Gates have appeared on a new cycle path in Cambridge, causing cyclists to ponder their ‘bizarre’ design..
The gates were installed on the Ridgeway route near Storey’s Way this week, and are staggered, meaning cyclists have to slow down and wobble between them.
The cycleway is not yet officially open.
Cyclist Oliver Chick told Cambridge News: “Cambridge now has a bizarre set of fences and gates on the cycle path along the Ridgeway.”
Matthew Danish, a member of West Cambridge Active Travel, described the gates as “ill-advised”, and said they should be removed.
He said: “The gates appear to be a strange and ill-advised method of keeping cars off of the newly-built path, a method that the latest standards say should not be used.
“We are worried that the gates will exclude people from using the path, such as families with tandems and trailers, novice riders who may find tight manoeuvres difficult, or persons with disabilities using tricycles or mobility scooters.
“The gates will cause unnecessary conflict between path users, and the obstacle they pose will distract people from the junction ahead of them, potentially leading to crashes that could have been avoided.”
He added: “The normal solution is to use thoughtfully selected and designed bollards, as found on cycling routes all around Cambridge. We will be asking the North West Cambridge project team to remove the gates and replace them with properly placed and clearly visible bollards.”
A Cambridge University spokeswoman said: “These works are ongoing, being built in accordance with the planning permission granted by the local authorities, and we look forward to welcoming residents and visitors when the development opens later this year.”
19 thoughts on “‘Bizarre’ gates appear on Cambridge cycle path”
Pics or it didn’t happen.
Pics or it didn’t happen.
check12 wrote:
Try clicking on the link…
Bizarre isn’t the word I would use…
Barriers on cycle routes are
Barriers on cycle routes are nothing new, you even see them on NCN routes and numerous shared paths, that’s not even before they’re open, these barriers/obstructions are still inplace as they are deliberately put there to piss people on bikes off to the point that they don’t use the ‘farcility’ and then local councils can state, well we spent x on putting this in place for you and no bugger uses it…grrrrr
BehindTheBikesheds wrote:
I think you need to take a step back and have a realistic think about why the barriers might be there. Most barriers on cycle routes are put in place because of a real or potential issue of motorbikes/vehicles using the route path.
I would much rather the fairly minor hassle of a barrier than have some chav on a motorcycle or in a car come screaming towards me.
That said some barriers, and the installation of some barriers, are terrible.
joules1975 wrote:
Er, what evidence do you have for that? Please explain how barriers, concrete bollards in the middle of a shared use path at it’s end is to stop a motorbike/other vehicle?
Please explain this on NCN 12?
It appears that the left two
It appears that the left two gates in the Cambridge News picture can be opened up, allowing large vehicles through if required.
2Loose wrote:
Yes, vehicles sometimes need to access cycle paths to maintain them. The same effect can be achieved with a locked removable bollard.
The least-worst cycle gates I
The least-worst cycle gates I have seen. I suspect you’d get a tandem/trailer/trike through them pretty easily.
You’d also easily get a motorbike round them, which is often cited as the reason for the ridiculous hurdles we usually get. I wonder if these are actually intended to slow down cyclists because of a hazard at the end of the path?
Looks like someone in the
Looks like someone in the council’s estates department had a coupon for money off at the local garden centre that was about to expire.
handlebarcam wrote:
Looks like a bogof offer to me.
An ugly solution to a problem
An ugly solution to a problem that does not exist, or at least a problem that will not be mitigated by the installation.
Our local main cycle route
Our local main cycle route (shared use but still pretty decent) has much tighter openings than this with 2 overlapping barriers with about 6 feet between the staggered gates. If you are unlucky ant meet folk at the gate then you need to slow down and take turns but if it is clear I take most of them at 15-20km/h which given they are by access points and road crossings is enough. Those ones in Cambridge are wide enough I could take a tandem with a kiddie trailer through without breaking rythymn. Unless there is a much tighter opening at the other end I can’t see any issue at all.
Looks like something from one
Looks like something from one man and his dog
Bottle of lighter fluid and a
Bottle of lighter fluid and a box of matches would sort them out I recon….
This is an occasion where the
This is an occasion where the image is essential to understand the story, so you have to click on the link. I understand there are costs contraints on road.cc, but the picture they have used is irrelevant to the article.
They have great trenches at
They have great trenches at the start of the busway and it still doesn’t stop cars getting stuck in them!!
Or
Or
and this little doozer. these
and this little doozer. these are replicated everywhere and serve no purpose of prevention for motorcycleclists but do present hazards to people on bikes.
BehindTheBikesheds wrote:
Exactly: any barrier which would definitely stop a scooter or motorbike will also stop any non-standard or laden-up bicycle. Which renders a cycle path not exactly fit for purpose. But signs saying just don’t do it, m’kay? don’t work either (see my many comments about the Avonmouth bridge on the M5). Not really sure what the answer is.
The Cambridge gates do look a but stupid: their only purpose might be to stop cars (’cause they drive on cycle paths all the time…).