Is that even I cycle path. Looks more like a field. I get your point
It's the cycle path next to the ring road in Bristol - two or three lane dual carriageway, and yes it is well used including by me and at least one or two others from here as well as the general public but it was finally cleared a month ago.
Some are, but then some are pretty good. Unfortunately you don't always find out which they are until you're on them. There is however a perception that if there is a cycle/shared used path available then it should be used, you've even expressed this yourself. I think many drivers are firmly of the opinion that it has to be used. There are plenty of paths near me that I use on a regular basis, however some of them run alongside roads where if I feel the urge I can push along at 25 - 30 mph, that isn't a speed which I should be doing if I am sharing a path with anybdy else, so I'll use the road. But I do find I need to be a little more robust when I do this as I will invariably get beeped or shouted at. The fact is that many cycle facilities are there for the convenience of motorised transport not cyclists and the more we get shoved onto them by frustrated motorists the more we'll find ourselves getting shoved off roads which have no facilities nearby.
Not a unique situation. A similar shared use path runs alongside a new road bordering the edge of a new housing development - on the housing side. It has obviously been designed to cater for school children riding to the newly built local school - very worthy and indeed successful - lots of kids on bikes. But the bike traffic flow is therefore essentially in one direction, twice a day. For anyone other than a slow, local, utility cyclist the path is a pain, access difficult from the country side, crossing a number of side roads into the estate, and clogged by pedestrians and dog walkers. So we stay on the road, and get the abuse.
Is this genuine?
^^^^ this. There is another similar example September 2010.
