Drumochter to Aviemore

"Peter Main" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

It seems to me Sustrans are very good at getting cycle routes built and no good at all at looking
after them after they are finished. Parts of the route through Drumochter will deteriorate over
the next few years until it is unusable and no amount of shovelling and litter clearing on my part
will change this.>

Hi I used the Drumochter cycle path last year and at that time the surface in many places had
dangerous amount of loose gravel. I presume that is one of problems you have been unable to persuade
BEAR or the local authority to deal with. Almost all cycle routes and lanes I,ve seen in cities
(mainly Glasgow) are a waste of paint and more dangerous than the roads due to poor design. It,s a
real shame that the Drumochter cycle path, that should provide a vital safe alternative to the 80
mph dual carriageway A9, is not being maintained. Its basic design has faults such as sharp turns
and steep gradients and these combined with a loose surface make it dangerous. Have you tried making
your concerns public perhaps by a letter to local or national newspapers? You would appear to have a
good knowledge of how the maintainance system for Sustrans routes is supposed to work. cheers Iain

"Peter Main" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

After 3 years in a closed loop between Sustrans, Bear Scotland and the Scottish Executive I have
resigned as a Volunteer Ranger.

Such a pity it was forced on you in this way. We need guys like you, on the inside, fighting for us.

So thanks, and thanks for your past reports too, I hope you keep them coming. Mike

[scot.general added: I only have very limited internet access at present so am unsubbing from
uk.rec.cycling]

[Interleaved quoting: please read to end for all comments] Peter Main wrote in uk.rec.cycling:
about: Drumochter to Aviemore

Quoted message said:

After 3 years in a closed loop between Sustrans, Bear Scotland and the Scottish Executive I have
resigned as a Volunteer Ranger.

I'm sorry to hear this.

Quoted message said:

This means I can spend more time looking after the route and less time writing useless reports
that no-one reads or takes any action on. It seems to me Sustrans are very good at getting cycle
routes built and no good at all at looking after them after they are finished.

Have you spoken to the Sustrans office in Edinburgh about the situation? One of my friends actually
works there in ranger liaison and I am sure would be very concerned to hear about the problems
you're experiencing, and I'm sure he'd do his best to help.

The situation at Drumochter, as I presume you know, is a tricky one as while the route is part of
the Sustrans National Cycle Network, it was constructed by The Scottish Executive, and it is they
who are responsible for maintenance. However, subsequently, ScEx have contracted out trunk road
maintenance to a number of private companies, which is where Bear Scotland come in (or don't, by the
sound of things?).

Quoted message said:

Parts of the route through Drumochter will deteriorate over the next few years until it is
unusable and no amount of shovelling and litter clearing on my part will change this. The
authorities need a will to maintain the path.

I would strongly advise you contact Sustrans about this. If Bear are not performing appropriate
maintenance, and if ScEx are unwilling to kick them, I'm sure they'd want to know.

This is perhaps an issue that could also be raised with MSPs if there is no progress through the
ScEx officials: there are Green MSPs representing the regions the route passes through, and other
MSPs in the locale would presumably also have concerns about the issue (especially given safety
concerns and the importance of tourism to the area).

The Scottish Executive also has a Cycle Forum upon which Sustrans is represented: if you explain the
nature of the problems to Sustrans, I'm sure they can ensure that action will be taken through the
forum. CTC Scotland is also part of the Cycle Forum although their representatives (sadly) tend to
be somewhat cap-doffing and secretive - I've spent several months trying to get answers from their
committee.

Quoted message said:

I have also cancelled my Sustrans Membership. I see no reason to throw my money at keeping staff
in offices, there is plenty of lottery money to do that.

Sustrans' lottery grant ran out in 2000, yet there is still much work to be done to complete the
remaining parts of the NCN in Scotland (and elsewhere) and to further the development of the NCN
into *local* cycle networks in projects such as Safe Routes to School / Stations where Sustrans have
considerable expertise. Sustrans is by no means cash-rich as some might think!

Sustrans in Scotland has very limited staff: a manager, an engineer, a ranger coordinator, a land
manager. Everything else is done by hard-working volunteers like yourself! Your contribution would,
I am sure, be sorely missed.

David.

--
David Marsh, <reply-to-email is valid at time of writing> | Edinburgh, Scotland. [en, fr, (de)] |
web.viewport.co.ukweb.viewport.co.ukOpen ↗ | Learn usenet and netiquette: read news:news.announce.newusers |

Quoted message said:

Please interleave & trim quotes otherwise I will ignore your posts. <

begin Outlook is broken: see web.viewport.co.ukoutbreakOpen ↗ |