It's better than nothing, but nothing like Amsterdam!
Notice the lack of junction treatment, no protection from vehicles turning left across the cycle route. In Amsterdam cycles get a separate phase at traffic lights.
Meantime the bus stops are over complicated, with pointless solar powered led lights, rumble strips and give way signs that were added later. Money spent on blaming people cycling whilst ignoring the real dangers at the junctions.
But the real problems on this route are the drivers using the cycle route as a parking place, normally it's private hire cars, but this time it was rather different...
Oxford Road going south
Oxford Road going north
When they put in half decent cycle routes in Manchester it's not long before they are closed by building works...
Saturday, 2 September 2017
Thursday, 31 August 2017
How will this turn out?
We've had promises before - the outcomes have mostly been pretty dreadful.Start my GM Commissioner job on Friday...but already had ~30 meetings. 50% of district leaders met, ALL very postive & up for REAL change!— Chris Boardman (@Chris_Boardman) August 30, 2017
Wednesday, 8 March 2017
Why has there been 14 months of inaction on the Irwell Towpath in Ordsall?
Has my ranting and raving on Twitter finally forced some action on the Irwell Towpath?
This path has been closed since December 2015
This morning was the first time in 14 months I have seen work being carried out on the path.
Rubble was being lifted into the area of the collapsed path and raked into position.
On returning this evening it was clear that this was not a long term repair of the towpath but a short term cludge.
Bags of rocks have been placed in the river to provide an outer edge and rubble has been put in between the bags and the remaining path to build the area up towards path level.
The fact that this is a short term measure begs the question as to why it has take over 14 months to get this far?
Hi @OfficialTfGM @urbanvision_uk @SalfordCouncil @VisitSalford— MadCycleLanes of MCR (@MadCycleLaneMCR) March 5, 2017
When are you going to fix this cycle route? https://t.co/mJcvjHzCdc pic.twitter.com/EXY8pTXjwZ
This path has been closed since December 2015
This morning was the first time in 14 months I have seen work being carried out on the path.
Rubble was being lifted into the area of the collapsed path and raked into position.
On returning this evening it was clear that this was not a long term repair of the towpath but a short term cludge.
Bags of rocks have been placed in the river to provide an outer edge and rubble has been put in between the bags and the remaining path to build the area up towards path level.
The fact that this is a short term measure begs the question as to why it has take over 14 months to get this far?
Sunday, 4 December 2016
Oxford Street Southbound - Useless!
I am beginning to think we should call this sort of thing "flagshit infrastructure"
Why on earth is there no kerb separating the cycle track from the parking spaces?
This idiot had no idea what he was doing and didn't care...
Yes this is a cycle track...
Further south it becomes a slalom - this is just dreadful.
Somehow I wish the traffic engineers had thought cyclist!
Useless!
Why on earth is there no kerb separating the cycle track from the parking spaces?
This idiot had no idea what he was doing and didn't care...
Yes this is a cycle track...
Further south it becomes a slalom - this is just dreadful.
Somehow I wish the traffic engineers had thought cyclist!
Useless!
Bridgewater Way Ice Update
It seems my various emails to TfGM and others about the ice on the Bridgewater Way payed off.
By the time it had warmed up enough for me to use the route again on the Friday there were clear signs that an extensive salting had been carried out.
In the exchange of emails that went round I was given the following contact information for the maintenance of the Bridgewater Way:-
Though I would copy any emails to TfGM's cycling team, so they know what's going on...
By the time it had warmed up enough for me to use the route again on the Friday there were clear signs that an extensive salting had been carried out.
In the exchange of emails that went round I was given the following contact information for the maintenance of the Bridgewater Way:-
By email to - Bridgewatercanal@peel.co.uk
Telephone - 0161 629 8200 between 2pm and 4pm Monday to Friday.
Emergency Telephone - out of office hours 0161 877 3628
Please note only emergency calls will be dealt with on this number.
Write to - The Bridgewater Canal Company Limited, Peel Dome, intu Trafford Centre, TRaffordCITY Manchester M17 8PL, UK
Though I would copy any emails to TfGM's cycling team, so they know what's going on...
Tuesday, 29 November 2016
Bridgewater Way Ice Danger
This morning clearly illustrated that if you don't maintain a cycle route you are creating danger.
The Bridgewater Way coming out of Castlefield was covered in sheet ice. Anyone hitting this ice on a bicycle could easilly have ended up in the canal, in water that was freezing over, a lethal combination.
Let's just hope that TfGM take this seriously and sort this out. The are promoting cycling in winter but their routes are clearly not fit for purpose. I won't be using this route until temperatures rise above freezing.
The Bridgewater Way coming out of Castlefield was covered in sheet ice. Anyone hitting this ice on a bicycle could easilly have ended up in the canal, in water that was freezing over, a lethal combination.
Let's just hope that TfGM take this seriously and sort this out. The are promoting cycling in winter but their routes are clearly not fit for purpose. I won't be using this route until temperatures rise above freezing.
Sunday, 4 September 2016
Belfast: Hire Bikes & Bollards
On a recent business visit to Belfast I managed to grab a few photos of the cycle facilities in the city.
Walking in from the ferry terminal, apart from some two-way pavement cycle tracks beside the one way system, the first significant sign of money being committed to cycling was a Belfast Bikes hire station. According to their web site there are 35 docking stations, but they are only located in the city centre, so no use for foot passengers arriving off the ferry from Birkenhead.
The next facility I came across was a two way bollarded cycle track with cycle lights in Upper Arthur Street.
It was striking for the choice of white, cycle signed, flexible bollards. These are far more visible than any being used in the Manchester area and unlike crap armadillos they seemed to keep vehicles out.
However, the interface with the crossing at Chichester Street was somewhat clumsy.
I also came across a single direction, bollarded cycle track in Queen Street.
Though the bollards didn't reach the pedestrian crossing, and this blue van was blocking the exit...
This track in College Square North was blocked by a container
and vehicles, so I assume it was still being built.
Overall I didn't see that many people cycling, though those that were mostly dressed in ordinary clothes. A significant proportion of the people on bikes were using the hire bikes, often in quite smart office clothes, so it seems to be having a positive impact.
Walking in from the ferry terminal, apart from some two-way pavement cycle tracks beside the one way system, the first significant sign of money being committed to cycling was a Belfast Bikes hire station. According to their web site there are 35 docking stations, but they are only located in the city centre, so no use for foot passengers arriving off the ferry from Birkenhead.
The next facility I came across was a two way bollarded cycle track with cycle lights in Upper Arthur Street.
It was striking for the choice of white, cycle signed, flexible bollards. These are far more visible than any being used in the Manchester area and unlike crap armadillos they seemed to keep vehicles out.
However, the interface with the crossing at Chichester Street was somewhat clumsy.
I also came across a single direction, bollarded cycle track in Queen Street.
Though the bollards didn't reach the pedestrian crossing, and this blue van was blocking the exit...
This track in College Square North was blocked by a container
and vehicles, so I assume it was still being built.
Overall I didn't see that many people cycling, though those that were mostly dressed in ordinary clothes. A significant proportion of the people on bikes were using the hire bikes, often in quite smart office clothes, so it seems to be having a positive impact.
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