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grahame
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« Reply #1 on: May 25, 2023, 10:43:57 » |
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A Melksham man is asking Wiltshire Council to back a crackdown on young cyclists who are endangering the safety of older people by riding on footpaths. We have a problem ... too much traffic, with cycles, pedestrians, mobility scooters, cars, lorries and buses all having to share a narrow space. Personally, I think (NOT) that young cycle riders should be told to ride in the road ... as should those older people who are on mobility scooters. Big problem - discussion last Monday with the police at Town Council. Sensible solution would be to make town centre "access only" and with 20 m.p.h. limit |
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Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
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grahame
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« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2023, 11:17:25 » |
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“They are oblivious of what they are teaching their children”: Local activist slams “selfish” parents for allowing their children to cycle on the pavement, and says riding on the road is “safer” for primary school pupils
An older people’s campaigner has called on his local council to clamp down on young people riding their bikes on the pavement, and has criticised parents for teaching their primary school-aged children to cycle on footpaths, potentially endangering pedestrians. |
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Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
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Richard Fairhurst
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« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2023, 12:10:30 » |
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A Melksham man is asking Wiltshire Council to back a crackdown on young cyclists who are endangering the safety of older people by riding on footpaths. Maybe ask "a Melksham man" if he supports a crackdown on older drivers who are endangering the safety of young people? Compulsory retests every year for the over-60s, for example? ...thought not. |
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Bob_Blakey
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« Reply #4 on: May 25, 2023, 12:55:40 » |
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As a general rule I believe that cycling on footways should be prohibited, but I would make an exception for young (at what age do you set the limit?) children when making journeys to and from school as long as some degree of parental supervision was in operation.
I have never visited Melksham but Google Maps Street View seems to indicate that the town is particularly poorly served in terms of any form of cycling infrastructure. If that is the case Wiltshire County Council (I assume it is they who are responsible) need to pull their fingers out. As much as I dislike the conversion of pavements to shared footways / cycleways if that is all WCC▸ can afford then so be it, although some of the roads are quite clearly wide enough to have cyclist priority lanes added on each side, all it takes is some white paint, some explanatory signage and a bit of driver education (the main issue in and around Exeter is that motorists believe they are not allowed to cross the discontinuous white lines - which is not true as long as cyclists are not obstructed).
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grahame
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« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2023, 14:14:44 » |
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A Melksham man is asking Wiltshire Council to back a crackdown on young cyclists who are endangering the safety of older people by riding on footpaths. Maybe ask "a Melksham man" if he supports a crackdown on older drivers who are endangering the safety of young people? Compulsory retests every year for the over-60s, for example? ...thought not. I'm not entirely sure that the "Melksham Man" who is quoted in the paper would agree with the description of what he said by the journalists in this case about it being safer on the road from primary school children. At times, stories get lost or transformed out of recognition as the go through steps form thought so appearing on a public web site. |
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Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
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Richard Fairhurst
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« Reply #6 on: May 25, 2023, 14:22:19 » |
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I quite like the notion of "Melksham Man" becoming a new demographic along the lines of "Worcester Woman"!
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Red Squirrel
Administrator
Hero Member
Posts: 5363
There are some who call me... Tim
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« Reply #7 on: May 25, 2023, 15:00:38 » |
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A Melksham man is asking Wiltshire Council to back a crackdown on young cyclists who are endangering the safety of older people by riding on footpaths. We have a problem ... too much traffic, with cycles, pedestrians, mobility scooters, cars, lorries and buses all having to share a narrow space. Personally, I think (NOT) that young cycle riders should be told to ride in the road ... as should those older people who are on mobility scooters. Big problem - discussion last Monday with the police at Town Council. Sensible solution would be to make town centre "access only" and with 20 m.p.h. limit 30km/h (or 20mph) limits are becoming more and more common in urban areas around the globe. So many cities and towns in the UK▸ now have them, covering such large areas, that it seems a bit eccentric to retain 30mph (50 km/h) as the default here. A couple of years ago Birmingham asked the DfT» if it could just declare the whole city a 20mph zone, with exceptions where this made sense, rather than having to go through the legal and logistical rigmarole of applying area-by-area and putting up hundreds of reminder signs. They received a flat 'no'. |
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Things take longer to happen than you think they will, and then they happen faster than you thought they could.
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CyclingSid
Moderator
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Posts: 2044
Hockley viaduct
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« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2023, 06:52:36 » |
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Wiltshire County Council (I assume it is they who are responsible) need to pull their fingers out. in more ways than one. In the latest re-announcement of walking and cycling funding Wiltshire CC are rated at 1 for cycling capability Rating 1
Some local leadership with basic plans and isolated interventions that do not yet obviously form a plan for a network. and only got Wiltshire Unitary Authority 1 £978,000 Which doesn't get you much even for walking and cycling infrastructure. Upping your capability appears to get you more money? I assume Reading's £75k will probably get about one bollard. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/millions-of-people-to-benefit-from-200-million-to-improve-walking-and-cycling-routes |
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TaplowGreen
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« Reply #9 on: May 26, 2023, 08:39:52 » |
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I quite like the notion of "Melksham Man" becoming a new demographic along the lines of "Worcester Woman"!
Possibly "Thatcham Them" too in order to reflect modern society?  |
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bobm
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« Reply #10 on: May 26, 2023, 09:14:42 » |
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Not "Taplow Them" then...  |
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TaplowGreen
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« Reply #11 on: May 26, 2023, 12:30:21 » |
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Not "Taplow Them" then... We don't alliterate so well. |
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Phil
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« Reply #12 on: May 26, 2023, 13:44:59 » |
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As a general rule I believe that cycling on footways should be prohibited, but I would make an exception for young (at what age do you set the limit?) children when making journeys to and from school as long as some degree of parental supervision was in operation.
I have never visited Melksham but Google Maps Street View seems to indicate that the town is particularly poorly served in terms of any form of cycling infrastructure. If that is the case Wiltshire County Council (I assume it is they who are responsible) need to pull their fingers out. As much as I dislike the conversion of pavements to shared footways / cycleways if that is all WCC▸ can afford then so be it, although some of the roads are quite clearly wide enough to have cyclist priority lanes added on each side, all it takes is some white paint, some explanatory signage and a bit of driver education (the main issue in and around Exeter is that motorists believe they are not allowed to cross the discontinuous white lines - which is not true as long as cyclists are not obstructed).
There's a fairly new, two mile ring-road to the East of Melksham which contains, to its western side, an expansive new-build housing estate. The ring road has, on its populated side, a wide verge, a double-width path signposted for both cyclists and pedestrians (and dogs, scooters and mobility carriages), another wide verge, and then a two-lane road. I joined a queue of seven or eight cars following a flock of lycra-clad pedal cyclists, chatting away three-abreast, on my way home from work last evening. Not one made any effort to wheel off the road and onto the cycle-path provided. I'd respectfully suggest that the provision of white paint, explanatory signage and driver education is not "all it takes" to sort this issue out. |
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Red Squirrel
Administrator
Hero Member
Posts: 5363
There are some who call me... Tim
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« Reply #13 on: May 27, 2023, 09:31:04 » |
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Riding more than two abreast breaks Rule 66 of the Highway Code, so they shouldn’t have done that. But would it have helped drivers pass them if they’d been just two abreast - which is actually encouraged in these circumstances - or wearing waxed cotton or tweeds for that matter?
On more than one occasion I’ve found myself on a road with an attractive cycle path running long side it, but no way of accessing it other than to stop, unclip and lift my bike over a kerb. This in itself can be more dangerous than just keeping going.
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Things take longer to happen than you think they will, and then they happen faster than you thought they could.
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Ralph Ayres
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« Reply #14 on: May 27, 2023, 19:10:59 » |
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On more than one occasion I’ve found myself on a road with an attractive cycle path running long side it, but no way of accessing it other than to stop, unclip and lift my bike over a kerb. This in itself can be more dangerous than just keeping going.
...and no guarantee that it won't fizzle out at the next side-turning or take me off in a different direction (up to the gates of a school for instance). One reason I rarely use cycle tracks in areas I don't know unless they are very well signposted. |
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