CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure

Meadows paths - grass overgrowth

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  1. SRD
    Moderator

    So I met with a council official today to discuss the grass overgrowth on the Meadows cycle paths. On Leamington walk, the path's down to 3/4s of its intended width.

    He says they just don't have the manpower to maintain them. And that if they did anything, they'd spray them with chemicals. supposedly this is done once a year, but clearly hasn't been done on those paths.

    When I suggested that this risked putting cyclists into conflict (and that the path there is over capacity already), he said that we should just ride on the grass cause that's what cyclists do anyway.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  2. chdot
    Admin

    Did you mention the 'underspent revenue part of cycle budget'?

    Posted 9 years ago #

  3. SRD
    Moderator

    he would have said 'that's not his budget'.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  4. chdot
    Admin

    Perhaps, but I thought the point was that was the sort of thing it could be spent on?

    Like gritting.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  5. kaputnik
    Moderator

    "Lack of manpower".

    Must be pretty stretched given how easily we cleared up the NMW path last year with an hour or so of effort and a set of largely inappropriate tools.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  6. neddie
    Member

    Amazing how grass doesn't grow over the roads and footpaths (next to the roads)

    Posted 9 years ago #

  7. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Amazing how grass doesn't grow over the roads and footpaths

    Generally speaking they bother to put a kerbstone at the side of the road, whereas they rarely seem to bother on paths on grassy land. It seems inevitable that it does happen.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  8. cc
    Member

    It's hedges that grow over the pavements; one or two near me are down to maybe a quarter of their intended width.

    Anyway, is the Meadows overgrowth the sort of thing we could sort out ourselves fairly quickly? (He says, not having a garden or any gardening implements) Or is this a point of principle? Which would seem reasonable if the cycle budget is underspent

    Posted 9 years ago #

  9. SRD
    Moderator

    I have just been emailed, by the same officer and asked ' is there a cycling group out there that might consider taking some of this work on voluntarily? We could assist with tools, equipment etc and could offer a park ranger to provide some guidance if this is something that might be considered.'

    i'm ambivalent.

    As kaputnik says, this seems like a half-day's job for one bloke, once a year, with a shovel and broom.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  10. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Where are FOTMABL when you need them?

    Posted 9 years ago #

  11. neddie
    Member

    As a point of principle, this should not have to be undertaken by volunteers.

    What next, volunteers filling potholes on the roads...?

    Posted 9 years ago #

  12. chdot
    Admin

    Volunteers 'looking after' cycle paths in a basic way (like Sustrans Rangers) is one thing.

    Involving people in tree/bulb plant - and even waterway clearance - is another.

    Keeping core (and indeed Core) paths to their designed width in a 'transport network' is surely CEC's job!

    Posted 9 years ago #

  13. acsimpson
    Member

    I'd say it's a point of principle that the council should be maintaining it's paths. The problem is that if one path is done by volunteers then the council will very quickly assume this as the normal and no paths will get any maintenance.

    The path's I've noticed being sprayed end up with dead plants but plenty earth at the edges so it's not long before new plants take their places. I think they perform the same spraying at road edges but as it's hard landscaped one spray a year generally keeps it under control.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  14. Snowy
    Member

    I'll help with the path if the council adopts my garden for maintenance.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  15. SRD
    Moderator

    Friend of mine posted a pic in Twitter showing folk in hives clearing Leamington walk. Presume they were Fombls.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  16. Stickman
    Member

    Fombls?

    Posted 9 years ago #

  17. gembo
    Member

    French wombles or friends of the meadows and bruntsfield links?

    Posted 9 years ago #

  18. Arellcat
    Moderator

    showing folk in hives

    That must've been some seriously strong flora along the path. Hope they recover quickly! ;-)

    Posted 9 years ago #

  19. SRD
    Moderator

    Ahem. I blame the auto-correct.

    Pic here. I can't embed it until I'm on my laptop.

    https://flic.kr/p/z5e8Gq

    Posted 9 years ago #

  20. chdot
    Admin

    I'm disappointed that FoMBLs willing to do CEC's job.

    But I suppose I'm glad they have.

    Perhaps IAM will be fixing some potholes(?)

    Posted 9 years ago #

  21. SRD
    Moderator

    Posted 9 years ago #

  22. fimm
    Member

    Hi-vis for working on a cycle path, for goodness* sake...

    * this might not be the word I really want to type...

    Posted 9 years ago #

  23. Morningsider
    Member

    Well done those edge trimmers - great work and much appreciated.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  24. chdot
    Admin

    "Hi-vis for working on a cycle path"

    Aye, you can get away with all sorts of things when you look 'official'...

    Posted 9 years ago #

  25. Klaxon
    Member

    I agree with the yellow bib there, it says 'I'm working in your space, probably have tools (which you can't see) and am unlikely to move' from some distance away

    Posted 9 years ago #

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