What's the best bit of cycle infrastructure in your part of the country? Multiple answers allowed .
For me, the best is the widened cycle track along St Aubin's Bay.
Pros: Now around 3m wide in most places and divided into two directions. Plenty of space to overtake and good for fast/slow cyclists alike (so everyone actually uses it, rather than more confident cyclists being in the road and less confident being on the pavement). Also stunning sea views.
Cons: Open to the elements: the headwinds can be rough on certain days and needs to close in very bad weather. Bad links across the urban D2 to neighbouring residential areas.
The best in Oxford is still the Marston Ferry Road cycle track, opened in 1971. Oxfordshire County Council hasn't built anything anywhere near as good in the last 50 years. https://goo.gl/maps/Wn5rJg5FTxuNYhr18
The BCN Mail Line is very good. Paved all the way from Brum to Wolvo. There is a small annoyance at the mo, where part of it is fenced off due to a wall that might fall down. It hasn't fallen down in the last 200 years, but 'elf & safety has decided it might. The Soho loop is a nice way to increase the distance a bit, as is a quick detour to the Edgbaston Reservoir for a lap, although you have to cross a very busy road to get to it.
The other bit I like is the Dudley Canal from Old Hill, via Bumble Hole and joining up with the Stourbridge Canal. From Bumble Hole to Stourbridge is almost like a dual carriage way.
We're very lucky in Brum and the Black Country to have the canals. As water doesn't really run uphill, most of the tow paths are dead flat.
Can you cycle through the Netherton tunnel to get between the BCN main line and the Dudley No 2 canal? Obviously the Dudley tunnel is a no-no (very narrow, no tow paths, no petrol or diesel engines).
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For me, some of the best cycling infrastructure is distinct from that provided for cars. It's obviously not always possible, but I'd much rather prefer a cycleway to be built along a bus route: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.16867 ... 760!8i2880
And it's probably telling that not being a frequent cyclist, I tend to take these routes when I cycle, and avoid ones near cars. When new cycle routes get built, they almost always seem to use existing roads. We'll know the UK has reached the level of the Dutch when new projects are built that are just cycle + public transport + footpath.
I'm not in the UK, but the best new addition to the cycling infrastructure round me is the new bridge (opened last year) over the river in central Gothenburg. The Google car has obviously gone over the car section and the cycle lane is a bit obscured, but on both sides of the bridge there is enough space for a pedestrian walkway that is wide enough for seating, plus bi-directional cycle path with each direction wide enough for essentially S4 running.
That all gets spoilt though at both ends where it descends into chaos (on the south side) and a tiny, narrow defile between a rock and the road (on the north side).
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Cycle infrastructure in Southampton is still not 100% up to scratch (still switches to shared paths at any sort of junction), but there are still good sections. However it's clear there's a political divide on cycling.
Chris Bertram wrote: ↑Fri Sep 30, 2022 22:00
Can you cycle through the Netherton tunnel to get between the BCN main line and the Dudley No 2 canal? Obviously the Dudley tunnel is a no-no (very narrow, no tow paths, no petrol or diesel engines).
Yes, you can, and people do - it's not uncommon to be boating through and see an oncoming bike light. Have to say I personally wouldn't do it though!
Chris Bertram wrote: ↑Fri Sep 30, 2022 22:00
Can you cycle through the Netherton tunnel to get between the BCN main line and the Dudley No 2 canal? Obviously the Dudley tunnel is a no-no (very narrow, no tow paths, no petrol or diesel engines).
You can ride the Netherton Tunnel, but at 2.8kms long it is very dark. You can't see the other end when you enter. There are 5 pepper pot vents which let small pools of light in, but these don't help much. It is very slippery in there too. I've pushed the bike through with a torch on the handlebars - I couldn't walk quick enough to get the dynamo lights to work. It is a pity the hydroelectic lighting doesn't work any longer. https://industrialtour.co.uk/netherton-tunnel/
I generally walk the Coseley Tunnel too. It's only about 320 metres long; you can easily see the other end, but it quite slippery too. I have visions of slipping off and the bike going under the railing into the cut.
tom66 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 01, 2022 09:16
For me, some of the best cycling infrastructure is distinct from that provided for cars. It's obviously not always possible, but I'd much rather prefer a cycleway to be built along a bus route: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.16867 ... 760!8i2880
And it's probably telling that not being a frequent cyclist, I tend to take these routes when I cycle, and avoid ones near cars. When new cycle routes get built, they almost always seem to use existing roads. We'll know the UK has reached the level of the Dutch when new projects are built that are just cycle + public transport + footpath.
The problem with cycling infrastructure remote from main traffic routes is if your destination can only be reached by a main road, and drivers wonder why you aren’t using the great new separate route.
AndyB wrote: ↑Mon Oct 03, 2022 16:10
The problem with cycling infrastructure remote from main traffic routes is if your destination can only be reached by a main road, and drivers wonder why you aren’t using the great new separate route.
Sure, for accessing properties in a city, that's an unavoidable consequence.
But I'm talking about when a new roads project is built, e.g. a bypass, sometimes a token cycle path will be thrown in next to it. Often times no cycle path at all. But very rarely do you see a project which is just about cycle infrastructure as an entirely new route. It reflects our attitude for transport which is extremely car focused.
Rillington wrote: ↑Mon Oct 03, 2022 16:49
York was a pioneer in creating a safe cycle network and was one of the first cities in the UK to build a cycleway network.
Hmmm, the perception of safety changes over time - they also came up with the Magic Roundabout as a supposedly safe design for cyclists.
For me, the best cycling infrastructure is a simple path which is separate from the roads entirely, normally you find these on old railway corridors or along rivers. Most ideally with segregated pedestrians and cyclists but that can be rare or so narrow it may as well be not segregated. Cycling infrastructure is also better when it allows a cyclist to choose their path. I notice a lot of new projects have this weird mindset that cyclists would only ever do the full length of a road or cycle lane and don't always allow access to and from side roads easily. for example, although this a lazy shared pavement which should not be praised, they at least had the foresight to add a dropped curb to allow a right turn
Debaser wrote: ↑Mon Oct 03, 2022 20:03
Hmmm, the perception of safety changes over time - they also came up with the Magic Roundabout as a supposedly safe design for cyclists.
It's honestly not a terrible idea, obviously an early try at a "dutch style" roundabout but keeping the cyclist un-segregated, I use the ones in York a lot and as long as you keep an eye around you and use hand signals, it can be vaguely safe.
The cycleway alongside the Cambridge busway is pretty good, although the surface has badly split (after the heatwave?).
The Histon Road cycle lanes are good, although the northern access from the A14 roundabout can be scary.
However I only work in Cambridge. My hometown of Ramsey has narrow, busy roads and is scarier than Cambridge. The district council think that links to nearby villages will be useful. I would be tempted by a link that went somewhere useful, but at the moment, cycling is not a safe feeling way out of town.
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