[and some people do cycle too fast for the conditions]
Of course, there are often also design issues, which is a separate though related point.
Spokes has just received the following very politely-phrased email...
Hello
I wonder if you can help me on this.
On Friday evening I was hit by a cyclist on the new cycle path linking Barnton Avenue East and Barnton Avenue West in Edinburgh.
About half way down I heard the whoosh of a bike behind me, turned round and it was only about 5 metres away, going fast, about to be a direct hit!
I thought “this is going to hurt”, and just had time to shift out of a head on collision and turn my hip towards the bike.
It hit me hard and the cyclist came off hard too. He ended up with his legs in the frame and the front wheel twisted.
He thought he had broken his leg, but it turned out to be OK.
Bizzarely I managed to stay on my feet, it was a kind of heavy glancing blow, but my hip and neck are very sore.
I was very lucky. I think I got off very lightly. If he’d caught me full on I daren’t think what would have happened.
I had deliberately been on the very edge of the path actually on the line of the lights to ensure I kept the full way clear for bikes.
I noticed he only had a wee flashing front light, which emitted virtually no beam.
He then admitted he had been “going too fast”.
I suspect as he had no beam he was tracking the lights of the path to guide him fast downhill and not looking up to see where he was going or what was in front of him.
He said he had never seen anyone on the path at that time (5pm?)
I’m telling you this because is that I believe there is an inherent design fault in the recent “improvement” works that have been carried out on that path.
The “runway lighting” whilst very pretty definitely tempts cyclists to go fast. It looks like a race track.
I think there should be 2 further chicanes down the path, similar to the one at the top so as to ensure cyclists are unable to build up any dangerous level of speed.
Consideration should also be given to higher levels of raised lighting so pedestrians can be seen in the dark.
The uplighters provide virtually zero visibility of pedestrians to cyclists.
The red “speed bump” halfway down is completely insignificant and does not slow people down at all.
The path is not segregated to cyclists/pedestrians like in The Meadows for example.
A very valid point I would also like to make is that Royal High School pupils also use the path a lot. My eldest does.
At this time of year it can be dark when they are returning home and their uniforms are black.
So potentially they are invisible to cyclists.
I would be surprised if my incident has been the first of its kind.
My view is that the new design of the path with wide smooth tarmac and “runway” or “catwalk” lighting tempting speed down hill is a serious (or fatal) accident waiting to happen.
I am not sure who to contact about this to have the matter reviewed?
Can you please advise me what is the best way of having this matter reviewed as soon as possible?
posts
