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Regent's CanalPetition asks Google Maps to stop routing cyclists along busy Regent's Canal towpath
A petition asking Google Maps to re-route cyclists away from Regent's Canal has been launched to ease pressure on the UK's busiest stretch of towpath.
The petition asks that the at times narrow towpath, which carries around 500 people on foot and bikes per hour in peak times, is downgraded by Google Maps to a 5mph travelling speed so it is no longer seen as a "quick" route.
Towpaths are often favoured because they are traffic-free, but, petitioner Ben Hamblin says, can become intimidating for pedestrians when cyclists use them as fast short cuts or commuter routes.
However, Hamblin, who appears to be concerned about the busy East London section, may have quite a fight on his hands, not least because, further west, Westminster City Council plans on routing one of its Quietways along the Regent's Canal.
Hamblin, who is pictured on the petition on a narrow boat near Broadway Market, writes: "Google maps favours the towpath as a cycle path in London and surrounding areas over quiet back roads. Whilst many cyclists plan routes using the Google maps platform, this seems to have resulted in an increased usage of the towpath by cyclists in recent years."
He says this is an issue because the towpath is narrow, with uneven surfaces, and low bridges and is home to a growing number of boaters, who "walk off boats onto the towpath and are met unexpectedly by bikes".
He says: "Many cycles travel dangerously fast on the towpath endangering people, children and dogs. Downgrading the towpath so that it is not a favourable route on Google maps will result in less cycles using the towpath and encountering these dangers."
The Canal and River Trust, which manages the Regents Canal, points out cyclists should give way to pedestrians when using the towpath, as the more vulnerable path user.
However, cyclist behaviour is an ongoing theme on this popular route, and this isn't the first time concerns have been raised about cycling speeds along the Regent's Canal towpath - a petition was launched last year asking Hackney Council to improve conditions on surrounding roads to help cyclists use alternative routes safely. The Council is resurfacing an adjacent road on one stretch of towpath near Broadway Market, which may encourage more cyclists to use that instead.
Last year Mayoral hopeful Christian Wolmar, said: "The canal is becoming too crowded to have very many cyclists and it is a problem." He said though a safe alternative is needed, there aren't many options available unless cyclists become a priority at junctions near the canal.
In its quietway consultation Westminster City Council describes Regents Canal as "an established cycling and walking route." As part of the Regents Park quietway "minor improvements" will be made by the Canal and River Trust, including upgrading surfaces and removing guard railing.
Laura Laker is a freelance journalist with more than a decade’s experience covering cycling, walking and wheeling (and other means of transport). Beginning her career with road.cc, Laura has also written for national and specialist titles of all stripes. One part of the popular Streets Ahead podcast, she sometimes appears as a talking head on TV and radio, and in real life at conferences and festivals. She is also the author of Potholes and Pavements: a Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network.
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20 comments
A petition for decent segregated cycle infrastructure on roads nearby would be more effective in reducing faster commuter riders on the cannel path.
doubt it, there are some VERY odd decisions made when it comes to spending money.
http://a417missinglink.co.uk/
I know this is road infrastructure, but despite the number of deaths and injuries and the fact the problem has been ongoing for 20 years, very little has been done.
What hope for a bunch of cyclists getting a new cyclepath when they can't even sign off a road.
Surely they could just tarmac over the canal...
Nastiest crash I've seen was a women speeding (way too fast) on a bike on the canal path next to Victoria Park
A startled pedestrian put his hands up in front of him to protect himself, she collided with him, went over the bars and head first into the canal path, knocking herself clean out and losing a number of teeth in the process.
The screaming when she came round, spraying blood out of her mouth, is something I will never forget. A number of cyclists who had stopped to help started blaming the pedestrian, I'd seen the entire thing from where I had stopped in Victoria Park and set them straight, then waited and helped the ambulance crew find her location.
I love the canal paths, but rarely ride down them, as I've had too many near misses with cyclists who are riding extremely quickly, and should temper their speed to suit the narrow, shared-nature of the canal path
Personally I don't think a speed limit is the answer (and certainly not at 5mph as I run faster than that and don't want a ticket) but it would make the path a lot safer if some sort of traffic calming was put in place to slow cyclists as they approach the very narrow single file bridges like Kingsland Road. 2 weeks ago I saw a cyclist end up in the canal having ridden a little to quickly under that bridge only to find a double buggy coming the other way...
I don't see any reason why the canal trust shouldn't allow for the floating pontoons (used at Kings Cross sections while development is underway) shouldn't be used on a more permanent basis to allow more space for cyclists. It works fine while development progresses - what's the reason for not using it on a more widespread basis?
And of course there's the ever present elephant in the room - vehicle users in the UK are still permitted to drive where they like - when they like and how they like?
Is there really no-one in the UK prepared to stand up to the scourge of the age? Other cities are progressing towards sanity.
The UK is expected to take 50 years to catch up with The Netherlands.
I don't think there's a proposal for a 5mph limit. The proposal seems to be for Google Maps to use a 5mph estimated speed when calculating journey times involving the towpath. That would lead to it displaying a lot less routes using the towpath, since its programmed to choose the quickest route, other things being equal.
Hallelujah, someone who gets it.
At what point is someone going to point out google maps is editable by users, so he could have done this himself
That hasn't been the case since spring, and won't be back until they've finished a new moderation system. The only people editing Google maps now are Google employees.
Maybe the canal boat owners could look first before they step onto the tow path? They'd be less likely to be surprised that way.
I think the 5mph limit is unworkable. But given the towpath's limited capacity, there should be some ground rules on looking out for other users.
There are aren't there? Pedestrians are supposed to have right of way. It's just that many cyclists don't like the rules, so they don't respect them.
Will they be monitoring runners too? They're as much a pest as anyone else from my experience. Often they they have no curtesy as they storm through pedestrians and cyclists alike....and will likely exceed 5mph.
The tow path is shit (sometimes quite literally) for cycling on: broken surface, narrow, barriers, covered in glass litter and shit, and populated by long dog-leads, lost tourists, and cyclists trying to avoid the motor traffic above.
It really doesn't need to be like this. It could be resurfaced, it could be widened.
Petitioning Google Maps doesn't solve these problems.
It's good in the winter. But not in summer for sure. One lady took her bike with a cart on the front in which she had her kids. It basically caused a massive jam as no one could get passed her when she went under the bridges.
The surface is awful too.
Coming from a canal boat owner makes me laugh though. These guys pay minimal tax, and most don't pay a mooring fee and most definitely no council tax, but because it bothers their way of life they decide they want a say....I rather think they should enjoy the costs if they want that.
.
Are you sure you want to take the "No representation without taxation" stance so beloved of ill-informed motorists? Because it strikes me as a very two-faced attitude.
In any event, law abiding narrowboat owners do pay council tax, and are liable for all the other forms of taxation that are levied in the UK. Unless you are making a specific allegation with supporting evidence you should probably be a little more circumspect.
Given that mooring in London is so expensive most of the canal users do not even pay these, they may pay the £555 to use the waterways, but there is no compulsion for them to pay Council Tax. Let me know where the Council would be expected to send the bill and I'll get the ball rolling.....
The point is that while I pay my taxes (including vehicle emissions tax) it seems quite rich that those who choose to drop out of rat race to avoid the costs we all face decide that they want to change things because they don't suit them. It's a hypocrisy. I would have more truck if came from a group that actually contributed to the area.
It's nothing like vehicle emissions tax because that's a tax on emissions . The waterways pays for the considerable upkeep of the canals (removing weeds and rubbish). If they were sending bikes through the water I could understand. But it is the Councils that foot the bill for the towpaths, so if they want to send cyclists down them then if that suits them why should a canal boat owner who is meant to bugger off every two weeks a) be bothered, or b) have a particular say over the tax payers that live there?
So the people who choose not to "Pay the costs we all face" for housing, don't get houses. Sounds fair to me. As for moorings, some are residential and therefore attract council tax, which is sent to the occupier of the boat on the mooring. So, they pay council tax, they live in the area. Whether that counts as sufficient "contribution" I'll leave to you.
Continous cruisers (who moor on visitor moorings) should move every two weeks, if they don't - feel free to report them to the Canals and Rivers Trust. I don't advocate law breaking.
Sounds to me like the original proposal is a balanced one, no one is being banned, no limits are being imposed - Google is merely being asked not to raise cycling commuters hopes of getting to work on time by suggesting a route which is busy, mixed used and poorly maintained (by the council). Surely that would lead to less stress all round?
BTW £555 would be the license fee for a very small boat, current charges are here https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/media/library/8937-licence-fees-2015-2016...
Is Google maps really to blame for the extra traffic?
And do these people never stop to ask why so many cyclists choose to ride on a towpath? As if they look forward to mixing it with families, dog walkers etc.
This is stating the bleedin' obvious, but shouldn't petitioners should be asking why cyclists don't like using the roads? Why not work together and ask the Council to fix the conditions on those as a priority? This would help both parties.