Sign this route
This route should be signed. It's a very nice quiet bicycle-walking connection between Liberton and Gilmerton, but very difficult to find, especially the footpaths between all the curved bits of Malbet Park/Wynd.
This section lists issues - problems on the street network and related matters.
Issues always relate to some geographical location, whether very local or perhaps city-wide.
You can create a new issue using the button on the right.
Listed issues, most recent first:
Created by Stephan Matthiesen // 0 threads
This route should be signed. It's a very nice quiet bicycle-walking connection between Liberton and Gilmerton, but very difficult to find, especially the footpaths between all the curved bits of Malbet Park/Wynd.
Created by Stephan Matthiesen // 1 thread
Cycle lanes in both directions needs urgent improvment. It's painted on but
- it is far too narrow, encouraging dangerous overtaking
- road surface in the gutter (=cycle lane) extremely bad, with deep&wide cracks, most covers have sunken etc.
- paint has faded
- parking (near the schools)
Many sections of Gilmerton Rd have hatching in the centre, wasting space; these sections would be wide enough for a segregated path (or wide lane protected by bollards/armadillos).
In the narrower sections, the existing bike lane should be removed completely because at the moment it increases the dangers (encouraging cyclists to be in the gutter between kerb and speeding cars).
Created by Stephan Matthiesen // 0 threads
Drum Street is very narrow in Gilmerton, many shops and pedestrians. Should really be included in 20mph.
Created by chdot // 1 thread
Longstanding issue about 'optimum' design, particularly to reduce conflict caused by vehicles turning from Teviot Pl due to signal phases.
Created by Rosie Downes // 5 threads
Transport for London's public consultation on Cycle Superhighway 1 is open from 16 February to 29 March. The LCC office has set up this thread to facilitate discussion of the proposals.
Created by Stephan Matthiesen // 1 thread
Cars and buses southbound often cut the corner at the traffic lights (road bends to left), driving over the cycle lane.
The cycle lane leads up to the lights but ends there and restarts some distance along the road.
It is dangerous because drivers think that cyclists are out of the way in their own lane, even larger vehicles overtake here without realising that they easily move into the bike lane. Attached a photo where that happened to me, on 21 October 2014, the bus overtook and cut me off, I had to slam the brakes in order not to be squashed.
The bike lane should be clearly separated here, bypassing the traffic lights completely.
Created by Stephan Matthiesen // 0 threads
Drivers often cut the corner at the Bank of Scotland, driving over the cycle lane. The current layout encourages drivers to overtake without giving people on bicycles the necessary distance. Parking is also a dangerous problem here.
It would be easy to install plastic highway bollards here along the cycle lane which would encourage drivers not to encroach on the cycle lane.
Created by Stephan Matthiesen // 1 thread
Very difficult to cross here, coming from Brunstane Burn Walkway to turn right towards Musselburgh.
The timing of the traffic lights seems to be such that there is almost always traffic from one direction, so one often has to wait for very long here.
Created by Stephan Matthiesen // 0 threads
Lady Rd needs a segregated cycle path uphills. It's very steep uphills with dense&fast traffic, and it is particularly difficult to turn right.
Created by Stephan Matthiesen // 0 threads
Apparently it is not possible to close the road to through-traffic, but it could be significantly discouraged by making it a less convenient ratrun.
I suggest at the entrance to the carpark of Inch House the road could be changed to create a very tight corner. This would not affect people going to Inch House from either direction, but it would make it less convenient to drive through, and slow down the cars (there is a blind corner behind the house).
Created by Stephan Matthiesen // 1 thread
The road through Inch Park has a lot of very high/short speed bumps which are total bone-shakers for people on bicycles - dunno how many eggs I have broken cycling home from the shopping centre.
I realise aggressive speed bumps are there to remind drivers of the 10mph speed limit.
Perhaps they could be changed to have a gap or a shallower ramp in the centre so that they are easier on bicycles. Some actually have pothole repairs which essentially created such a ramp and they are much nicer.
Presumably this would also be better for users of mobility scooters.
Created by edge // 1 thread
When approaching this junction from the East on Widney Lane (and possibly other directions as well), the traffic lights do not detect the presence of waiting cycles.
Since the default priority at this junction is for traffic on the Blossomfield Rd / Marshall Lake Road axis, this means that cycles heading from Widney Lane to Longmore Road have to wait indefinitely to cross the junction.
In busy times this is not a problem, because a waiting car will trigger the traffic lights to change.
However, at quiet times this effectively means cycles cannot cross this junction legally at all. I have experimentally waited more than 5 minutes for the lights to change. Unless a car comes to trigger the change, cyclists are stuck.
This "bike-blindness" built into the road signalling infrastructure is unfortunately not uncommon. As well as being inconvenient for and disrespectful of cyclists, it reinforces the notion that bicycles are second-class road-users - indeed that they do not really belong on the road at all.
Created by Stephan Matthiesen // 0 threads
It would be great to have a pedestrian/bicycle entrance in the South East corner of Kings Buildings. This would be of much benefit to everybody coming from the south, as you can avoid the steep, busy Mayfield Road.
Created by Stephan Matthiesen // 0 threads
The shared footpath under the bypass ends at the bottom of Loanhead Rd and then there is no suitable connection into the Straiton Retail Park area.
Loanhead Rd is very steep with fast cars. Straiton Rd is fast dual road with unconnected bits of narrow painted cycle lanes. Both are total barriers for other than high-risk extreme sports enthusiasts. No way families could cycle to the shopping centre here.
The connections into Edinburgh (Burdiehouse Burn, or the new Loanhead-Lasswade path) are actually really good, so it's particularly sad that you're dumped in a car hell on the last few hundred metres.
Created by Stephan Matthiesen // 0 threads
Need considerably more bicycle parking at the shopping centre. The few racks here are often overfull.
Created by Stephan Matthiesen // 0 threads
Need proper bike parking in front of Summerhall. Bikes chained to the guardrails are a hazard for pedestrians.
Some should be right at the entrance, some more could be at the front of Summerhall Square (please not tugged away somewhere at the back of Summerhall Square where it would be perfect for thieves).
Created by Stephan Matthiesen // 0 threads
Contraflow bike lane in Salisbury Rd for easier access from Southside to Commonwealth Pool, Pollock Halls and Holyrood Park.
Created by Stephan Matthiesen // 0 threads
Contraflow here would make it much easier to get from Pleasance and Geography Dept in Drummond Street to South Bridge and avoid the uphills detour to Hill Place.
Created by Stephan Matthiesen // 0 threads
Contraflow bike lane to make it easier to get from University to East Crosscauseway (St Leonhards, Innocent etc.) and St Patrick Square.
Created by Stephan Matthiesen // 0 threads
Make more pedestrian friendly and discourage car use. There has been a fatal collision in 2012 but near hits are common.
Remove the fence around the garden, or add additional entrances on all four corners, to open it up and enable pedestrians to use the garden to cross the square in East-West direction and diagonally. At the moment it doesn't have an exit in the west, making it a dead end and barrier for people moving between Nicolson St and Potterrow.
The pavement on the south (from Mosque kitchen to the libanese restaurant) are far too narrow. Double yellow lines regularly ignored, creating blind corners, making it difficult for pedestrians to cross.
Marshall Street should be narrowed considerably to one lane, as it's really only used for a few bus lines, no need to have two fairly wide lanes here. The southern pavement far too narrow, but it is very busy with pedestrians.
It is used a lot as ratrun between Nicolson Street and Potterrow.
Created by Stephan Matthiesen // 0 threads
These racks are too close to the wall so you can't actually lean a bicycle against them in a stable way.
Also why only so few in such a central and busy location?
Created by Stephan Matthiesen // 0 threads
Need much more bicycle parking here, also to access Nicolson Street.
Created by Stephan Matthiesen // 0 threads
The whole area is a barrier, there are no connections between North Bridge, St Andrews Sq/George St and top of Leith Walk without lot of bus/taxi/confused private car drivers and cyclist-blender junctions.
Created by Stephan Matthiesen // 0 threads
Cobbles, tarmac patches etc almost impossible to cycle on.
These streets are key connections between centre and the Innocent Path.
Created by Dawes Jaguar // 1 thread
A cycle path built here would complete this proposed route segment: http://www.pushbikes.org.uk/location/bournville-3
This map shows all issues, whether points, routes, or areas:
The most popular issues, based on the number of votes:
Created by Andrew Woodward // 1 thread
Travelling south from North Road to Manor Road; you have to negotiate Manor Circus - the only crossing is a zebra crossing; followed by narrow pavement; which forces a dismount. Could the southern pavement be widened by extending it out over the former gasworks site?
A community consultation 'The Barnes Ponder' in October 2013 has show strong support for making Barnes a 20 mph neighbourhood .
“20mph is plenty enough speed on the roads!”
Created by Steve Crapper // 1 thread
This planning application is a revised version of a previous application that would have infilled the disused railway beneath Buttermilk lane bridge, preventing the disused railway becoming a vital new greenway between Bolsover and Poolsbrook country Park (extending the existing Stockley Trail)
The revised application has changed from infill to ramps, but this forces an unnecessary road crossing, when an underpass is perfectly feasible
please object on this basis if you are able . our campaign has created a Facebook page called "build the Stockley Extension"
Bolsover
Application reference : 18/00178/FUL
Created by Matthew Phillips // 1 thread
The route on the east side of the A167 past Crossgate Moor and Framwellgate Moor crosses a number of roundabouts. The cycle-path leads you across the roads very close to the roundabout, via the central refuge in the middle of the road. Some of these roads have two lane entry to the roundabout. Crossing both lanes at once is tricky as you have to have an eye on whether the traffic is about to move out onto the roundabout. If you have a longer vehicle, such as a bus, waiting, then the route to the refuge is blocked. There are no road markings to warn motorists that cyclists might be expected.
The route is probably going to be improved as part of the Great North Cycleway. If these roundabouts are to be made safe enough for children to use, major alterations will be required. (The route goes past Durham Johnston School so should be available to children.) The route should cross further from the mouth of the roundabout, preferably on a different-coloured surface, maybe raised.
Created by Jack Thurston // 0 threads
Cycle route 42 along Castle Street requires cyclists to make an absurd off-road detour around the castle grounds and through an industrial estate to rejoin the routes east of the town centre at Holywell Road.
This could be avoided if cycling were allowed in a south-west to north-east direction on Lower Castle Street. Ideally this narrow street should be a walking/cycling only street, or a cycling contraflow could be introduced, though the narrowness of the street makes this a second-best solution.
Created by Jamie // 1 thread
At the moment it is possible to cycle from Cambridge Road, near Madingley, to Girton, on a bridleway that crosses over the A428 and then passes under the M11 at the Girton Interchange. You can then cross three roads (A1307) and reach a pavement on the North-East side of the Interchange. Using the pavement you can then reach Washpit Lane and cycle up towards Girton. (The pavement is marked as a shared-use route on the OSM Cycle map, although I am not sure that it really is.)
Apart from having to be careful when crossing the A1307 junction it is a rather pleasant route to ride.
The Girton Interchange is being "improved" to reduce the bottleneck for cars. Does anyone know what plans there are to ensure that the current route through remains open and whether there are plans to improve the bridleway route through? Or will this be another example of roads being developed to the detriment of footpaths/bridleways.
Created by Charlie Halliday // 1 thread
Notices have recently been put up by the Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership on the section of the Blackwater Valley Path which passes through Hollybush Lakes near North Camp station.
Although there is a legal agreement to use this stretch as a footpath, there has never been one to permit cycling there and the owner is quite within his rights.
This is not a historic route, there is no sign of it on my 1956 OS map.
The Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership is trying to resolve this but the cycling route may have to be diverted.
Martin Lucas-Smith // 4 threads
London Cycling Campaign has reorientated its policy towards a 'Go Dutch' approach.
This aims to learn from best practice abroad rather than continuing with the 'hierarchy of provision' that, in 20 years in the UK, has arguably failed to deliver meaningful change.
This is an overarching issue for conceptual discussion of this issue.
Created by Andrew Woodward // 1 thread
Providing a cycle-friendly surface on the path from Meadlands Drive to the road serving the German School and the Polo Club would improve cycling access to Strathmore and Russell Schools and help provide a better quiet route from Meadlands Drive area towards Richmond - providing more/better options for avoiding the busy Petersham Road.
Meeting with Leeds City Council to discuss possible remedial works due to high casualty rates.
Created by chdot // 1 thread
Longstanding issue about 'optimum' design, particularly to reduce conflict caused by vehicles turning from Teviot Pl due to signal phases.
Created by David Earl // 4 threads
There are some evil short grey posts on the busway cycleway that are really hard to see in the dark. I have heard of a number of people hitting them with disastrous consequences
Over the past couple of years of regularly cycling between Waterbeach and Cambridge on NCN11 I have noticed that the path between Waterbeach and Baits Bite Lock is in really bad repair and is getting gradually worse. I have been in touch with the council to ask them to repair it, and they told me that as far as they are concerned the path is only a footpath, and they have no obligation to maintain it to a standard suitable for bikes. Sustrans tells me they have no responsibility for maintaining that section of the route, and that the council should be responsible for it.
It seems absurd to allow the path to fall into total disrepair, but at the moment it doesn't seem like anyone recognises any obligation for its upkeep.
I am happy to go out occasionally with some secateurs and chop off the more annoying bits of greenery, but the path needs resurfacing and that feels a bit beyond me!
Does anyone have any experience with this sort of problem? Have they come across it on other sections of the NCN?
Created by Rosalind Lund // 1 thread
further to the piece in newsletter 128, I wonder if any thought has been given to the difficulty of turning right into Emmanuel Street if you are coming towards the town centre from St Andrew's Street? We go fairly often to the Arts Cinema and this is the obvious way for us to go home, but it is impossible to turn right on the correct side of the bollard at present as it is designed only for left turning cycles coming out of town. There is, however, nothing to suggest that such a right turn is illegal.
Create an off-road route along the railway line out to the east, which could ultimately form a route out to Collin.
Created by Andrew Woodward // 0 threads
Westbound cycle lane is painted about 2m out from the kerb for no reason; child cyclists tend to follow paint rather than the common sense option which is to cycle next to the kerb.
Created by Andrew Woodward // 2 threads
Ham Gate Avenue: As you cycle past parked vehicles which narrow the road by almost half you are trapped in a long tunnel. Impatient motorists who want to enter from the other end do so and simply drive at you forcing you practically into the gutter or off the road completely. Would it be ever possible to ban parking on this avenue and limit the speed to 20mph as it is in the park?
Note - there is a shared use segregated track alongside the road here (part of NCN 4) but it is frequently too narrow to cope with the volumes of cyclists and pedestrians; it is overhung with low tree branches and the surface is poor.
Created by Katja Leyendecker // 1 thread
The (draft / emerging) 1Core Strategy seems to hint at a bus loop (Policy UC7) and a motor vehicle "ring road" (Policy UC9) too. It mentions pedestrian routes but there's no mention of cycle routes. See attached photo. (I didn't mark up the map, as it might become a tad too messy)
The "ring road" is just like Scott / esde84 described before http://newcycling.org/space4cycling/part2 (in comments)
The photo in the attachment is from "Newcastle Proposals Map" listed here http://onecorestrategyng-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal/examination_library (not sure how long thi link will stay live, link rot may happen)
Created by Robin Heydon // 2 threads
The Landbeach Parish Council would like the bridgeway from Landbeach to Cambridge to be upgraded to a cycleway.
Created by Shaun McDonald // 0 threads
The traffic lights at Eagle Street were timed such that travelling eastbound you would always get caught at the second set unless you were extremely fast setting off. After discussions with the council and it brought up at the Sustainability Forum by Cllr Smart, it was fixed to increase the length of time that those lights were green, and was great as you always knew you could get through the second set of lights without having to wait unless you just went through the earlier ones just before they went red.
However over the past few days the signal timing has changed back to the older timing where the probability of getting through the second set is virtually nil. In an ideal world they would be phased such that the first set would go green, then the second set would go green several seconds later at the point where you would be arriving at them, rather than having them change to green almost at the same time.
Created by HankChief // 0 threads
There needs to be a ramped access to the school grounds at this point to replace or bypass the 6 steps currently there.
This would not only improve access to the school but also improve connection between the East Craigs Path Network and North Gyle and the only toucan crossing on the A8 in Edinburgh on Dechmont Road.
Created by Andrew Woodward // 0 threads
Railway footbridge should have a ramp/trough added to make it easier for cyclists to cross the railway. This would then create a quiet north/south route to Marshgate school as an alternative to Manor Road.
Created by Matthew Phillips // 1 thread
If you follow NCN 7/14/70 through Durham from west to east, then after crossing Pennyferry bridge and proceeding south towards Fleshergate you find a no entry sign which adds "Cyclists dismount". There ought to be a contraflow cycle lane on this one way street. Round the corner just further on there is a contraflow lane!
Update, 3rd May 2016.
The road layout has been changed in conjunction with the new office blocks at Freeman's Reach. The road was previously wide enough to be two-way, apart from the problem of the bays for coaches to offload tourists. Now the pavement has been extended to enclose the bays, and the main carriageway is much narrower. What had been ordinary footway further along is now a ramp up to the office doors, with the footway now taking the place of part of the previous carriageway. There is a shared-use sign on the pavement, if you are travelling north, but "cyclists give way to pedestrians" has been added, as though they are aware that the space is not really wide enough. On the reverse of the sign is a "cyclists dismount" sign again, so there is still no means of turning south round the corner to join the short contraflow lane.
By the end of Pennyferry Bridge there is now a little shared use sign indicating that it is permissible to cycle on the new walkway round the river side of the office blocks. Mixing bikes and pedestrians along this route will probably be unpopular.
Created by Shaun McDonald // 1 thread
St Peter's Dock on the National Cycle Route 51 just north of Stoke Bridge has a really poor surface which collects water, also the old rails that are no longer used and no longer connect to the rest of the rail network are a hazard for cyclists and ideally should be removed.
Starting a thread about this application here so we can continue on from the previous planning list discussion.