I've complained to the council about daft obstructions on cycle path

[Frood42]

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I love the whole design and point of the arrows, almost a modern piece of art

As a piece of infrastructure, very poor

 

[snorri]

You could get a little more publicity for this extravagance by posting a pic to The Warrington Cycle Campaign
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/pete.meg/wcc/facility-of-the-month/

Building a cattle grid with a modification to let cattle cross is a classic.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

He says that no incidents have been reported........well I've told them I've fallen off twice but obviously that doesn't count. He says any changes would cost money which in today's financial climate can't be justified.

I recommend you report both of these incidents formally and ask for them (council and the responsible agency) to acknowledge them along with their review of the possible cause(s).
While you may now be aware of the danger and be expected to adjust your approach to the obstruction, the risk of coming off still exists for those not familiar with the path and its problem bollards and grid.
Ask around locally if anyone else has had a similar problem negotiating the obstructions, and have them formally report it too.

I've asked someone with long-term experience in this kind of thing (H&S in relation to road workings) to look at your photo and comment; this is his reply:

The bollards do appear to obstruct the safe passage of cyclists, both solo and those towing kiddie carts and I would have had serious reservations about this particular layout without a proper risk assessment. It is perfectly reasonable for cyclists to expect safe passage free from obstacles that would pose a risk and I would consider it in particular a risk to cyclists who wear snap on cleats for pedals as they navigate the cattle grid as a "safety first approach" (risk of trapping feet in grid, risk of sprains or falls due to uneven surface etc...). ​

I would ask to see the risk assessment and method statement particular to that crossing on the grounds that it may have contributed to an accident. ​

I presume that there are no advance warning signs advising cyclists to dismount before crossing the grid. This would be the controlling body's secondary approach to their own " safety first approach" since any works which, following a risk assessment, pose a risk to the public should consider "designing out" that risk and only if this can't be done then all reasonable steps to mitigate that risk should be used. ​

If the path can't be used safely by cyclists then they haven't fulfilled their obligations. Whether they can be forced to remove them is a different matter.​

I'd be pushing the council and the agency politely but firmly on this.

GC

 

[summerdays]

That looks madder than the double row of bollards that I know of around here. I think there would be access problems for various people, including parents pushing double buggies, wheelchairs and various other non-standard bikes ... tandems for example.

I've just successfully got some vegetation and fencing removed along my commute - I pointed out the problems but was only expecting them to cut back some of the vegetation, (they said they would go and look at it), get there this morning and found the vegetation cleared and some of the fencing removed on a blind corner. (They didn't cut back all the brambles that they could of, but I'm so pleased with what they did do that I don't want to point that out to them).

 

[glenn forger]

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Ha ha ha! It's like something off The Wright Way!

 

[palinurus]

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That is bonkers

 

[palinurus]

Presumably it's sort of difficult to get a trailer or a trike though that. That's one angle.

 

[LCpl Boiled Egg]

That's so bad I thought it was photoshopped...

 

[br5968]

Completely bonkers. Thought I had it bad with Sunderland Council's obsession with A-frames.

 

[hensteeth]

Perhaps it's to stop this sort of thing from happening!!
Even though this path has bollards they seem very ineffective.

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EP4G69T_3s&feature=c4-overview&list=UUemfcTvLxaR2QdC7r9mLoUw

 

[Arfcollins]

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You couldn't make that up!

 

[Tanis8472]

Those cattle bypass/pushchair pieces of steel look like plate steel.
VVV slippery when wet and icy.

I appreciate that this isn’t what you would wish to here but we continue to monitor all parts of the network and will make scheme proposals where they are appropriate.

Pity he cant use correct words either

 

[GrasB]

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Reminds me of the statement which was along the following lines - "The barriers on the cycle path are there to make sure cyclists dismount & walk their bike along stretches of cycle path which aren't suitable for cycling along, such as foot bridges"

 

[400bhp]

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What...the....feck

Surely that's not real. It can't be can it. No-one would be that stupid to put signs up like that.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Those cattle bypass/pushchair pieces of steel look like plate steel.
VVV slippery when wet and icy.


Pity he cant use correct words either

Can't