tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828166865647185633.post8231496764925219595..comments2024-03-28T18:25:51.357+00:00Comments on The Ranty Highwayman: So Near, So FarThe Ranty Highwaymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17361350433158148025noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828166865647185633.post-86490246021503240312020-01-19T13:12:35.428+00:002020-01-19T13:12:35.428+00:00I think the shared path interrupted at every minor...I think the shared path interrupted at every minor side road is part of the UK national standard, isn't it.<br />With warnings that drivers emerging from properties cannot see and believe they have priority because of the signs.<br />And of course the roller coaster of a ride to make it easier on the motorists accessing the properties.<br />None of this would ever be acceptable on a "motoring" lane.ktachehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17033087773589049696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828166865647185633.post-44267568178605632752020-01-14T16:31:03.056+00:002020-01-14T16:31:03.056+00:00A new shared use cycleway is being built along the...A new shared use cycleway is being built along the western side of the A413 (Towcester Road) in Silverstone village to connect to the new school and new housing, and to improve access to the motor racing circuit from some of the campsites. It is signed in a way that removes priority for pedestrians and cyclists at junctions.<br /><br />The pavement has been widened to 3m and resurfaced in black asphalt for most of the length of the village, but the cycleway does not continue across the junctions and there is new tactile paving and dropped kerbs at each junction. It is signed with diagram 956 (shared use), but is interrupted at every side road with diagram 965 ("End of route") and then started with 956 again on the other side of each junction.<br /><br />Travelling from South to North, it is not clear where the shared cycleway begins, because the first sign I can find is the "End of route" sign at the High Street Junction. It is not clear whether you can cycle on the pavement past Cattle End or The Elms as there is no signage. The stop/start 965/956 signage is given to the junctions at High Street, The Old Woodyard, Murswell Lane and Baines Close. At the High Street and Murswell Lane junctions the shared path is "bent in" whilst at The Old Woodyard and Baines Close it is straight. The cycleway currently seems to stop at Whittlebury Road, but does not have "End of route signage! I think it is planned to join it up with the new primary school, so a crossing of Little London will also be required. <br /><br />As far as I can see there was no consultation, and I can't find plans online, so who knows what is planned for the school end of the route. It is not clear whether it is finished and open for use, unfinished and waiting for work to restart, or who is paying for it.<br /><br />Although this road through the village is classified as an A road (A413), since the A43 was built it has not carried much A road traffic. In a low traffic 30mph area close to a primary school I think this is a big missed opportunity to give the kids cycling to school priority over the turning motor traffic. I hope the primary school kids will understand the significance of "End of route", and be able to give way from all 3 directions (including behind them). <br /><br />Has anyone seen a shared use path interrupted at each side road in this way, or is this a Northamptonshire County Council special? What do you think? I have a few photos if anyone is interested.Fensonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828166865647185633.post-76459727265669685972020-01-12T13:58:55.034+00:002020-01-12T13:58:55.034+00:00Oh yes, that pingpong table in nuts! The problem c...Oh yes, that pingpong table in nuts! The problem coming from the Ridgeway is that the cycle area is undefined (i.e. it's all shared) which is poor for walking too, plus entering Eddington Avenue is a pain because there's no legibility in the street design.The Ranty Highwaymanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17361350433158148025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828166865647185633.post-75089673650019244312020-01-12T13:57:30.508+00:002020-01-12T13:57:30.508+00:00The crossings at the southern end of the site are ...The crossings at the southern end of the site are a little better, but yes, it's quite a tidy layout. The detail of that is nothing new and can be found all over the UK; some VI users do actually prefer a guardrail mind you. The width of the island is a bit of an issue as people using large cycles have to turn through 90o twice.The Ranty Highwaymanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17361350433158148025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828166865647185633.post-7542514096041661672020-01-12T13:39:04.472+00:002020-01-12T13:39:04.472+00:00I'm looking forward to the new LTN, but I do f...I'm looking forward to the new LTN, but I do fear it will be watered down by the DfT compared to what might have been pushed by the authors and so it does seem to me that local design manuals are still going to be required. Eddington is a missed opportunity which is really frustrating.The Ranty Highwaymanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17361350433158148025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828166865647185633.post-72185689131411334152020-01-12T13:23:11.198+00:002020-01-12T13:23:11.198+00:00The biggest problem I have is when arriving on the...The biggest problem I have is when arriving on the principal cycle track from Cambridge (from Storey's Way). The track leads directly into a ping-pong table by the community centre, and when you try and join the road you must navigate behind the bus waiting at the bus stop (or between two buses as they often wait there while laying over, blocking what seems to be some kind of indicative pedestrian crossing point. jayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10322087828649450151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828166865647185633.post-56099733318884814782020-01-12T12:35:40.928+00:002020-01-12T12:35:40.928+00:00Completely agreed with your blog. For the past 2 y...Completely agreed with your blog. For the past 2 years have been campaigning to get Cambridgeshire to publish a Cycle Design spec like Oxfordshire already does. LTN 02/08 is being updated but we can't get copies ahead of publication so do not know if this updated spec will help or not. Tactile paving injures cyclists via RSI and is also a skid risk. You are right about the dangerous junctions too - just where you want the safety and segregation cyclists are literally thrown under the bus.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1828166865647185633.post-35769770152060924482020-01-12T01:40:14.202+00:002020-01-12T01:40:14.202+00:00Even though a single stage Toucan crossing unstag...Even though a single stage Toucan crossing unstaggered crossing may have been preferable, I do like the refuge design, the area not being raised and at road height, protected with quite a savage kerb. Is it a new standard way of doing them or is it experimental?<br />How does the underground refuse thing work, and what might it's problems be?ktachehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17033087773589049696noreply@blogger.com