on the road, but that of course is no good if you are the proverbial 8 year old or novice. Coming out of Broughton St will also still be rubbish, and I really can't see anyone bothering to follow the "official" route from there through the Island of The Dead, not to mention that Broughton St itself is also a bit of a narrow and busy slog for the less experienced.
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