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The council spends many thousands of pounds building a cycle path. Along come Openreach - "what a great place for a new telephone pole", they think. They could at least wrap some padding round it so when a cyclist or a runner runs into it in the dark it will be a bit softer.
Move it into the middle of the road and tell them to 'just go round'.
There will be a retrospective planning notice on it. Try objecting? They can stick stuff where they want but worth a try?
Yes, escalate to councillors and so on. This is blatantly not on.
It appeared this morning. I've raised it with the highways department. We'll see what happens...
Nothing.
Nothing will happen.
Recently had massive amounts of road works locally to install a cycle-path, they've managed to install the road sign (for cars) right in the middle of it. It's pretty much impossible now to go around it. There's been a collective shrugging of the shoulders from councillors and contractors, they couldn't give two shits.
Which council?
@Onewheelgood I'm pmd you as well, but send me the location details and ideally a picture of the notice,
Cheers Paul
Paul.sal@btinternet.com
The road signs in the cycleway or other infrastructure is a common issue. Its what you get when cyclists are the lowest priority
Big bowsaw in the middle of the night would sort that right out.
It appears I owe Openreach an apology. It appears that, not content with trashing every pavement in town, CityFibre have now diversified into randomly placed poles.
Go Sycamore Gap on it
Didn't you crash into this post at dusk and trash your really expensive bike? Probably whiplash too? I'd tell them.
Big bowsaw in the middle of the night would sort that right out.
if that was near my house I’d be blimmin tempted. Except I’d advise a £10 panel saw, I reckon you could get that cut pretty flush. Then a block plane to finish. It’ll be like it was never there.
I clearly haven’t thought through disposal/moving the “offcut”.
clearly haven’t thought through disposal/moving the “offcut”.
Just in case you need to know I think there is still dispensation to use creosote on telegraph and electricity poles so they will be even warmer when in your log burner.
Is the one behind it in the distance new too? That one made it to the edge of the path at least. The verge does seem to wander between the two and as then are is in a straight line which might be their logic. Or am I giving them too much credit?
The one behind it also new but it's sensibly stuck in the grass.
You need to object using the details on the pole notice. Also let me know if its an Openreach notice on a city fibre pole, seems to be happening alot recently. If the pole is BT it will be engraved in the wood at chest height.
Big bowsaw in the middle of the night would sort that right out.
Don't joke, disgruntled people do so sorts like drilling holes through the pole at ground level. Engineers climb these things and malicious damage, or the resulting rot, is dangerous.
It's a mess certainly but Edinburgh Council can top it. Spent two years spending £12.5 million on a cycle path to link one cycle path with another.
They're now proposing to get rid of one of the cycle paths the new one was supposed to connect, rendering the new path pointless.
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/edinburgh-trams-proposal-to-replace-part-of-ncn1-cycle/
Sounds about as popular as the Cheltenham-Gloucester-Stroud cycle path which doens't appear to be popular with anyone
Poor spine has a bad dose of Scoliosis
Idiocy? The cycle route that is 2.5 times longer than the road. 6 miles or 15 miles? Check the signposts for Newmarket.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/75QXzxkMrjZarTFh7
To be fair, I wouldn't want to ride down the A1303, but I'm not sure which way the 15 mile route goes - via wicken?
It's not quite having to go 15 miles out of your way, but I never cease to be amazed at this one.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/t8bYGrY7PnJZuEGb9
- A ramp takes you up onto a path-height section
- You give way almost immediately to the people waiting at the bus stop (presumably with a bus parked on your outside)
- After setting off you give way again 10 yards later, to the people waiting at the next stop
- After setting off, you return to road-level and filter into traffic, where the bike lane immediately ends
Just realised that if you go back a few hundred feet it's even dafter than I described (and more relevant to the OP)!
https://maps.app.goo.gl/L19JAa1utSA3yimy9
- Leave the road and merge onto the footpath
- Stop immediately as there's a traffic light in your way
- Once around that there's a 2nd post in the way
- Once around that merge back onto the road
- Then have the fun I described before, a few seconds later.
Cyclists don't need to be anywhere for any specific time didn't you know that!?
Just seen a pic of a new cyclepath just finished in Burton - minimum width, alongside the road, has a traffic light in the middle!
Needs to go on local TV news, help explain to drivers why we still have to use roads.
And this is why Sustrans can go jump.
They promoted, approved and authorised miles of poor quality infrastructure as part of their millennium funding for the NCN, which became the defacto acceptable standard for highways authorities to install.
And now they are campaigning for donations to repair it as it's shagged! The cheek of it!
We, cyclists, need to object to any cycle infrastructure that is ill conceived, Badly designed, poorly specced, badly lit, with no plan for maintenance. Which is basically all of it.
Something IS NOT better than nothing. Derrogation from the ideal.needs to be assessed, justified and evidenced as being the best option, through designers risk assessments as required be legislation!!!
They installed a fabulous bit of cycling and walking infrastructure near me on the A56 in Prestwich. Wide cycle lane and an even wider footpath set back from the road. Very clearly marked and with different colour and texture on the surface, there was even a barely detectable gradient separating the too as a gentle reminder if you should drift out of your lane. It was perfect apart from two issues…
1) It was less than 150m long in its entirety.
2) Shortly after it was finished a KFC Drive Thru was built there, so they dug it up.
It's stupid and all, but how wide is your bike?
Is it supposed to be shared use?
Is it supposed to be shared use?
Assuming you are referring to the original pic, yes, it's shared use, and reasonably busy a lot of the time, although obviously not when I took the photo. Lots of runners, dog walkers, kids going to one of the three local schools or the children's theatre - and even a few cyclists.
I have a response from the council!:
Further to your report, we are already aware of the issue and are working to resolve this. We have now closed the report
Not sure what that means. We'll see.
These failures cost lives. It isn't always easy but sometimes even when it is easy it isn't done. This new build road built around 25 years ago and crosses empty farmland. Alternative routes are narrow and twisty with poor sightlines. There is a fast 60mph stretch of just over a mile with no junctions and no property access. It would have been simple to build a 6ft wide hard shoulder either side and would have cost buttons. It wasn't done.
I read this story yesterday. A cyclist killed here. 5 weeks earlier on another nearby road his brother had been crippled by a drunk driver. Result 12 month ban £540 fine.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/6sVEaTPB69tpGuwa8
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/24088782.ian-gillies-slams-sentence-given-drunk-driver-hit-bike/
Road, around 46cm. MTB 85cm. Gravel 48cm. So safe passing at shared cyclepath speed (max 30km/h, max closing speed 60km/h) we need a minimum of 2.5m total width on a shared 2 way path to accommodate everyone.
If you're doing 30kph on a shared-use track whilst passing multiple dropped kerbs, with other cyclists doing similar in the opposite direction, then you want your bumps feeling. I'd be on the road in that scenario.
If you’re doing 30kph on a shared-use track
I would be on the road too (it's in the just because you can. . . area) but that's the design spec I would expect to see employed. At least 50% of commuting cyclists will be below average competence and we need to design for them to protect the rest of us!
Slap a cyclists dismount sign on it, problem solved.
I would be on the road too (it’s in the just because you can. . . area) but that’s the design spec I would expect to see employed. At least 50% of commuting cyclists will be below average competence and we need to design for them to protect the rest of us!
Oh, sure, I see what you mean.
Honestly, idiotic pole placement aside, that design is doomed to cause conflict. It might just be the angle but I'm not seeing any signage to indicate that bikes are allowed even.
Further to your report, we are already aware of the issue and are working to resolve this. We have now closed the report
Not sure what that means. We’ll see.
I expect it means nothing will happen. This is the reply I get every 6 months or so when I report an issue with a cycle lane I use: "As this issue is not urgent we'll deal with it as part of a future planned work scheme in this area. State changed to: Closed". Its been about 3 years now.
Warwick earlier. Could be worse.
That one has always amused me, but at least the pole was there before they declared the pavement a cycle path.
The OP was Warwick also.
Make them re-open the report. Refuse to let them close it until it's resolved as if they don't have an open report, how will they know there's a problem to resolve as part of any "future planned scheme". Complain, don;t accept first (or any) unsatisfactory response. Ombudsman if they do not resolve within teh necessary timecales (this could be acknowledging the issue in a projec tlog, and providing details on whether any future scheme is funded or not. If not funded, don;t let them close it).
Keep going. It's a hard slog but you will eventually get somewhere.
Took me nearly 10 years, but when they spray and chipped the main road near and then re-lined with the same sub-standard cycle lane markign that were there before, I did this and they are finally going to re-line the road as close to LTN1/20 standards as they can achieve. While I appreciate councils are strapped for cash, this is Derbyshire who keep doing very expensig and destructice works in the Peaks..... They need to learn to actually integrate and assess their works against actual legislated requirements!
My current favourite bit of cycle lane stupidity is on Leith walk ( For those who don't know it its an urban main road with trams on it) there are lots of side roads and pedestrian junctions all with traffic lights. there is an almost segregated cycleway on the pavement. It has a sloping 1" high curb on one side to help you crash, it goes behind bus stops
For bicycles some of the lights you go with the cars without a bicycle signal, some you go with the cars with a bicycle signal, some do not apply to bicycles at all, some you get a green bicycle with the green man for the peds and one you get a totally separate green bicycle that is at a different time to pedestrians and cars
And folk wonder why cyclists ignore traffic lights!
Well. Two weeks later, a team turned up and moved it.
I'm glad it's been moved, I'm not impressed by the quality of that patch - looks like a pothole waiting to happen - and it's all been a bit of a waste of time and money.
Lordy lord.
That patch 😆 It’s like a tiny summary of the Uk in 2024.
I'd complain about that patch, as its going to present an ongoing hazard to users, and continued liability to the council.
What are the odd BT installed the new pole, swapped the wires over then chopped the old one off at ground level, creating a hard or soft spot on the path that will fail eventually...
I’m glad it’s been moved, I’m not impressed by the quality of that patch
Old Jewish lady and her grandson at the beach, a massive wave comes and sweeps the boy into the sea, "Oh God, help me" she cries, A hand comes down from heaven and plucks the child from the sea, to place him, spluttering at his grandmother's feet. She takes a look at the child, raises her face to the sky and says "He had a hat"
Some folks, never satisfied
We, cyclists, need to object to any cycle infrastructure that is ill conceived, Badly designed, poorly specced, badly lit, with no plan for maintenance. Which is basically all of it.
Bin there, dun that, no interest, no budget, outside "design guidelines".
Then if you ask for the design guidelines (i'm originally an engineering designer by actual trade and qualification) they go all coy...
We, cyclists, need to object to any cycle infrastructure that is ill conceived, Badly designed, poorly specced, badly lit, with no plan for maintenance. Which is basically all of it.
Like every other road user gets to do? I mean we could behave like a special interest group and demand that privilege, and as every other road user takes our views into careful consideration and treat us daily like the royalty we very clearly are; I'm sure we'd have their backing
Good result but I will point out that it's not a BT / Openreach pole. It will be one of the new fibre broadband networks. You can tell as it has an inset label on it rather than marks engraved directly into the timber.
Some folks, never satisfied
I dunno. I take your point, but that patch is by any measure... shall we be kind and say "unsympathetic"? If I were the manager of that crew I'd be sending them back, it's bloody awful work. Part of me wonders whether they did an intentionally shit job out of pique.
Cycle path near me (line on the road rather than segregated) is narrower than my handlebars, so I basically have to ride on the line or just outside it, which seems to really wind up car drivers.
but that patch is by any measure… shall we be kind and say “unsympathetic”?
If it was a pavement that was a special worth that needed sympathetic treatment, like ancient cobblestones or a path along the gardens of the Taj Mahal, or some such, I'd agree with you, but its a concrete path in suburbia. It's going to be dug up in a few months from now for "Future Broadband Mega-pipe Coming to your Area" or "Is there a gas pipe down there exploration dig..."
This is why nearly all our roads, pavements, and cycleways are nearly always trash: immediately after being meticulously surfaced any utility company can come along, dig it up, and do a * repair. Those repairs are subsequently where the surface fails well before its time and become the focus of a patchwork of more * repairs. We don’t even bother doing a good job to begin with now, so inevitable is the destruction. One of the joys of visiting so many other developed nations is being in a public realm that’s not pure ****.
You’re right though; we should just tug our forelocks and suck it up.
One of the joys of visiting so many other developed nations is being in a public realm that’s not pure ****.
Sure, but go to the suburbs of any city anywhere in the world, and it looks like they've just held the "Road Builders Open, Pavement Special - North West 2024" competition. The choice is yours nice pavements, working utilities.
its a concrete path in suburbia. It’s going to be dug up in a few months
So a shit job is acceptable because it's not a Grade 2 Listed Pavement? If it's a concrete path then why not fill in the hole with, ooh, I don't know, let me think...
Let's be less generous then, let's go with "*ing awful." Whoever did that work should be ashamed of themselves and as above I rather suspect it was deliberate. "We only put this *ing pole in last week and now we've got to *ing move it because of some whiny little * on a pushbike who doesn't even pay road tax."
I'm struggling to get excited about the state of a tarmac repaired square if I'm honest.
This is why nearly all our roads, pavements, and cycleways are nearly always trash: immediately after being meticulously surfaced any utility company can come along, dig it up, and do a **** repair.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dg3StO-7zZY&pp=ygUUSGVpbmVrZW4gaG9sZSBhZHZlcnQ%3D
We, cyclists, need to object to any cycle infrastructure that is ill conceived, Badly designed, poorly specced, badly lit, with no plan for maintenance. Which is basically all of it.
Like every other road user gets to do? I mean we could behave like a special interest group and demand that privilege, and as every other road user takes our views into careful consideration and treat us daily like the royalty we very clearly are; I’m sure we’d have their backing.
Having worked with a variety of authorities building new roads/bridges, I can confirm that consideration fo motoroised users of the highway is given absoluteley the highest consideration, and any other user going over, under or along any new highway is, at best, given cursory consideration, often lip-service and sometimes complete disregard. So yes, it is reasonable that every user be considered when desiging and building infrastrucutre, and that guidance should be followed wherver possible, and the reasons for derrogating away from relevant guidance be recorded and justified.
Good result but I will point out that it’s not a BT / Openreach pole. It will be one of the new fibre broadband networks. You can tell as it has an inset label on it rather than marks engraved directly into the timber.
Having also worked with a variety of these "new" fibre providers, I can confirm that they are also universally slapdash, ignorant of just about anything outside of their own narrow field of view and unable to comprehend why you may not want them to install their new cable in a location that is massively inconveninet for the landowner/occupier/user... The only surprise therre is that they moved it at all....
Good result but I will point out that it’s not a BT / Openreach pole.
As I said in post number 11 on page 1, it's a City Fibre pole. City Fibre have been engaged in a prolonged campaign to make the pavements of Warwick unnavigable for some months now.
What is the business case for City Fibre? We already have Virgin and Openreach fibre here. I can't see how they can ever hope to recoup the investment by signing up a small proportion of houses to a £25 broadband plan.
Is this now the mega shaming thread? What do you all think of @51.492527,-3.1813078,3a,75y,184.01h,75.47t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1smvWRZte7YxV0uW81nbZMhA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu">this one in Cardiff? Due to the way the junction at the north end of that road is designed and where the segregated cyclepaths go, both directions of the cyclepath end up on the right hand side of the road and because they want you to take a shortcut to the back of the student's union at the south end they have to make you cross the road at those lights. Problem is that you have to wait bloody ages for the lights. It's not a busy road, and it was really wide originally so there was absolutely zero issue just riding it like a normal road. In fact, one of the least problematic parts of the whole area.
The through road gets most of the priority on the lights and its downhill through that bit from the north so you can ride fast enough, it's far easier to stick to the road. Coming from the south some people come from Senghenydd road and end up on the cycle path and others come around the corner from the railway bridge on the left hand side of the road, so you end up with some cyclists on the road on the left as usual and some cyclists going in either direction in the segregated cycle lane on the right. In fact if you come from the railway bridge there's no indication that they want you to cross the road - and even if there were, who'd want to cross it only to be made to wait at lights for 5 mins later on to cross it back?
Like every other road user gets to do?
Round here, Derby and Nottingham seem to be constantly asking for feedback on proposed cycle infrastructure schemes. They either don't get the right feedback, or don't take any notice.
That hole has probable been filled with a bag of Coldlay and will last a winter at most!
Here's the worst/weirdest near me:
Coming up towards the lights, the cycle path (which starts here) goes up onto the pavement...
...and then ends abruptly at the lights.
I have no idea what they were thinking/smoking when they came up with this one. The left lane here is left turn only, right lane for going straight on.
So.
If you want to turn left, merge back onto the road just before the corner. Might as well have just stayed on the road to avoid merging back into the traffic.
If you want to go straight on, you're screwed. Wait for the lights to turn red and then shuffle across the cycle zone into the other lane? Dodge across the left lane and go straight, praying not to get left hooked?
It's stupid, confusing and utterly, utterly pointless. I ignore it entirely and get in lane like the cars... works out better for everyone.
I’d complain about that patch, as its going to present an ongoing hazard to users, and continued liability to the council.
Seems a bit of an ironic complaint on a mountain bike forum!
I’d complain about that patch, as its going to present an ongoing hazard to users, and continued liability to the council.
Seems a bit of an ironic complaint on a mountain bike forum!
Well yeah, right up to the point where your kid hits this piece of ostensibly safe cycling infrastructure at an awkward angle once it's degraded a bit, crashed and smashed their teeth out. On that basis surely anything non gnaar should be in chat? Which forum is this in anyway?
Round here, Derby and Nottingham seem to be constantly asking for feedback on proposed cycle infrastructure schemes. They either don’t get the right feedback, or don’t take any notice.
@morecashthandash - we should compare notes, I'm on the notes derbys border, and get regular consults through the local CTC group.
But yeah, it's mostly crap