Cycle Paths

[Glow worm]

Does the city boundaries of Cambridge reach out a fair way beyond what the natural boundaries are? Is that one reason why they exist? I've noticed before that Cambridge's cycle paths on the opencyclemap go out a fair way outside the built up areas versus other cities not just in one or two lucky places but in more or less every direction. Most other cities just don't have cyclepaths for this type of road. Infact here there's just one cycle path running along such a road inside the city for any length, a whole one with three other roads with shorter sections, that's it!

Yes this path is Sustrans route 51 and is totally segregated from Cambridge Airport to a place called Bottisham which must be 5 miles or so. There's a further mile 3 mile stretch largely segregated to Swffham Prior. I don't know where you are but Cambridge commuters are lucky (if you like cycle paths that is!) as there are several in many directions going well beyond the city's boundary as you say. There's my path heading NE, also heading N, there's the river path that's even longer. There's one heading west I'm not so familiar with, and then 2 heading south- one through Granchester Meadows. They are all wide enough for peds and other bikes to pass and luckily my experience is that they are mostly free of crap like broken glass.

 

[dondare]

someone pass this on to the dept of transport please, Why not make it a policy to, when biulding new roads or widening existingroads biuld a cycle path next to it ? the cost would be minimal

Then they'd say that since we'd asked for the paths, and they'd gone to all the trouble and expense of providing them; we had to use them. (So as not to get in the way of cars.)
Then they'd say that we must use any available cycle path, however totally crap it was, for our own safety. (And so as not to get in the way of cars.)

Roads should be designed so that cyclists can use them.

 

[groucho73]

The paths in Rotherham/Sheff are covered in glass, gravel, bits of metal, dog poo etc...

They are often intersected by junctions which you have to give way at.

The road is often cleaner and smoother with right of way at junctions.

Much the same as most of the paths in Sunderland then. In the 3 years or so that i've been cycling I reckon every p*****re i've had has happened on a path. Much prefer the roads

 

[jonesy]

Yes this path is Sustrans route 51 and is totally segregated from Cambridge Airport to a place called Bottisham which must be 5 miles or so. There's a further mile 3 mile stretch largely segregated to Swffham Prior. I don't know where you are but Cambridge commuters are lucky (if you like cycle paths that is!) as there are several in many directions going well beyond the city's boundary as you say. There's my path heading NE, also heading N, there's the river path that's even longer. There's one heading west I'm not so familiar with, and then 2 heading south- one through Granchester Meadows. They are all wide enough for peds and other bikes to pass and luckily my experience is that they are mostly free of crap like broken glass.

Lovely long sections of off-road path fine as far as it goes, but those sort of distances are longer than the majority of cycle trips. The vast majority of cycle commuting takes place for journeys less than 3 miles, so is generally within built up areas where this sort of good segregated provision doesn't exist, because of side roads, lack of space, conflict with pedestrians etc etc etc.

 

[PBancroft]

someone pass this on to the dept of transport please, Why not make it a policy to, when biulding new roads or widening existingroads biuld a cycle path next to it ? the cost would be minimal

The DfT will say that the design of safe road structure is not mandated centrally. I've asked. Specifically they would say:-

As far as design of safe road infrastructure is concerned, there is no need (nor desire) to make centrally produced guidance mandatory. Highway authorities have a duty of care under the Road Traffic Regulation Act, section 122 to ensure their roads are safe for users.

 

[Bman]

I tend to favour the segregated paths where the parallel road has a 40mph limit or higher. But, I avoid the crap ones altogether.

For instance, there is a particular stretch of road/cycleway that runs for about 1/2 a mile near me. If I take the road, I risk some silly overtakes from a few drivers. But have a clear run for the whole stretch. If I were to use the adjacent cycleway, I have to give way to traffic turning off that road 8 or 9 times. Rubbish.

 

[jimboalee]

Does anyone else find it strangely coincidental that "Cycle path" and "Psychopath" sound almost the same?

 

[HLaB]

Another danger of off road paths (or psychopaths) is inevitably they have to come to an end and often these are poorly designed but nonetheless the cyclist again has to mix with the driver and they may have become unaccustomed to each other. This is often seen on poor designed shared use paths where the cyclist is riding along feeling unimpaired when suddenly there is a side road and neither the driver or the cyclist give way

 

[automatic_jon]

Yes this path is Sustrans route 51 and is totally segregated from Cambridge Airport to a place called Bottisham which must be 5 miles or so. There's a further mile 3 mile stretch largely segregated to Swffham Prior. I don't know where you are but Cambridge commuters are lucky (if you like cycle paths that is!) as there are several in many directions going well beyond the city's boundary as you say. There's my path heading NE, also heading N, there's the river path that's even longer. There's one heading west I'm not so familiar with, and then 2 heading south- one through Granchester Meadows. They are all wide enough for peds and other bikes to pass and luckily my experience is that they are mostly free of crap like broken glass.

I came very nastily unstuck on that path just outside Swaffham Bulbeck a little while ago. A ped stepped across, out of my way as I approached (which is always appreciated) and then dived in front of me at the last minute for no reason at all. I swerved out of the way and very nearly went under a Turners lorry that was on the carriage way next to us. Had I been on the road to start with I could have draughted the lorry all the way back to Fordham
I use the roads down that way now.