Got to love the Guided (canal) Bus way cycle track, in the new again !
- Thread starter kevin_cambs_uk
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Crankarm
Guru
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
I saw this and thought what a cheek! The affrontery of the Cllr Roy Pegleg is staggering. The incompetence of both St Ives and Cambridgeshire County Councils is breathtaking. Of course they can spend a couple of million quid expanding the park and ride car park at St Ives, but not fix the flooding of the path which has actually been flooded for several months now not several weeks as stated in the article. It has been at up to 6-8 feet deep. The councils don't give a shoot about cyclists because we don't generate cash, where as increasing car parking capacity does, as more cars means more people driving, parking and paying to use the buses.
Neither do Cambs County Council or St Ives Councils don't give a monkeys about environmental/green issues or improving the health of the county's inhabitants by making cycling an attractive and safe option. If they did then the GBW would not flood as it would have been designed properly thus NOT preventing people from cycling, walking or running along it.
Presumably the council is quite happy for cyclists and runners to take their lives in their hands by cycling or running along the edges of locals roads to by pass the Busway which are choked with cars, buses, coaches, vans and trucks, speeding past elbows at speeds of 60+mph?
Iirc the only incidents involving injury on the Busway have been caused by incompetent bus drivers, one who left the tracks near Swavesey just before Christmas and then more recently another idiot bus driver who drove into the back of another bus which he was drafting too closely behind. You couldn't make it up.
Occasionally there are groups of what look like officials/councillors around the St Ives park and ride who all appear rather large, unfit and pasty. Perhaps they should actually get on a bike and regularly ride and swim along the GBW.
At present there is a fair amount of detritrus and mud washed up onto the path by the frequent and continual flooding. The Council have not thought to remove this although it poses a real danger especially when cycling after dark as the debris is considerable and could easily cause one to skid and crash if you ride over it. There are also numerous areas of smashed glass around the Histon, Cambridge Regional College and Milton areas which the Council can't be bothered to clear up which make negotiating the path even more hazardous. Perhaps they will finally clear it up when some one falls and cuts themselves. The rubbish around there is also shocking which is also never cleared up.
Presumably the jobs worth busy body who was taking pics of the cyclist shown in the image in this article didn't have anything better to do? I can't work out whether the cyclist is Photoshopped into the image as I have never ever seen a cyclist on the opposite/furthest track from the path. I have seen them on the nearest which would be logical. Plus if you zoom in on the image the cyclist is riding at a very odd angle to the track which is quite narrow so riding at 45 degrees is not physically possible. I think the image of the cyclist was Photoshopped in from another image to make it more dramatic thus creating a story where none exists. A typical piece of anti cycling propaganda. Anyway the next few days I am driving the A14 to work as I am sick of the flooding which I guess is why the GBW was built - to relieve congestion on the A14. The little roads are simply too dangerous to ride in rush hour.
Neither do Cambs County Council or St Ives Councils don't give a monkeys about environmental/green issues or improving the health of the county's inhabitants by making cycling an attractive and safe option. If they did then the GBW would not flood as it would have been designed properly thus NOT preventing people from cycling, walking or running along it.
Presumably the council is quite happy for cyclists and runners to take their lives in their hands by cycling or running along the edges of locals roads to by pass the Busway which are choked with cars, buses, coaches, vans and trucks, speeding past elbows at speeds of 60+mph?
Iirc the only incidents involving injury on the Busway have been caused by incompetent bus drivers, one who left the tracks near Swavesey just before Christmas and then more recently another idiot bus driver who drove into the back of another bus which he was drafting too closely behind. You couldn't make it up.
Occasionally there are groups of what look like officials/councillors around the St Ives park and ride who all appear rather large, unfit and pasty. Perhaps they should actually get on a bike and regularly ride and swim along the GBW.
At present there is a fair amount of detritrus and mud washed up onto the path by the frequent and continual flooding. The Council have not thought to remove this although it poses a real danger especially when cycling after dark as the debris is considerable and could easily cause one to skid and crash if you ride over it. There are also numerous areas of smashed glass around the Histon, Cambridge Regional College and Milton areas which the Council can't be bothered to clear up which make negotiating the path even more hazardous. Perhaps they will finally clear it up when some one falls and cuts themselves. The rubbish around there is also shocking which is also never cleared up.
Presumably the jobs worth busy body who was taking pics of the cyclist shown in the image in this article didn't have anything better to do? I can't work out whether the cyclist is Photoshopped into the image as I have never ever seen a cyclist on the opposite/furthest track from the path. I have seen them on the nearest which would be logical. Plus if you zoom in on the image the cyclist is riding at a very odd angle to the track which is quite narrow so riding at 45 degrees is not physically possible. I think the image of the cyclist was Photoshopped in from another image to make it more dramatic thus creating a story where none exists. A typical piece of anti cycling propaganda. Anyway the next few days I am driving the A14 to work as I am sick of the flooding which I guess is why the GBW was built - to relieve congestion on the A14. The little roads are simply too dangerous to ride in rush hour.
Rohloff_Brompton_Rider
Formerly just_fixed
Your cyclists are a pesky lot, how selfish are you for not being prepared to get wet? You are slowing buses down, this is shocking and narcissistic behaviour!
How dare you expect lovely bus drivers to slow down? Why do you have expectations to arrive at your destination unharmed?
Tut....Tut, no wonder this country is going down the pan!!
How dare you expect lovely bus drivers to slow down? Why do you have expectations to arrive at your destination unharmed?
Tut....Tut, no wonder this country is going down the pan!!
MisterStan
Label Required
- Location
- Out there somewhere
2Loose
Guru
- Location
- Loughborough, Leicestershire.
Having stopped in St Ives for a look and a quick paddle just before New Year, I'm not surprised that it is still flooded at points, the bollard tops in the hotel carpark couldn't even be seen at the time.
Not sure how true it is, but I had heard that Cambs Council is in ongoing legal talks with the contractors over certain remaining issues with the GBW although can't say if the flooding is one of them.
2 things;
1. A lot of sensible comments in the Cambridge Evening News which surprised me (or did I just not read far enough in?).
2. It isn't any consolation, but if Notts Council spent a tenth of what Cambs has on cycling provision then that would be excellent! (all said, they'd probably get it right first time here!)
I hope this gets resolved soon for you all as the GBW is a wonderful route when it is passable. I will continue to watch with interest.
Not sure how true it is, but I had heard that Cambs Council is in ongoing legal talks with the contractors over certain remaining issues with the GBW although can't say if the flooding is one of them.
2 things;
1. A lot of sensible comments in the Cambridge Evening News which surprised me (or did I just not read far enough in?).
2. It isn't any consolation, but if Notts Council spent a tenth of what Cambs has on cycling provision then that would be excellent! (all said, they'd probably get it right first time here!)
I hope this gets resolved soon for you all as the GBW is a wonderful route when it is passable. I will continue to watch with interest.
MisterStan
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- Out there somewhere
I suppose you could end up with a scenario where you had a bus behind you and a bus in front and nowhere to go. When the flooding is really bad, you may not be able to get off the track without entering the flood water....
Also, the bus drivers are (seriously) useless - they've already managed to 'derail' a bus and recently one hit the back of the bus in front...
MisterStan
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As a small aside, it is about 3 miles extra each way for my commute when the Busway is flooded. Doesn't sound like a lot, but 6 miles a day is 30 miles a week, which is almost a whole extra day of commuting for me.
MisterStan
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Good luck!Ahh, OK
Seems a bit crap that it's flooded.
I think the CBW has been quoted as an experiment for the busway that's planned in Manchester.
Headgardener
Armchair Cyclist
Has nobody in Cambridge CC thought to ensure that when the GBW and cycleway was built that it would have been a good idea to install some drainage?
MisterStan
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The maintenance track/cycle path between St Ives and Swavesey is built on a flood plain. There's nowhere for it to drain!
Headgardener
Armchair Cyclist
Right I see. As the cycleway is about six foot lower down than the busway perhaps then it should have been constructed higher up? Bad planning there then methinks.
MisterStan
Label Required
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The environment agency (or whatever they're called) wouldn't let them as they said it would affect the flow rates when flooding took place; i.e. it would move the flooding problem further downstream.
semislickstick
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire
Yeah, I don't get that because in places, the busway is raised...and that was ok'd.
I also don't understand the problem with people walking their bike along the grass bank next to the track, because further down isn't the tarmac track next to and level with the bus track, so you could actually cycle closer to moving buses?
It's almost like they just want you to catch the bus instead.
