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“On roads, cyclists are vulnerable – but on towpaths they're the menace ”

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  1. chdot
    Admin

  2. toomanybikes
    Member

    Some flaws. Fines from cyclists using canal paths won't cover policing costs, nevermind a city wide cycle network.

    The benefit of the calm greenery of canals also apparently only extends to walkers, not cyclists, who must hate all that green and quiet.

    Why not build the cycle network first, providing a safe, fast alternative for cyclists and then see what the situation is like on the canals.

    Also no mention of banning trucks and cars from roads despite spelling out the parallel situation.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  3. jdanielp
    Member

    @toomanybikes well summarised. It felt odd to start the article by playing on emotions with the mention of the death of a free-ranging pet - presumably far more cats are hit by cars than bikes.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  4. gembo
    Member

    Shared spaces lead to conflict - we get it in the neck on roads but we dole it out on paths. Cambridge where i have just been is full of cyclists going far too fast on shared use and of course loads of responsible cyclists.

    Presumed liability is the way forward but that wont help if your pet gets killed. As @jdanielp says - must be rare for cyclist to kill pet but drivers much more common

    Posted 4 years ago #
  5. gembo
    Member

    Article also very London centric. Canal towpaths there are not for the faint hearted.

    The union canal east of the aqueduct can be busy but few dog walkers or kittens out at rush hour, you do get pedestrians and of course all the rowing brigade. And yet we seem to mostly rub along, save for the spate of people falling in? Maybe they jumped voluntarily because of the heat?

    Posted 4 years ago #
  6. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    These waterways should be calm spaces where people seek solace. In our cities, their value is obvious as green spaces, linear escapes from the stresses of urban life.

    The waterways in question were the industrial haulage routes of the time. Ditto the railways under the NEPN. The solution seems simple - make our city streets as green and quiet as the canals. Push cars and lorries out onto segregated arterial routes and ban the biggest vehicles from the city. Make West Calder Road into a green corridor and not only will RBS and Heriot Watt staff use it to commute they might even want to live there.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  7. gembo
    Member

    Yes @IWRATS, another quirk of that article. Canals used to be dirty when they were used. For the Purpose for which they were built.

    See also WoL Path and to some extent at least during industrial rev the water of leith itself.

    Blaming cyclists is displacement

    Though if we all chilled and cycled at slower pace on the towpath then the kittens wouldn’t have to die

    Posted 4 years ago #
  8. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    No, kittens are but dust and to dust they must return.

    Just harvested the garlic planted on The King's grave. Good crop, full of feline goodness.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  9. gembo
    Member

    King Cat Garlic funky

    Just been reading Nick Cave’s agony aunt column The Red Hand Files. He becomes vegetarian after seein dead cat in Marrakesh

    Posted 4 years ago #
  10. gembo
    Member

    Oooft, towpath was a bit London today, I think the mild east wind meant those travelling towards Gogoarburn, Heriot-Watt etc they had superpowers. also the foliage reducing the space. I was sung to one cyclist, their own composition entitled Make Some Room. Odd as they were on my side :-)

    Save The Kittens

    Posted 4 years ago #

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