CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure

Uncleared paths

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  1. chdot
    Admin

    Yesterday I happened to be in Colinton around going home from school time.

    This photo shows the state of the path just south of Colinton Primary School. It must have been in a similar condition for WEEKS - it's been mostly thawing for about 11 days.

    The steepest part of the path has been gritted and the steps (out of sight in picture below) were clear of snow.


    Clearly this is more of a pedestrian route than a cycling one, (though it is part of a fabulous mostly off-road route from Morningside to the base of the Pentlands following the Braid Burn), which should perhaps make it even more of a priority than the Innocent. (Yesterday after some posts on here, the Council indicated that it might clear the remaining snow on the Innocent SEE BELOW.)

    It would be useful to record other paths that are still covered in ice/snow and those that ought to be considered as 'high' priority when it comes to gritting because of their strategic importance in a city that says it wants to encourage walking and cycling and spends money on "Safer Routes to School" projects.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  2. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    Taken on Wednesday 20th January, over a week after pretty much all the roads are clear (though in higher areas the pavements still have ice on them). On the section between Duddingston Row and Duddingston Road West.

    There were similar patches between Duddingston Road West and the Innocent Tunnel.

    On the day this was taken assurances were given by the council that this would be 'looked at and dealt with' that very day. Erm, the photo taken the next day shows how true that was...

    This patch is below the Innocent Tunnel. Heading West to East it isn't very noticeable, being round a curve at the bottom of the slope from the tunnel. I'm sure a number of cyclists have happened across this rather suddenly.

    You'll notice that pedestrians and cyclists alike have been making use of the verges to either side of the ice. Sorry, 'path'.

    The ice in the top pictures you can now just about scoot past the side due to some natural 'shrinkage' from the thaw, but it's still ridiculous to think this is part of the flagship National Cycle Network route 1...

    Posted 14 years ago #

  3. chdot
    Admin

    I sent a link to the top post to the three Colinton councillors and got this response 25 minutes later!

    Watch this space for any follow-ups...

    "Chris

    Thank you for your email. I have forwarded this to the Roads Operations Manager for attention.

    Kind regards
    Elaine
    Cllr Elaine Aitken
    Colinton/Fairmilehead Ward"

    Posted 14 years ago #

  4. chdot
    Admin

    11.47 UPDATE

    "
    Chris

    Have now received a response back from the Roads Operations Manager as follows:-

    ***********quote
    Elaine

    I have arranged for the remote footpath to be checked and salted where required.

    Regards

    Alan

    ************unquote

    Trust this is helpful and thank you for bringing this to my attention.

    "

    If only everything was so 'easy'...

    Posted 14 years ago #

  5. chdot
    Admin

    THIS AFTERNOON

    Local dogwalker says "it's been like that for 5 weeks."

    Posted 14 years ago #

  6. SRD
    Moderator

    While trying out childseats on the weekend we observed that the thick ice on the slopey path up to the playground in Harrison Park made it almost unreachable, but that 5 mins with a steel shovel would have broken it up.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  7. chdot
    Admin

    Bike Co-op News links to this thread -

    "
    Can You Get Back On Your Bike Yet?

    The recent freeze made even the most avid cyclist wary about mixing it with traffic. It concentrates the mind when you know that neither you nor your fellow road user has full control of ones wheels. Time to investigate the local cyclepath network. Or perhaps not. If your local route has been similarly ignored by your local authority, a quick email to your councillor really can make a difference.
    "

    Posted 14 years ago #

  8. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    Righto, Innocent Path update.

    The Innocent Path has now been upgraded from 'icebound' to 'passable with care'. There are still big patches of ice, with the areas to the side only wide enough for one person to pass at a time, and there are still little patches jumping out unexpectedly, but it's now mainly rideable.

    The worst patches are still the two downhill and round the corner from the tunnel, which still require some cyclocrossing onto the verge.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  9. Arellcat
    Moderator

    Given that it was 6.5degC at my house this morning, is the Innocent Path improving because the weather is warming, or because a team from CEC has actively attended with picks and shovels?

    Posted 14 years ago #

  10. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    Hell no, you should no better than that! It's down to the awrm weather - the ice itself hasn't been touched.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  11. Min
    Member

    That is good news though, I will have a shot of it on Monday, I should think more ice will melt over the weekend.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  12. Stepdoh
    Member

    Nearly rode up a huge snow pile on the granton foreshore last night (my lights were failing) Think it was cleared but hadn't melted any further. The huge rubbish pile further along also didn't help!

    Posted 14 years ago #

  13. threefromleith
    Member

    Beware - I've had three punctures in four days due to the 'salt' which the council had thinned out a few weeks ago with tiny stone chippings. I had wondered why the salt hadn't been washing away, until I realised that this stuff's not salt. There's thick layers of the stuff around (eg through Roseburn Park, or on the Roseburn Path) and the little bits are needle-sharp. They're piercing straight through my normally-impenetrable Schwalbe Stelvios.

    Do you think the council would come and sweep this stuff away if I complained to Clarence?

    Posted 14 years ago #

  14. chdot
    Admin

    "Do you think the council would come and sweep this stuff away if I complained to Clarence?"

    Worth trying - and seeing what happens.

    clarence@edinburgh.gov.uk

    0800 232323

    Helps if you note the number on the nearest lampost.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  15. Claggy Cog
    Member

    Out today for a run, there is still snow lying at the side of some roads in East Lothian, and icy sections on the Innocent where the sun cannot penetrate. However, I am rather hoping that the rain today will actually get rid of the gloopy mixture of grit/salt/oil/rubber which is very thick in places over the cycle lanes, so that you can actually see the cycle lane plus not have to contend with the slippery stuff.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  16. threefromleith
    Member

    Make that 4 punctures in 4 days - my rear deflated overnight. Grrrr!!!

    Posted 14 years ago #

  17. Kim
    Member

    Need to get better tyres...

    Posted 14 years ago #

  18. Min
    Member

    Innocent was completely clear this morning, yay. At least between the tunnel and Cragmillar. No reason to believe the rest isn't okay as well.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  19. Kim
    Member

    A tale of two city's, one claims to want a cycling culture (see above) and one that really does have a cycling culture, spot the difference.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  20. chdot
    Admin

    Just a reminder of how it works in Copenhagen...

    "The City takes care of the bicycle lanes and streets while home owners and businesses must keep their sidewalks clear. The latter are not allowed to shovel the snow onto the bicycle lanes/tracks."

    http://www.copenhagenize.com/2010/02/enter-snow-slinger-of-copenhagen.html

    Posted 14 years ago #

  21. chdot
    Admin

    "Innocent Path Icy Again"

    http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=288

    Posted 14 years ago #

  22. chdot
    Admin

    "Snow removal and salting priorities in Metro Detroit are based on maximizing vehicle mobility."

    http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/02/02/clearing-snow-copenhagen-style

    Posted 14 years ago #

  23. SRD
    Moderator

    God knows why I end up defending Detroit, but like many people, one of things that most annoyed my other half this winter was the council's inability to clear snow from pavements. As he kept saying 'in the Detroit suburbs they put plows on the front of little tractors used for gardening in the summer, and they clear the sidewalks'. Sidewalk clearing something they are particularly bad at in my bit of Canada (although in theory they have sidewalk snowblowers), but some parts of Metro Detroit more enlightened than others.

    Posted 14 years ago #

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