On Nov 28, 2:12 pm, Peter Clinch <
[email protected]> wrote:
> wafflycat wrote:
>
> > "A.C.P.Crawshaw" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >> This is dependant on topography and land use. Mountainous areas are
> >> rural but roads are generally restricted to valleys so concentrate the
> >> traffic and can be very unpleasant for cycling.
> > Having cycled in hilly bits of Scotland, England & Wales, I found
> > pleasant cycling to be had without the need for farcilities.
>
> One of these cases where you can pick and choose your geography for the
> side of the point you're making, ISTM.
>
> So, along the Carse towards Perth? very nice. Up the A9 from Perth?
> Not /my/ idea of "pleasant cycling"...
>
> In summary, there are places I really do appreciate extra infrastructure
> if it's done well, even though there are lots of places I'd much sooner
> they didn't bother.
>
> With the Perth-centric examples above, close by there are plans with
> Connect2 to put in a cycle-bridge over the Tay to Scone. That will
> avoid a rather unpleasant bit of main road with several sets of traffic
> lights and make a very good short-cut. You could try and paddle through
> the river if you preferred, but as the UK's biggest river by discharge
> volume that may not be a particularly Cunning Plan!
And indeed there is a plan to put in another cycle route between St
Madoes and Walnut Grove which will avoid having to cycle alongside the
A90. On a 1m wide pavement with no hard shoulder and lorries using
this as the main route between the South and Aberdeen.
yes there is an alternative if you want to cycle up and over Kinnoul
hill - a 1 in 5 and an ice trap in the winter.
There is also a long running issue over a new path that would provide
a link between the crossing at glendoick and the roads south of the
A90.
Campaigners want 150m of cycle path to link a minor road to this new
interchange. The HA (or their equivalent in Scotland) are bemoaning
this claiming there was no link there before hand. The fact that
previously one could (in theory) ride on the A90 and turn right in
both directions has eluded them. Now one has to either ride against
traffic on a 70mph busy road or struggle along a grass verge.
Both these links would make the Dundee - Perth corridor realistically
cycle friendly. Neither takes a huge amount of cash either. There is a
precedent with the link across the Barry Buddon range. If you have the
alternative of riding the A92 (narrow, busy, etc.) or a direct off
road smooth tarmac track that is 4m wide, ie wide enough to safely
travel in pairs in both directions at speed, there isn't really too
much decision making to be done.
What we have seen locally is a progression. Routes are established and
signed (albeit temporarily) but over time the poor bits are improved
and usage reflects this. Yes we have loads of nice minor roads that
are a joy to cycle on. It is the bits in between that need to be
targetted, the disjunctions in the system. People don't choose to not
ride because they don't have a cycle path on a quiet country lane,
they choose to not ride because they don't want to share 150m of main
road with 70mph rush hour traffic. At every meeting I have had with
the local cycle planners I have reiterated the need to remove bottle
necks. OK, route signing is good, but don't waste pots of money on
20km of unjoined white paint on pavements, spend it on things like
improving crossings over major roads and secure cycle parking.
From what I have seen of the Sustrans schemes, this is what they
propose to do. Big money allows the big projects to happen. Instead of
25k being grudgingly given by the local council to signpost a poor
route (still worthy in many cases as it highlights the possibilities
of cycle access) 250K can provide a foot/cycle bridge.
...d
