CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Cycling News

Meanwhile in the Netherlands

(14 posts)

  1. Arellcat
    Moderator

    From Fiets filevrij!, Intercityfietser, and nicely summarised by David Hembrow:

    "It's just been announced that 16 new long distance inter-city cycle routes will be built across the country with central government support of 21 million euros and local council support making up the rest of the 80 million euro combined cost of the schemes."

    David notes that:

    "It's infrastructure on a country sized scale, not merely a city sized scale. But in the usual Dutch way it's being talked about rather modestly, and has not been the subject of press releases sent all around the world..."

    Posted 13 years ago #
  2. spitfire
    Member

    I want to cry

    Posted 13 years ago #
  3. chdot
    Admin

    "I want to cry"

    I'll laugh instead then!

    This country and infrastructure.

    Seem to remember Bathgate - Aidrie railway was supposed to open tomorrow and the new cycle path.

    Posted 13 years ago #
  4. spitfire
    Member

    Yeah well that's the weather for you eh? Nobody can predict we would ever get winters with temperatures beflow -7 (ever)

    Posted 13 years ago #
  5. wee folding bike
    Member

    The cycle path re-opening had already been postponed till the "spring".

    I rarely see people using it at any time of year. I used a section on Monday to get round a traffic problem and the snow was pretty deep.

    They still have a bus service from Airdrie to Drumgelloch so I suspect the trains might be late too.

    On Tuesday they were still expecting to have some events:

    http://www.airdriebathgateraillink.co.uk/news/local_events_update/?sid=bb70642a9c7a0b62728dd3820025a76f

    I guess it will be the usual local bams getting their photo in the paper.

    Posted 13 years ago #
  6. chdot
    Admin

    "The £300 million Airdrie-Bathgate rail line, due to open tomorrow, will eventually see the number of services from Edinburgh to Glasgow increased to ten every hour."

    http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/Airdrie-to-Bathgate-rail-link.6657611.jp

    "
    “However, the severe weather has prevented the completion of some minor station works and left the access roads and platform surfaces at some of the new intermediate stations on the route impassable, with up to three feet of snow blocking access this week.

    “Consequently the new stations at Armadale, Caldercruix and Drumgelloch will not be brought into use right away but will be opened as soon as possible once the weather improves.
    "

    http://www.airdriebathgateraillink.co.uk/news/new_300m_rail_link_set_to_enter_service_this_sunday_despite_arctic_winter

    Posted 13 years ago #
  7. kaputnik
    Moderator

    see the number of services from Edinburgh to Glasgow increased to ten every hour.

    Unless it snows, then there's none

    Posted 13 years ago #
  8. Arellcat
    Moderator

    "Ron McAulay continued: 'Completing this line in just four years was a major engineering and project management challenge. To have delivered the railway on time and on budget is a testament to the skill and determination of our team.'"

    So £300m in 2006 prices is £quite a lot in 2010 prices, but even so, on budget is on budget. Maybe Network Rail should've built the trams.

    Posted 13 years ago #
  9. kaputnik
    Moderator

    completion of the new £7.3m cycle path in spring 2011

    'nuff said

    Posted 13 years ago #
  10. wee folding bike
    Member

    Well it's a funny thing but the temporary Airdrie- Drumgelloch bus is still running from the train station.

    Posted 13 years ago #
  11. MV
    Member

    Thought I'd revive this thread for some Dutch bicycle related news:

    Afsluitdijk closed for cyclists
    https://nltimes.nl/2019/08/20/afsluitdijk-closed-cyclists

    "The Afsluitdijk is officially closed to cyclists for the next three years. In the coming years, the dyke will be reinforced and its locks and pumps will be renovated, NOS reports.

    The closure of the bicycle path on the Afsluitdijk, which runs between Den Over in Noord-Holland to Zurich in Friesland, was originally scheduled for April 1st. But after protest, public works department Rijkswaterstaat decided to postpone the closure. Sunday was the last day on which cyclists could use the bike path for the time being.

    To make sure that cyclists can still get across the Afsluitdijk, the Rijkswaterstaat arranged a special 'Afsluitdijk bicycle bus' - a bus on which cyclists can take their bikes and ride to the other side."

    I'd like to see a bicycle bus on the Forth bridges whenever they're closed to bicycles.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  12. MV
    Member

    Had a look at the "fietsbus", it goes once an hour, space for 15 bicycles, pictures here.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  13. paddyirish
    Member

    @MV- there is a service which I have used any time the bridge is closed, mainly due to wind. If you visit the control tower when coming from the south or ring 08000420188 when coming from the North, a flatbed truck will carry you over the bridge with bikes in the back.

    It is a really superb service which I am very grateful for.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  14. amir
    Member

    @MV we're doing the Afsluitdijk in September. Fortunately we'd heard about the closure and so have altered our route to allow for the easier crossing. We're coming back on the ferry from Stavoren (hopefully!).
    The bus looks much better than the flat bed on the FRB. I rember turning up with a large audax group to be faced with the closure of the bridge. The flatbed turned up, we all looked frightened at the prospect of having the bikes piled up on eachother, and they decided to let us over (given the numbers).

    Posted 4 years ago #

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