CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Questions/Support/Help

Who do I contact about cycling in Holyrood Park?

(17 posts)
  • Started 13 years ago by Wilmington's Cow
  • Latest reply from kaputnik
  • This topic is not resolved

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  1. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    Need to mention this patch to someone...

    (p.s. I can't actually view Flickr photos at work, so I don't know if it worked or not...)

    I very almost managed to come off this morning - in the wet, and on skinny tyres it's just a deathtrap! Wasn't it the park that had the case against them with the guy who hit a bad surface and did himself some serious damage?

    Anyway, I'd been hoping the hill would block out the headwind on that side, but no such luck, so rather than trundle along the road slowly I skipped onto the 'Cycle Way'. The rain meant only one pedestrian, so actually it really really works as a good bit of cycling provision, until that one 5-6 yard section.

    What makes it so bad is that you actually have to change direction on it at both ends. It's basically a stony, cobbly version of the tramlines on Princes Street! And I don't understand why it's there, because the path on either side is smooth tarmac.

    I'm tempted to say the reason is because 'This Is Edinburgh'...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  2. Arellcat
    Moderator

    Flickr worked fine. You might try Martin Gray, Royal Parks Visitor Services Manager at Holyrood Park's Education Centre. He's usually the spokesman for anything to do with traffic. tel 0131 652 8150.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  3. Min
    Member

    Seriously?? Holy cow Batman. Amazed this one hasn't come up before.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  4. crowriver
    Member

    @Anth The path's been like that for years. I'm thinking there must be a reason for it. I suspect it is the way it is due to the gradient (a bit steeper at that point) and maybe the need for rudimentary drainage? Maybe a lot of water runs off the hill at that point in wet conditions?

    Also I'm pretty sure the cycle path actually stops at that point (note the tarmac changes from green to red) and becomes pedestrian for a bit, then becomes shared use again further on.

    I've never had a problem with it, but then I don't use tyres skinnier than 35mm. Also I tend to just ride on the road through Holyrood Park: no pedestrian dodging required...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  5. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    Mad isn't it. Stupid stupid bit of cycle path provision, and as far as I know it's been there for ages (I've never gone over it with skinny tyres before, this morning complicated by the wet).

    I'm almost certain it was the park that has had a (succesful) law suit against it for injury to a cyclist - you'd think that kind of thing would bring about a bit of a review!

    @Arellcat - thanks for the info!

    Posted 13 years ago #

  6. chdot
    Admin

    http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/breaking-edinburgh-news/Cyclist-sues-government-over-tumble.5405139.jp

    Posted 13 years ago #

  7. LaidBack
    Member

    From CityCycling archive - Trouble in the Park

    This is what Lord Bannatyne said in the case of Iain Anderson versus Historic Scotland.
    “It was accepted by counsel for the defenders, as I have said, that if I held that the cause of the accident was the entry of the bicycle into the drain and attached gully which then caused the pursuer to be thrown from the bicycle then the defenders were negligent both at common law and in terms of the Act. He accepted, as I have said, that the siting of the drain and gully immediately adjacent to the cycle track was an obvious danger and that if that were the cause of the accident then the defenders should be found liable…“ He also noted that the path was narrower than it should have been.
    Historic Scotland lost the case and had to pay out damages of £5,750.

    I have no idea what revisions have been done to path layouts since then. I know uphill section has been widened but this in turn leads cyclists on to a one way road with just a give-way sign between them and a head on collision (as the over the hill route is the one way route).
    The gridded bit is one I avoid too. Paths are not really meant for 'too much' cycling you know(!) - that would cost HS money in fines.

    Footnote: My daughter went out on tandem with another friend on solo bike. So three teenagers on two bikes. She told me that whilst they cycled up the hill road to Dunsapie Loch they were forced into the side of the road by solo car for daring to take up too much space. They cycled through the rest of the city without incident.

    I know that HS has some keen cyclists who may well look at this forum - my argument isn't with them as individuals but I do wonder when HS is going to get on with making the park somewhere you'd want to cycle round without competing with cars.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  8. chdot
    Admin

    "I do wonder when HS is going to get on with making the park somewhere you'd want to cycle round without competing with cars."

    I've never understood - given that they are able to exclude 'commercial' traffic - how much autonomy HS has with these bits of the "Queen's Highway".

    Are they leant on by CEC/Police or do they just consider that letting traffic into the park, largely unrestricted, is a 'community benefit'?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  9. screech
    Member

    I know exactly what you mean about that weird bit of surface (its the shape of a bar of chocolate). I don't bother with that section of cycle path because of it.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  10. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    It's an awful bit of surface. I go around it on the muddy desire line that's been created by all the other cyclists trying to avoid it. I think Laidback wrote something a while back about the poorly thought out access points for the HP cycle paths.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  11. Min
    Member

    Rode over this this morning on my Surly and nearly came down, 
    can't be bothered to go out and check how wide my tyres are 
    but it is something like 38mm.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  12. chdot
    Admin

    WELL!! -

    "

    HOLYROOD PARK – CYCLEWAY PROVISION

    Thank you for your email of 23rd May 2011 highlighting concerns raised on the City Cycling Edinburgh Forum regarding the cycleway within Holyrood Park .

    As the Ranger and Visitor Services Manager, part of the team responsible for managing Holyrood Park, I have been asked to respond on behalf of Historic Scotland regarding your enquiry.

    Historic Scotland, as part of our Visitor Safety Management Plan, has been working with Cycling Scotland to explore opportunities to further expand or improve cycling provision within the Park, where resources allow.

    The section of grasscrete highlighted by one of the forum users was laid some considerable time prior to the cycleway paths that now adjoin it. This surface purpose was to aid Park vehicles to access the Volunteer Walk (which runs above the cycleway at this point) while reducing the physical and visual impact on this area of the site.

    Historic Scotland has recently submitted proposals and drawings to change the surface of the path at this location. As other works are required in this section this change has been submitted as part of wider infrastructure improvements.

    As you may be aware the Park is designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument and Site of Special Scientific Interest therefore these proposals have to be submitted to the Heritage Management Team for consideration and consent prior to any works taking place.

    Subject to consent being granted and funding identified, it is hoped that work on this area can be carried out before the end of this year.

    Historic Scotland is committed to maintaining Holyrood Park as a safe and enjoyable resource for all Park users. Comments and feedback from Park users are always welcome and we use these comments during reviews of our Park Management.

    Yours sincerely

    
    Martin Gray
    Ranger and Visitor Services Manager
    "

    Posted 13 years ago #

  13. wingpig
    Member

    Goodgood, though I haven't had any wheel-trap issues going either way on 25s/23s. Perhaps tyres closer to the inter-knobble distance are more affected.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  14. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    That's good news chdot. Thanks for sharing it.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  15. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    That's great! Wingers, it was 25s I was on when I almost came a cropper - I think it's just one of those sometimes-you'll-hit-them-just-right/wrong things.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  16. Min
    Member

    Good skills chdot thank you. :-) "Grasscrete" Dear me.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  17. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Concrass more like!

    Another small victory for letter writing!

    Posted 13 years ago #

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