£21m for national cycle network

[tom73]

Small change given the about of money spent on other things.
But any money is a plus what real difference it will mean we will just have to see.

https://road.cc/content/news/258130-government-provides-ps21m-national-cycle-network

 

[Slick]

21 million for England's cycle network.

Still woefully inadequate.

 

[NorthernDave]

Any investment is welcome but while it sounds like a lot of money, it's a drop in the ocean compared to what is needed.

My main concern is the actual implementation, which experience shows can be patchy, shall we say?
Too much of the network isn't fit for purpose and £21million is only going to scratch the surface of that particular problem.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Spending on a quiet way . Well that will be some signs and no new infrastructure then.

 

[Cycleops]

21m won't go far but it's very welcome.

 

[biggs682]

Let's hope it happens

 

[mjr]

So that's less than a thousandth of last budget's road building spend?

Taxi for Mr Grayling, please! With the doors locked.

 

[Donger]

..... so we're worth about 32p from every head of population then. Should we be grateful?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Shows you where transport priorities lie. You invest the most in what you want to encourage.

 

[User84300]

I agree that this money is not enough for what is needed across the UK. It's alot better than nothing. But the big problem with cycling infrastructure in the UK (and some areas more than others?), is that existing paths and routes are often not maintained long term. Even just simple cleaning is neglacted sometimes. What use is a cyclepath, jf it is left overgrown with bushes, covered in smashed glass and dog doos, and nasty bramble branches? The Netherlands and other countries are sadly way ahead of the UK in this respect. If so much as just one path tile is cracked, or one sign is misaligned from sight, it is treated with priority repair within 24 hours.
I would be happy just to have sweeper trucks cleaning up glass, and half decent tarmac instead of cheap dusty construction 'recycled' gravel. I think every last penny should be put to practical everyday use, to give cyclists basics they deserve to keep them wanting to use paths.

 

[Donger]

I agree that this money is not enough for what is needed across the UK. It's alot better than nothing. But the big problem with cycling infrastructure in the UK (and some areas more than others?), is that existing paths and routes are often not maintained long term. Even just simple cleaning is neglacted sometimes. What use is a cyclepath, jf it is left overgrown with bushes, covered in smashed glass and dog doos, and nasty bramble branches? The Netherlands and other countries are sadly way ahead of the UK in this respect. If so much as just one path tile is cracked, or one sign is misaligned from sight, it is treated with priority repair within 24 hours.
I would be happy just to have sweeper trucks cleaning up glass, and half decent tarmac instead of cheap dusty construction 'recycled' gravel. I think every last penny should be put to practical everyday use, to give cyclists basics they deserve to keep them wanting to use paths.

I quite agree. On yesterday's club ride, all except one of us stayed on the road around Gloucester's Western by-pass. The one guy who stuck to the cycle path ended up picking up a puncture with a thorn through his tyre. There is often broken glass everywhere, and the thorny twigs that get blown onto the cycle path never seem to be swept away. Give it a month or two and the brambles will be growing right across it at ground level or sticking out at eye height. Half way along the by-pass a car was parked on the cycle path too, blocking the full width of it and there are often advertising boards or signs placed in the middle of it advertising car boot sales. In other places there are bus shelters taking up half the width, and you just have to trust that no-one is going to suddenly step out from behind them as you pass. No point providing them if they aren't properly maintained.

 

[User84300]

I quite agree. On yesterday's club ride, all except one of us stayed on the road around Gloucester's Western by-pass. The one guy who stuck to the cycle path ended up picking up a puncture with a thorn through his tyre. There is often broken glass everywhere, and the thorny twigs that get blown onto the cycle path never seem to be swept away. Give it a month or two and the brambles will be growing right across it at ground level or sticking out at eye height. Half way along the by-pass a car was parked on the cycle path too, blocking the full width of it and there are often advertising boards or signs placed in the middle of it advertising car boot sales. In other places there are bus shelters taking up half the width, and you just have to trust that no-one is going to suddenly step out from behind them as you pass. No point providing them if they aren't properly maintained.

I agree Donger, these are everyday hazards that don't really encourage enough people to cycle more often. Brambles are particularly nasty when at eye level or worse, hitting them in the dark. Broken glass usually originates from some thoughtless person smashing it for the sake of it, which is not good, but together with dog doos, and brambles, this should be easy for authorities to maintain once a week at least, but many just don't bother to. If such things, or worse, were to affect motor vehicles on a road, it would be taken more seriously, but I've never understood why cyclists 'roads' get less attention, in a nation such as the UK which wants to bee seen as a 'cycling leader'? Car parts like hub caps, wing mirrors, and lens glass, often find their way onto roadside cyclepaths, which are a bigger hazard to cyclists, yet can hang around for months.

 

[screenman]

So that will mean employ more people, give more away in staff benefits and keep a fiver back for a bit of tarmac.

 

[mjr]

I quite agree. On yesterday's club ride, all except one of us stayed on the road around Gloucester's Western by-pass. The one guy who stuck to the cycle path ended up picking up a puncture with a thorn through his tyre. There is often broken glass everywhere, and the thorny twigs that get blown onto the cycle path never seem to be swept away. Give it a month or two and the brambles will be growing right across it at ground level or sticking out at eye height. Half way along the by-pass a car was parked on the cycle path too, blocking the full width of it and there are often advertising boards or signs placed in the middle of it advertising car boot sales. In other places there are bus shelters taking up half the width, and you just have to trust that no-one is going to suddenly step out from behind them as you pass. No point providing them if they aren't properly maintained.

I agree but did any of you report any of those faults with it, or can Gloucestershire Council continue to plead ignorance and claim that nothing was wrong with the cycleway when they last did their monthly/quarterly/annual(delete as appropriate) inspection and no-one has reported any faults? (Claiming it was OK at last inspection is a defence they have under the Highways Acts when someone sues for damage caused by all but the worst unrepaired faults.)

If such things, or worse, were to affect motor vehicles on a road, it would be taken more seriously, but I've never understood why cyclists 'roads' get less attention, in a nation such as the UK which wants to bee seen as a 'cycling leader'?

If such things as cars blocking full width or advertising boards or signs placed in the middle were in motorists' way, then at best, loads of them would be on to the local radio whinging as well as ringing the council phones off the hook. At worst, there would be some big crashes and whatever was left on the road destroyed. But cyclists are just far too polite and quietly grumble on online forums instead of destroying things and killing people or often even phoning anyone.

 

[User84300]

mjr, I for one do report such things to authorities, sending letters and emails to them, and highlighting hazards to users. But they rarely respond. I'm not sure why you assume that I do not write to them...? There again, what more can a mere mortal cyclist do?