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Slow down or else! Sustrans warns cyclists

Cyclists asked to show more respect to other users of popular shared use path or face barriers to slow them down

Barriers will be placed on a popular cycling route to force cyclists to cut their speeds unless some of them start showing more consideration for walkers and children following a number of incidents in which people have reported feeling threatened by bike riders travelling riding at inappropriate speeds through Bristol's Ashton Court Estate.

The news reflects a wider issue regarding concern over inappropriate speeds on shared use facilities, with some cyclists on the Bristol-Bath bike path clocked riding at speeds of almost 30mph close to a school, according to Sustrans.

The sustainable transport charity says the problem is due to a minority of cyclists riding irresponsibly both at Ashton Court and elsewhere, with its Area Manager for the West of England, Jon Usher, telling road.cc that despite Bristol City Council erecting notices and signs at Ashton Court, the UK’s third busiest country park, urging riders to cut their speed, some cyclists are ignoring them.

He adds that there have been a number of reported near-misses, mostly involving children, and as a result the council is considering erecting gates that would force cyclists to dismount, which it says would mean all cyclists being put at a disadvantage due to the inconsiderate riding of a few riders.

Sustrans says that currently, there are three Strava segments that include parts of the Ashton Court Estate, something it describes as “wholly inappropriate on these roads used widely for recreation - walking and cycling.”

The problems at Ashton Court reflect something that Sustrans is seeing more widely in shared-used paths it operates in and around Bristol, the city where it is based, as well as in Bath, where some cyclists have been seen travelling too fast on the recently Two Tunnels route, for instance (although as we have pointed out previously, reports that the route is inherently unsafe are wide of the mark).

Issues highlighted by Sustrans include cyclists regularly being caught by speed sensing equipment travelling at speeds in excess of 28mph on the Bristol-Bath cycle path, close to a school – this at a time when the government is being urged to make it easier for councils to implement 20mph zones not only in and around schools but also residential areas as a whole.

Usher says: “Greenways (whilst great and convenient) are not for speeds in excess of 15-20mph especially in built up busy areas.

“Pedestrians on these paths regularly describe feeling threatened - exactly the same many people that cycle describe feeling around car traffic. We need to reverse this trend of resentment as we need to be seen by all as the solution.”

He added that Sustrans did not want to put cyclists off using the paths, but he did want riders to use them responsibly.

“The cycling average cycling speed in Copenhagen was recently reported to be somewhere round the 20kph mark (12.5mph),” he added.

“We need a slow bicycle movement in the UK to show everyone that cycling isn't just a sport, but that it can be a transport choice too.”

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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41 comments

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JonD | 11 years ago
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“The cycling average cycling speed in Copenhagen was recently reported to be somewhere round the 20kph mark (12.5mph),” he added.

No surprise there, the distances cycled by yer average cycle commuter tend to be shorter and in normal clothes. I wonder what the average speed of those cycling longer distances is ?

“We need a slow bicycle movement in the UK to show everyone that cycling isn't just a sport, but that it can be a transport choice too.”

...and as has been posted, if it takes too long or is inconvenient for whatever reason then they won't use it.

That said, it sounds like some people are being idiots, but Mr Usher seems to be missing the point of what 'sustainable transport' includes..

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thereverent | 11 years ago
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Sustrans says that currently, there are three Strava segments that include parts of the Ashton Court Estate, something it describes as “wholly inappropriate on these roads used widely for recreation - walking and cycling.”

Well flag them then, FFS!  14

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thereverent | 11 years ago
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Shared use path are not the place for speed.

But for a paths that cover a long distance that will be used by commuters, you have to have the ability to go at a sensible speed (32kph/20mph) or it becomes uesless for the utility type of cycling Sustrans want.
I commute 21Km/13Mi in London so unless I have a reasonable average speed it become too slow to be an alternative to the train/tube.

as a result the council is considering erecting gates that would force cyclists to dismount

So Bristol council also put speed bumps and barriers on all roads where cars speeding is a problem?

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qwerky | 11 years ago
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Some people are just plain stupid. Shared paths are not the place for fast riding. Why not just figure out who the maniacs are, wait for them and then arrest them for furious cycling?

Don't see the point in punishing everyone due to the actions of the few.

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CraigS | 11 years ago
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Mrmo - you've got it spot on. You won't get more people choosing bikes over cars if the bike takes much longer because the only safe routes sustrans and councils invest in are shared use paths that you have to go slowly on.

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the_mikey replied to CraigS | 11 years ago
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CraigS wrote:

Mrmo - you've got it spot on. You won't get more people choosing bikes over cars if the bike takes much longer because the only safe routes sustrans and councils invest in are shared use paths that you have to go slowly on.

+1 exactly this.

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mrmo | 11 years ago
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which in part is why i am of the belief that shared use paths are not the solution. They work in a local small scale manner, where time differences between travelling at 10mph or 20mph are minimal. Once your onto a longer route traveling slowly starts to become an issue.

If i drive my commute is 40mins, if i cycle it is an hour, if i slow to 10mph it goes beyond the 1.5hours. Is it that realistic? But a shorter commute say half the distance the time gaps are no real issue.

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pmanc replied to mrmo | 11 years ago
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mrmo wrote:

which in part is why i am of the belief that shared use paths are not the solution....time differences...yadda yadda yadda...

This is true, but surely they can be part of the solution? I think the point is, while it's reasonable to expect dedicated infrastructure free of pedestrians on longer cross-town or between-town routes, cyclists can't expect to go over 20mph all the time.

To learn from the Dutch model, in quieter residential areas cycle lanes aren't segregated from cars because everyone is expected to calm down a bit and drive (or ride) appropriately. Similarly, if cycling does become more popular we can expect to see more congestion related to bikes - the school run etc are often featured on videos because scenes of hundreds of cyclists highlights the popularity of cycling, but it's not all like that. Certainly, slowing down to 10-12mph for all of a 10 mile commute is an unreasonable ask, but surely slowing down for bits of it is fair? Drivers can't go at 30mph constantly in town and they shouldn't be able to.

I don't know the path in question. Is it just through an estate as the name suggests or is it a longer path?

The problem with Sustrans routes is that they often have quite long distances as shared use (like Bath-Bristol). Although I would cut them some slack, cycle infrastructure should never have been left to a powerless charity in the first place.

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Myriadgreen replied to pmanc | 11 years ago
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pmanc wrote:

The problem with Sustrans routes is that they often have quite long distances as shared use (like Bath-Bristol). Although I would cut them some slack, cycle infrastructure should never have been left to a powerless charity in the first place.

And that's the issue - If Sustrans are not building the paths, who is? Not the councils. The Bristol Bath path is not direct as it follows an abandoned railway. Whilst it would be great to put a dedicated cycle path next to the A4, the councils never have, and cyclists would just moan about that massive hill near Saltford anyway.

Sustrans routes are not almost entirely rubbish, but they have to work with what's available. If it's an abandoned railway, then so be it. If it's getting permission to put a route through a beautiful country park, then (apart from those evil speed humps at the entrance) what is rubbish about that? At least they are doing something! Anyone complaining about their routes should a) write to their local MP/Council etc and ask THEM to build new routes that start outside their house, go to their place of work or favourite ride, avoid hills and are free of cars and pedestrians. b) set up their own charity to do it. Responses: a) the council will complain that it's too expensive and b) there's no point as Sustrans does it already, as best it can in a world full of budget cuts, NIMBYS and closed minded councils who don't see cycling as a viable alternative to the car.

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pmanc replied to Myriadgreen | 11 years ago
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@Myriadgreen
Totally agree. Sustrans are making the best of what they're given ("given" being the operative word here). This includes having to ask everyone to play nicely with a limited resource.

Meanwhile central government palms off the responsibility onto local authorities because "they're the experts on what their area needs", and local authorities complain that they have neither the money nor the expertise.

And meanwhile cycling remains the domain of a small, ballsy, but often derided minority.

@Sam Saunders, thank you for giving more background on the location.

Maybe physical measures are the best way forward if some people won't slow down, but how to do that without inconveniencing responsible users, especially those with trikes, child trailers, wheelchairs, etc?

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CraigS | 11 years ago
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If there are two tunnels, have one for cyclists and one for pedestrians - problem solved!  3

The problem is the same as when you mix cars and cyclists: whatever you do, there will always be idiots who don't behave responsibly and it's the more vulnerable person that is going to come off worse.

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