Roadsafe in other areas? My letter to my Local Council.

[sabian92]

So you cycle about 35 miles/week or assuming a 5 day week 7 miles/day and have 'several incidents per week where I would consider my life is put at risk by dangerous and careless driving' . If I were in your shoes, I would assess my own cycling ability first.
The Silver Jubilee Bridge? I take it that you are not a native of those parts - more commonly known as the Runcorn-Widnes Bridge or just the Runcorn Bridge. easiest way over the bridge from Widnes - head down to West Bank - Victoria Road, St Nary's Road thurn right into Irwell St. At the far end of Irwell St, there is a pedesrian access (you can get a bike through) and then take the shared use footpath over the bridge. Once over the bridge and before you drop down into the old town, there is the start of over 43 miles of cycle track to use.

There is not much wrong with my cycling. I'm an assertive rider and I take primary when I need to. It isn't my fault if a driver still wants to squeeze past me or push me against rows of parked cars is it?

I am a native of Runcorn - lived here for all of my 20 years. I just used the proper name because I know it.

I use the shared path over the bridge but the rest of the journey I use the road for the rest of it. I hate shared use paths with a passion.

Although that's what most cyclists do, the footpath isn't actually shared use, and they've now got "Cyclist Dismount" signs all over the bridge to reinforce that.

There's a NCR sign that points towards the bridge so I'm not sure if it actually is one or not. The Dismount signs have no legal standing.

 

[ohnovino]

There's some posts about the bridge from the rangers who look after that strecth of the NCN on the CTC forum:

HI, here's the 'definitive'. Am the volunteer ranger covering that part of what is currently known as NCN route 5 (we'll be re-numbering it soon, as part of a link between NCN route 5 and NCN route 62, so it'll be known as NCN route 562). We've worked very closely with the local council and have agreed to sign it as a pedestrian link across the separate footway that forms part of the bridge. However in practice, it has been used as a shared use footpath/cycleway for years, and the local council have even installed one of their automatic cycle counters on the path as it approaches the bridge to monitor usage. So whatever you do, DO NOT cycle on the main carriageway with motor vehicles, as this stretch of road is statistically the most dangerous in Cheshire I was told by a policeman once. The lanes are very narrow, it's a 40mph limit and there is no central barrier to separate traffic. In addition there are 2 lanes in each direction.

Hopefully when the second crossing is built there'll be better provision for cyclists, either on the new bridge or by removing a lane on the old one, but I fear that's wishful thinking. It's a real shame, and when I go out the Cheshire I tend to cross the Mersey at Warrington now instead to avoid the hassle.

 

[sabian92]

I got a reply!

Unfortunately they thought I was talking about the CS routes, not roadsafe. I sent them the link to it with an apology for misleading them so hopefully now they understand what I mean.

Hopefully when the second crossing is built there'll be better provision for cyclists, either on the new bridge or by removing a lane on the old one, but I fear that's wishful thinking. It's a real shame, and when I go out the Cheshire I tend to cross the Mersey at Warrington now instead to avoid the hassle.

Probably not. They'd have to build new signs and sort out the approaches to the bridge which i can't see them being bothered to do.
We can hope though

What a pity that the Sustrans ranger is trying to dissuade people from using the roads, which they are entitled to do, rather than pressing the authorities to ensure that people can do so safely. That's the problem with Sustrans - they're all about segregation and getting cyclists out of the way of motorists...

Which I suppose actually fuels the argument of "cyclists hold up cars" because if a driver was clever enough to google about it, he'd find a load of stuff from sustrans and how they want cyclists away from cars which actually causes more problems.

 

[downfader]

Ignore the Hippo, he's just here to floss his teeth... He has little to offer.

Sustrans piss me off with that approach. What they've yet not realised is that putting cyclists on paths just slows them down, causes aggrevation between cyclists and pedestrians and any number of other problems. One of the shared paths around here is currently unridable, I have tried THREE times to report the fact the bloody thing has trees and bushes growing in it but nothing.

So I revert to the road and share with the motorists, many of whom struggle to get past the 15mph I do anyway.
I digress, LMAO!

The letter to your MP is ok, very short but perhaps if he replies you can give him more details. I think we can also benefit from pushing the fact that those other than cyclists also stand to benefit from such a scheme.

@Growingvegetables - Yehuda Moon has hit the nail on the head, I reckon the established scheme is the place to ask for performance data.

 

[sabian92]

I know it's a little short but I didn't want it to be to wordy as a first e-mail. I wanted it to be concise and to the point.

Indeed, I hope that others benefit will swing in my favour too.

 

[mr_hippo]

Ignore the Hippo, he's just here to floss his teeth... He has little to offer.
.

Very small weekly mileage + many incidents where "my life is put at risk by dangerous and careless driving." = bad cycling skills

 

[sabian92]

Very small weekly mileage + many incidents where "my life is put at risk by dangerous and careless driving." = bad cycling skills

Then why do good cyclists (for example, the ones with Youtube channels where they post incidents) have stuff to post on their youtube channels?

Surely if they were good cyclists they wouldn't have stuff to post?

You're making a very bad and misinformed judgement about a person you don't know. You've ridden nearly 5000k this year - I could assume you're skinny as anything. You could be a right fat bugger for all I know.

 

[mr_hippo]

Then why do good cyclists (for example, the ones with Youtube channels where they post incidents) have stuff to post on their youtube channels?
Surely if they were good cyclists they wouldn't have stuff to post?
You're making a very bad and misinformed judgement about a person you don't know. You've ridden nearly 5000k this year - I could assume you're skinny as anything. You could be a right fat bugger for all I know.

Only a small proportion of CC members post videos of 'incidents' on youtube, does this mean that the rest of us do not have incidents? Could it be that many more of us have 'incidents', sometimes very much worse than the youtube offerings, and we forget about them? I have often thought about videoing one of my rides in its entirity and then editting it to show so-called 'incidents', frankly I have neither time nor inclination!
Many who comment on the videos belong to the '2 wheels good, 4 wheels bad club' where the cyclist is always in the right even if he is wrong. Just to cite one recent example - motorists beeps his horn in traffic, cyclist in front stops and has a hissy fit and an incident ensues - was all that worth t? Yes, he did have his youtube moment and his 15 seconds of fame and a nice long thread of sympathy on here - wow!!!
My judgement is based on what you have told me and my experience. Take things easy, you are not in a race, learn traffic flow patterns; if Widnes Market is still shut on a Tuesday then expect lighter traffic in that area on that day, if Widnes are playing at home then expect heavy traffic around Moor Lanr, Lower House Lane and Kingsway area. Leave for work or college a bit earlier so you do not have to rush. Be spatially aware, look a few hundred yards ahead at what is happening and what could happen.
Am I skinny, there is a photo of me on the photo page of my website - judge for yourself!

 

[downfader]

Very small weekly mileage + many incidents where "my life is put at risk by dangerous and careless driving." = bad cycling skills

You have nothing to add here, as you ever do on other threads. Stop being a sad little sod and prying for weakness to cause conjecture and argument. Nobody respects a troll, Hippo.

 

[mr_hippo]

You have nothing to add here, as you ever do on other threads. Stop being a sad little sod and prying for weakness to cause conjecture and argument. Nobody respects a troll, Hippo.

Like you, I have an opinion and am entitled to air that opinion on here. If you had as many 'incidents', would you be examining your own behaviour first?

 

[downfader]

Like you, I have an opinion and am entitled to air that opinion on here. If you had as many 'incidents', would you be examining your own behaviour first?

Once again.. nothing to add.

 

[growingvegetables]

I have an opinion and am entitled to air that opinion on here.

And nobody questioned it. Even though your use of the concept of "entitlement" may have been perhaps infelicitous.

But surely you'd extend the same courtesy to others ... and welcome them expressing their opinion, their judgement of whether your contribution was constructive/useful/helpful/otherwise?

 

[sabian92]

Like you, I have an opinion and am entitled to air that opinion on here. If you had as many 'incidents', would you be examining your own behaviour first?

Yes, and with all due respect, you are an idiot sir, so please feel free to not judge me when you don't know a single thing about me or my riding skills.

Anyway, moving on, I did get a reply from the council - they basically said I needed to speak to the Police about it as it was nothing to do with the Council. I feared that was barking up the wrong tree with the council but I wouldn't have known unless I tried.

I assume I need to speak to the Chief Constable anyway, so I'll shoot a message to them on this form and see where it gets me.

Thanks very much to those who provided invaluable information.

 

[downfader]

I did get a reply from the council - they basically said I needed to speak to the Police about it as it was nothing to do with the Council. I feared that was barking up the wrong tree with the council but I wouldn't have known unless I tried.

I assume I need to speak to the Chief Constable anyway, so I'll shoot a message to them on this form and see where it gets me.

Thanks very much to those who provided invaluable information.

If anything it will tell the council that cycling is important to people as an option, even if the issue raised was outside their remit. Good luck with the CC!

 

[sabian92]

I've sent an email from that form asking to speak to the CC so fingers crossed!