Cycling recognised?

[snorri]

There has been an amazing about turn if this statement from Keith Brown is to be believed.
http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/business/scots-urged-to-get-out-and-about-by-bike-1-2713934

We live in hope.

 

[Nebulous]

There has been an amazing about turn if this statement from Keith Brown is to be believed.
http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/business/scots-urged-to-get-out-and-about-by-bike-1-2713934

We live in hope.

I understood he was a cyclist anyway?

I've just spotted this as well. Funding is good if it is spent wisely!

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Yes, it was also on the radio.
Thing is, better cycling facilities are great, but who's gonna pay to maintain them?
A traffic free path permanently impassable because of broken glass is sort of useless.

 

[snorri]

.
Thing is, better cycling facilities are great, but who's gonna pay to maintain them?
A traffic free path permanently impassable because of broken glass is sort of useless.

You've taken the words out of my mouth!
Transport Scotland has had no programme of routine maintenance on existing routes in my locality for years now, and their contractor ignores complaints from users. T/S were unable to provide me with any understandable information regarding the specification of the quality of work expected of their contractors. When I asked an official of T/S why the Performance Audit Group (who monitor contractor performance) were failing to comment on the poor state of paths, I was told that "it would take too long to inspect the routes", so they don't inspect them!
£3.9 million over two years is a pathetic sum.

 

[Nebulous]

You've taken the words out of my mouth!
Transport Scotland has had no programme of routine maintenance on existing routes in my locality for years now, and their contractor ignores complaints from users. T/S were unable to provide me with any understandable information regarding the specification of the quality of work expected of their contractors. When I asked an official of T/S why the Performance Audit Group (who monitor contractor performance) were failing to comment on the poor state of paths, I was told that "it would take too long to inspect the routes", so they don't inspect them!
£3.9 million over two years is a pathetic sum.

It's an extra 3.9 from 200 million additional capital spend - so cycling is getting almost 2% of it.

I quite agree on cycle path maintenance though. Even with the latest flooding with crap strewn all over the road, it disappeared very quickly from the road, but lingered for a long time on the cycle path.

In contrast I was in a rural part of France on holiday with a very good and well developed network of cycle paths through the trees, entirely traffic-free. I was out on an early morning ride before 7 one day and spotted an orange flashing light on the path. I was baffled about what it could be and when I came closer I realised it was a tractor with a big cleaner device behind it, sweeping the path!

 

[snorri]

It's an extra 3.9 from 200 million additional capital spend - so cycling is getting almost 2% of it.

According to Spokes, it is 1.01%, http://www.spokes.org.uk/wordpress/2012/12/christmas-cheer/
and there is no promise to even maintain that low level of support in the longer term.

In contrast I was in a rural part of France on holiday with a very good and well developed network of cycle paths

It's not just France, the UK is bumping along near the bottom of the Euro countries league when it comes to giving support for cycling.

 

[Kookas]

According to Spokes, it is 1.01%, http://www.spokes.org.uk/wordpress/2012/12/christmas-cheer/
and there is no promise to even maintain that low level of support in the longer term.



It's not just France, the UK is bumping along near the bottom of the Euro countries league when it comes to giving support for cycling.

We're not alone, though. Germany and Austria have made efforts, but their solutions are terrible, too. Basically, shared use paths everywhere, and they're mandatory. I had a few close calls as a pedestrian with bikes travelling at somewhere near 20mph back when I visited Berlin, because the only thing telling you where the bike lane is is a white line - there's no step at all.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

We're not alone, though. Germany and Austria have made efforts, but their solutions are terrible, too. Basically, shared use paths everywhere, and they're mandatory. I had a few close calls as a pedestrian with bikes travelling at somewhere near 20mph back when I visited Berlin, because the only thing telling you where the bike lane is is a white line - there's no step at all.

Meanwhile in Heidelberg the bikes have taken over! I actually felt sorry for car drivers over there.
They (my family in Heidelberg) tell me there has been a public outcry for cyclists to follow the rules of the road instead of expecting other traffic to give way to them