"And now I'm wondering if a claim against the council would encourage them to prioritise gritting... "
Worth a try, hope your discomfort eases and you enjoy a quick recovery regardless.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Icy Innocent incident indicates A&E
(113 posts)-
Posted 12 years ago #
-
I informed my councillors of the accident and the fracture, and asked why the cycle paths are still not being gritted. Steve Burgess got a response from Services from Communities, which included
As you may know, the Winter Weather – Working Together project has been reviewing the way in which the City of Edinburgh Council carries out its winter maintenance responsibilities. Following an extensive review including customer and staff surveys, focus groups with residents and Neighbourhood Partnerships, the project team recommended that cycle paths be treated as a priority during icy or snowy conditions. This recommendation was then approved by the Policy and Strategy Committee on 6 September 2011.However, there are logistical difficulties regarding the treatment of cycleways. These include issues with the size and type of vehicle required; access and egress points to the cycleways; and the requirement to complete a comprehensive review of bridges and other structures affecting the routes. Therefore, although the intention is to treat the cycleways during wintry weather, until these difficulties can be overcome it will not be possible to carry this out. The Winter Weather – Working Together team is currently working on a solution to ensure that cycleways can be salted in line with the rest of the City. Details will be published on our website at http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20189/severe_weather in due course.
Posted 12 years ago # -
when ...july maybe? what gobbledygook. how frustrating.
ps - how're you doing anyway? (I may have missed an update on your MRI - I was also attending MRIs but on other side of the Atlantic). ah just caught up on the thread. so glad to hear you're mobile again and healing.
Posted 12 years ago # -
The council have those small gritters that do pavements which would not have a problem accessing most of the cycle paths. There are also a great many bits of the cycle path network that does not have barriers of any sort and I have on several occasions met council lorries on these, so what is to stop them having these lorries go along with a couple of guys flinging grit over the paths like they used to in the old days before the specialised equipment that they have. All labour saving devices and lack of will/initiative to use them...
Posted 12 years ago # -
So we have this problem alot - I live just above the innocent railway in East Parkside and as it's controlled by a factor rather than the council I think that's why the gritters don't get near.
Certainly we never get our roadway gritted! There is a sack of salt in the bin store so if it gets cold again I'll endeavor to have a sprinkle along the bike route which will help a bit but I get in late alot/leave about 9ish which I guess might be a bit late for you guys! Will try and do my best to help out.
Posted 12 years ago # -
So we have this problem alot - I live just above the innocent railway in East Parkside and as it's controlled by a factor rather than the council I think that's why the gritters don't get near.
Certainly we never get our roadway gritted! There is a sack of salt in the bin store so if it gets cold again I'll endeavor to have a sprinkle along the bike route which will help a bit but I get in late alot/leave about 9ish which I guess might be a bit late for you guys! Will try and do my best to help out.
Posted 12 years ago # -
They've only had 31 years to get prepared since the path was first paved and needed gritting in 1981. You'd think this would be ample time to plan and mobilise.
"citizen gritting" is a bit of a tricky proposition because you'd need quite a lot of grit (not to mention time) to do a thorough job. Obviously anything is great, but really it's something the council just need to get their finger out on.
Posted 12 years ago # -
access and egress points to the cycleways
It would be a somewhat delicious irony if the thing that got a lot of the stupid, obstructing infrastructure (bollards / gates / chicanes) taken out was the cooncil making room for the "fleet of mini tractors" to access the paths.
Posted 12 years ago # -
I like to call them "anti-disability barriers". Brings it away from cycling and makes it seem like the council are anti-wheelchair etc., which makes people squirm awkwardly...
Posted 12 years ago # -
Interesting that, from time to time, there are big council vans on the Innocent or the Trinity Path cutting back foliage and the like, and yet the wee gritters cannot access those paths... Silly me, I was under the impression that gates that swing open were installed so that vehicles such as those could access the paths.
Seriously, either he knows that this happens and so is basically lying through his back teeth; or doesn't know that vans access the paths already and so hasn't done any research at all and so... is lying through his back teeth.
Posted 12 years ago # -
exactly what I though when I read that Anth.
they know they have access,because its already part of the works they doPosted 12 years ago # -
The issue of the teeny tiny wee bridge could be solved with two shovelfuls of grit, one on either side. it's not really a major organisational problem.
Posted 12 years ago # -
I've seen a cooncil transit van on the "wrong" side of the low bridge under the Harry Lauder Road at the old Big W.
I assume council is making up excuses because we all know we've seen vans along most of the route, also they just need one entrance to get in / out of on the route and once they're on it they can grit it for the full length (until they come across a barrier)
Posted 12 years ago # -
I think the problem is that the Council has to have a one size fits all solution that will work for every path rather than using localised ad-hoc methods. You'll notice that the views of Neighbourhood Partnerships were sought but that the response is a corporate one.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Related issue - there were two cars and a satellite truck at the 5-ways last night. Doing a news report on the Chancelot Path Assault I presume. Worthy of a seperate thread...?
Posted 12 years ago # -
I cycled in today for the first time since my injury. I'm achy now, and knackered - very out of condition. But it's a start!
Posted 12 years ago # -
"But it's a start"
Well done.
You're setting a good example.
By contrast -
"still a couple of Boardmanses still in the same place they were in last summer"
Posted 12 years ago # -
Glad you're back Kirst; achy and knackered in a good way I hope.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Great news Kirst. You will get your fitness back.
Posted 12 years ago # -
I went back to the doctor yesterday because I'm having bone pain in my groin when my hip is externally rotated in flexion. All other ranges of movement are fine, but external rotation in flexion is sore, and feels a bit like the bones are grating. All the crepitus is gone though. She thinks they were over-optimistic in giving me a healing time of 6-10 weeks, but she's offered to write to the community physios to speed up my appointment, and to ask them to see me at ortho assessment rather than just triage. She thinks my symphisis pubis might be slightly misaligned. (This post is absolutely fine without pictures).
I am cycling though - last week I went in by bike and got the bus home, cycled home the next day. Monday I did both ways by bike (despite Monday's irritating head wind) and yesterday I came in by bike and went home by bus. I was going to go home by bike tonight but I'm sore from the doctor poking at me yesterday (doctor: does it hurt there? me: yes. ... you can stop now) so I'll see how I feel.
Posted 12 years ago # -
just shows the damage a bit of ice can do.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Oh Kirst that sounds awful. I'll think positive thoughts for you. Hope this is the start of a recovery to full good health.
Posted 12 years ago # -
+1 ... keep your chin up :)
Posted 12 years ago # -
I was back at fracture clinic today for a review, because it's still not right. Was seen by the cycling surgeon (who is a hand surgeon, not a hip surgeon, but the person I was booked to see is a shoulder surgeon, so there you go) and re-X-rayed, and I''m being referred for hip arthroscopy. *sigh*
No cycling holiday in France for me this year. Nothing other than short distances on the bike.
Model cycling city my arse.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Jeez Kirst. All I can offer is sympathy. :-(
Posted 11 years ago # -
+1, sympathies, keep your chin up pal :-/
Posted 11 years ago # -
I have just been googling hip arthroscopies. I can expect at least 2 weeks on crutches afterwards. *sigh*
I am sighing so much this morning, it's like I've turned into Kevin & Perry. lomrspattisonsigh
Posted 11 years ago # -
Kirst, what is the arthroscopy for, FAI or a labral tear?
It might not be as bad as you think recovery-wise. If I can offer one bit of advice, it is around surgeon choice - if there is any possibiliy of choosing one from another, you can google them and their specialities / success rates.
The guy who did my hip resurfacing was Paul Gaston - he was excellent, specialised in hip problems in younger patients, he is also a cyclist / skier, so understood exactly where I wanted to be recovery-wise.
Posted 11 years ago # -
It's investigatory. No choice of surgeon - Mr Gaston is the only one who can scope hips. Colleagues tell me he's excellent.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Oh for crying out loud. Pretty much the direct result of the path not being treated despite repeated warnings that something like this might happen over the course of a number of years.
I am very unimpressed on your behalf >:(
Posted 11 years ago #
Reply »
You must log in to post.
posts
