This is most welcome.
When the cycle path was built (by the forerunners of Sustrans) it was expected to only be used by leisure cyclists during daylight hours, and no thought was given to security at all. To begin with there were no lights, not even in Staple Hill tunnel.
Over the years we've got lights in places, and bit by bit it's been tarmacked as far as Mangotsfield. It is now accepted as a commuter route and soon (I believe) the Bristol end will be extended all the way to Temple Meads.
When the Avon Ring Road was built, following an outcry a new section of cyclepath was made with a bridge over the dual carriageway.
Twice it's been threatened, first by the Avon Metro
, then the recent plans to turn it into a bus lane. I'd be amazed if such a thing happened, because its importance today is far greater than the benefits it brings to thousands of users every day... it's Bristol's only real cyclepath that's more than a few hundred metres long, and looks good on publicity material saying what a green city we live in.
Finally, after years of muggings and other incidents, its security is being taken seriously by the police, as befits an important transport route. I'm sure there will still be some muggings as the police can't be everywhere, and it passes through Lawrence Hill and Easton, two areas with more than their share of social problems. But every day the vast majority of users experience no problems, and it's great to see how cyclists, pedestrians and wheelchair users can get along fine in the right environment.
I just wanted to say all that so that people don't get the idea that the cyclepath is beset with problems... it's thriving and it's actually something Bristol can be proud of.
