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Drop Your Pace (copyright Simon MacMichael)Shock tactics employed amid fears cyclists could take over Bath canal towpath
Those who fear that improvements to a Bath canal towpath could lead to it being overrun by cyclists have been moved to shock tactics, reports the Virtual Museum of Bath blog. Posters featuring a photo of a woman’s bloodied face claim that there is ‘widespread evidence for an increase in speeding cyclists where towpath upgrades have already been done’.
The Kennet and Avon Canal towpath between Sydney Gardens and Bathampton is one of the most heavily used sections and is part of the Two Tunnels circular cycle route. Improvements to it have been made possible thanks to a successful bid for Cycle City Ambition funding by the council, which has been allocated £3.8 million over the next three years, of which £650,000 is available to undertake the works on the towpath.
However, it seems not everyone is in favour of the work. “Many cycling experts say that 2.5 metres is not wide enough for a busy shared path,” reads the poster. “The views of all canal users need to be heard.”
Accompanying this is a photograph of Judith Norris, a 76-year-old woman from Bury in Lancashire, who had four teeth knocked out after being knocked to the ground by a cyclist on a Wigan canal path in May. The poster also urges people to attend two upcoming consultations on the proposals: on Friday, August 28 at Bathampton Village Hall from 2pm to 8pm and on Saturday, August 29 at the New Oriel Hall in Larkhall between 10am and 5pm.
In announcing the consultations, Councillor Anthony Clarke, Cabinet Member for Transport, said:
“Bath and North East Somerset Council has been awarded a significant amount of money by Government for this project and so we are keen to ensure it is spent in a way which benefits all users of the towpath. We will therefore be consulting carefully with residents and towpath users on these proposals before final plans are agreed.”
Mark Evans, waterway manager at the Canal and River Trust emphasised that despite the money being from the Cycle City Ambition funding, the project was not just about making the towpath better for cyclists. “It will give us a hard-wearing surface that’ll last for years and allow everyone easier access to the canal. I’d encourage anyone who’s interested in the plans to come down to the event in August to find out more.”
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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The width of the path is crucial. Even Sustrans say that 2.5m is not wide enough.
According to their Handbook for cycle-friendly design*, for an unsegregated urban shared use path the requirement is "3.0m on all main cycle routes".
Also: "Where high usage is expected...a width of 4m is preferred."
*http://www.sustrans.org.uk/news/new-handbook-cycle-friendly-design
We probably all agree with the above but if you've got a canal on one side of the path and a river/retaining wall/railway on the other side and there's only 2.5m between them then you ain't gonna get a 4m wide path!
Make the canal narrower. Seriously. Loads more pedestrians and cyclists than boats. And the cost is absolutely nothing compared to widening roads or building new light rail etc.
Hmmm perhaps they should go back and re-do NCN41 then... it's ridiculously narrow where it passes alongside and goes under the Golden Valley Bypass (A40 between Gloucester and Cheltenham) and has a nasty surface that becomes a mudbath when it rains or has loose gravel when dry... plus has barriers that are impassable to anyone not on a mountain bike and a slope in places that would seriously disadvantage anyone not completely fit and hale...
try this:
20150409_161842.jpg
I'm heavily involved in this unfortunately (CycleBath Chair). All UK towpaths are being upgraded based on the CRT's "Better Towpaths for Everyone" policy as they get sources of money. https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/news-and-views/news/new-policy-aims-to-gi...
Expect all 2000 miles of towpaths to be upgraded over the coming 10-20 years.
The real issue is not that towpaths are getting a new 4 season surface, but that people are "forced" onto the towpaths because they do not want to ride on A roads with HGVs doing 50+mph.
In Bath and North East Somerset 21.6% of people ride a bike every month. That's around 39,812 people per month. This is putting immense pressure onto traffic free shared paths like towpaths. We need to relieve that pressure by getting on road protected cycle tracks (not just paint) and away from shared paths (and the fact people are pavement cycling because the roads are so sh*t).
I'd suggest everyone write to their local councillor. They really do not hear enough from people that cycle.
No seriously it rarely comes up so it's de-prioritised.
Is that true? I've always not bothered because I figures it won't make much difference but I suppose that is a bit of a silly attitude to take.
The previous council cycle champion said that most councillors do not get any letters in support of cycling. People that cycle really do need to shout about it to their councillors almost on a monthly basis.
I had a look at the upgrade to the canal towpath between Leeds and Shipley. There's clearly quite a lot of strong feeling about the way the work has been done (and what hasn't been done) among people who use it regularly, as you'll see from the comments under the article http://hedgehogcycling.co.uk/shipley-to-leeds-on-leeds-liverpool-canal-c...
There's no harm in the Canal & River Trust balancing the needs of different users. There is a problem if - as some commenters clearly think - they are fundamentally anti-cycling, and are using cycling money to inconvenience cyclists.
In an ideal world where land is readily available, 2.5m may indeed not be wide enough for a busy shared use path.
However, where space is at a premium and 2.5m wide is the maximum available due to physical restraints, the existing path is already a busy shared way and money is available to improve it then it makes sense to consult interested bodies and come up with the best possible scheme within the available parameters.
Hopefully the cycling interests input will produce something more bike friendly but don't get bogged down by the 2.5m thing if the physical constraints can offer nothing more.
I don't like towpaths as primary cycle routes. Fine, allow cycling along them, but provide a better parallel route nearby
I'm no expert, but 2.5 metres is not wide enough for a busy shared path
Shared paths are pretty stupid
If it is anything like the canal towpath works taking place in Leeds, the money will be spent on speedbumps, gravel surfaces and other things that make cycling less, rather than more, pleasant. Canal and Rivers Trust have a long history of taking money designated for promoting cycling, and spending it on things that make life miserable for cyclists.
Actually, I think most government (and many non government organisations) have 'a long history of taking money designated for promoting cycling, and spending it on things that make life miserable for cyclists'... I draw your attention, M'lud, to Exhibit A ("Bedford Turbo roundabout").
So long as they could paint a cycle symbol somewhere on it, many councils would be happy to use cycling funding on an f-ing motorway!
That said, 'they' are right that 2.5 metres is not wide enough for a busy shared path.
Exactly, they pulled the same thing on Lea Valley canal, nasty gritty path that you can't stop quickly on which is utterly stupid - it's makes it far more dangerous for cyclists, pedestrians and pets. And in the summer horrible gritty dust flies everywhere, getting on your face and in your eyes and hair. Also causes endless punctures, nothing stops the little bits of flint-like stone from working their way into your tyres, forget tuffy tape, gatorskins etc.
100% anti-cyclist nastiness.
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