encourage people to slow down when cycling alongside canals

[Jim_Noir]

I really don't see the point in using towpaths, unless it's to meander along and enjoy the view.

 

[Origamist]

It's probably more effective than a "slow" sign, but once the novelty has worn off, people will ignore it.

 

[HLaB]

I don't know which clever idiot came up with the speed bumps on the Union Canal towpath; they were way too high. I think they've been lowered now.

 

[dellzeqq]

How busy is that canal with commuter cyclists? I'm curious as I only cycled it at the weekend from London Fields to Regents Park. It was an awful experience, one I won't be repeating in a hurry certainly not every morning and evening... most of the towpath is very narrow you certainly can't cycle two abreast, and under bridges it is even narrower barely a couple of feet. Add in kids throwing bottles and cans at you, weird drunks, and the obvious comedy attempts to push you in, this was not a pleasant leisure ride. Maybe if the towpath was widened, it would be better or very unlikely the canal could be drained, surfaced and it would make an awesome dutch width traffic free cycle path.

It's at capacity and more, and the size and shape of the bridges mean that the capacity cannot be increased. I'd claim some credit for pointing this out to TfL when they were thinking of making the towpath a 'Greenway'. I'd go so far as to suggest that it should be left to walkers, who are there in numbers. TfL have commissioned a parallel route which runs down Andrews Road, and through the park, which is altogether a better bet.

 

[Gromit]

If you use the canal towpath in Tiverton Devon, your more likely to meet prince or one of his friends. He one bloody big barge pulling horse. http://www.horseboat.co.uk/information.html

That's why it wasn't that safe to ride and the problem of having to get off your bike before going under a bridge. I really loved telling people to get off their bikes when I worked as a canal ranger.

 

[style over speed]

I really don't see the point in using towpaths, unless it's to meander along and enjoy the view.

in London it looks like a very handy east west route that doesn't have an equivalent road, and its traffic free.

It's at capacity and more, and the size and shape of the bridges mean that the capacity cannot be increased. I'd claim some credit for pointing this out to TfL when they were thinking of making the towpath a 'Greenway'. I'd go so far as to suggest that it should be left to walkers, who are there in numbers. TfL have commissioned a parallel route which runs down Andrews Road, and through the park, which is altogether a better bet.

thats good to know, hopefully tfl will remove it in the future from their cycle maps. At the moment the big green line makes it look very tempting to try out.

 

[Black Sheep]

Wonder how many cycle across that plank they've put across it?!

I would