c2c said:
yeah ok fair enough, i was probably being naive in thinking as we rode along, thank goodness for the body of people that are dedicated to opening up these otherwise abandoned pathways, that enable us to enjoy a sunny sunday afternoon ride. still, better a sustrans than no sustrans.???
I'm glad you enjoyed your ride and I wouldn't want to come across as some cynical cycling insider, because I'm not. I know I've made a statement that you might find annoying, so I'll try and explain why I feel the way I do about sustrans.
I came across much of the info in my first link after trying to contact sustrans over some sections of my commute that form part of the NCN23. I felt that some of the facilities encouraged close overtaking, some junction designs increased the danger to cyclists and were there purely to 'get cyclists out of the way' and other sections of the route were in poor repair. I'd not even read Cyclecraft at that time, it was just down to my experience using these facilities.
I tried contacting sustrans but got exactly nowhere. Not a reply. So while hunting for a better contact, I started to come across others who were dissatisfied with sustrans and, by and large, they had the same complaints and the same experiences.
On a day-to-day level, the facilities sponsored by sustrans do very little to help, and a good deal to hinder my commute to and from work. At best they're a costly irrelivence.
For a wider view, I don't know
Ron Strutt but his article conclusions nail it for me...
[*]Sustrans paths tend to go miles out of the way, are poorly signed, and often badly surfaced.
[*]The attempt to make the same cycle paths meet the needs of schoolchildren, local commuters, shoppers, day-out riders, and long-distance tourers is not sustainable.
[*] Sustrans should cease to be self-appointing and accountable only to itself.
[*] With the exception of the popular railway paths, towpaths, etc, the rural sections of the NCN are little used and are probably not justified.
[*] The emphasis should be on local networks of road-based cycling routes plus improved cycle parking facilities.
[*] Sustrans needs to ensure that real environmental benefits are obtained from the facilities it builds. It should not claim the benefits from pre-existing walking and cycling flows, nor should it encourage facilities which are primarily accessed by car.
[*] Sustrans needs to ensure that its usage monitoring studies provide better information on the use of the NCN.