Wednesday 23 February 2011

A brand new Urban Village

We are keeping an eye one some newly proclaimed subversives, the People's Cycling Front of South Gloucestershire, whose goal is for S Gloucs to have cycle paths that the Dutch won't laugh at.

They have denounced the new cycle paths of the Tailspin housing estate between Lockleaze and the MoD as something the Dutch will laugh at, which apparently they did.

Well, let's drive out and see, as we were worried that this estate may be encouraging alternative transport instead of the joys of the A4174 ring road of a weekday evening.

Next to the sign advertising a new way of live in a Brand new Urban Village, we see a photo of a family all cycling without helmets on the path beside the estate. There are no houses in the photo as it was taken "before". There is some text in the advert about how wonderful it will be, but the ageing VW Polo hides it.

Nearby, it has that Urban Village flavour -maybe even a taste of Montpelier- as a VW Golf parks up on the pavement, some student cycles by, and the 20 mph roadsign has been twisted to one side by a passing truck.
Round the corner, as the subversives noted, yes, there is a new cycling path which is about 40 cm higher than the old one.
What has changed since last week's denunciation is the give way signs for traffic crossing this cycle path have been removed.
Nothing to fear here then. Business as usual. No happy families will be using these paths to get to the city, or even as far as crashing into the bollards by the MoD.

We hear the Cycling Front are planning a kind of competition one lunch time next week to see who can ride the path, mountain bikes with or without suspension recommended. Keep an eye on their @cyclingfront twitter feed for news.

7 comments:

David Jones said...

Why have you removed a safety barrier closing off an INCOMPLETE cycleway improvement scheme

You forgot to mention that the Road has gone as well as the Give Way signs.

Just shows how blinkered you are!

Bristol Traffic said...

No barriers were moved during this photoshoot. Someone else may have moved them, that we do not know. And yes, it is clearly incomplete, but it already appears to have issues, and that merited press coverage.

Frank Spencer said...

I trust being such a righteous person that you replaced the barrier to stop any cyclist plunging off said mountain

burtthebike said...

Hey guys, lighten up! This is South Glos where cyclists should be grateful, really really grateful for any crumbs the council deigns to bestow on us. Us cyclists aren't fit to lick the boots of the car driving councillors, what with killing thousands of people every year, polluting the planet and snarling up all the roads.

No, wait a minute......

burtthebike said...

Hey, lighten up guys! This is SGlos where us cyclists should be grateful, really, really grateful for any crumbs that the car driving councillors deign to bestow on us, and anyway, SGlos’ policies clearly put drivers first. After all, we kill thousands of people a year, pollute the planet and snarl up the roads.

No, hang on, have I got that the right way round?

Rob (Really UsefulBikes.co.uk) said...

"already appears to have issues..."
that seems a very tenious basis on which to slag off a new cycle lane...I have not seen it, but this particular blog says more about the antagonistic attitude of some, towards well meaning positive people trying to impliment a cycle scheme that will benefit the many.
As a bike rider, i am grateful (it's not a weakness to be 'grateful')that something positive is being done to encourage bike usage.
the old adage is certainly true, scarcasm is the lowest form of wit, using it for blinkered 'campaigning' is just a mastabatory excercise for a few. If the facts are there you have a story, if it's bad, its bad, but at least wait til its finished before you slag it off.

Rob (Really UsefulBikes.co.uk) said...

South Glos can confirm the reason for the difference in levels concerning the two sections of cycle path is due to the existing section that runs into Lockleaze has not been raised as of yet to meet the newly constructed section. The former was sectioned off and was not intended to be in use, however some members of the public have pushed the fencing back.
A temporary ramp has been put in to tie in the difference in levels and work to raise the existing section will start within the next few weeks.
South glos are working with Redrow the builders to ensure it is implimented as planned.
A quick and detailed response from south Glos.