[David9694]

Blimey really Guardian this is a real wheel bender of an article. Extract coming.

Topic

[chrisonabike]

Perhaps somewhere classified

Perhaps somewhere classified as “nearly car-free” / “autoluwe” would suit?  Or just a flat half-way up the Bealach na Ba?

[chrisonabike]

Sorry… if it makes you

Sorry… if it makes you happier they have some problems also.  And I don’t live there, because they’re a bit keen on building over everything for my liking (though less of this is for motor traffic now).

[David9694]

You’re sending me off to read

You’re sending me off to read about who they do transport stuff in The Netherlands aren’t you – then I’ll be all depressed. 

[chrisonabike]

When I moved there I thought

When I moved there I thought my flats in North Edinburgh were great for cyclists, having some outdoor “secure bike parking” and being at an end of the “network backbone” of off-road paths.

But … I discovered that “secure” meant “secure for the thieves – in fact trivially easy to get into and allows them to work undisturbed” .

And now the council have had the idea to re-use part of the paths, putting a break in the network.  Promises of “like-for-like alternatives” for active travel – but AFAIK no firm alternative plans.  Likely because:
a) this is simply not realistically possible.  Not without having a noticable impact on the sacred car.  Plus any alternative route would be pretty hilly.
b) because that would go against exactly the reason they say they want the tram to run there.  That’s because people got really angry about their other projects causing “disruption”. (To me that just says “there always will be but yeah – you managed those projects really incompetently.  Why not recognise you need to do a better job?”)

[David9694]

Just the wrong end of town

Just the wrong end of town for the cycleway. There’s a pad in Newquay with er access to the south west coast path. 

[chrisonabike]

Meanwhile… what would be

Meanwhile… what would be most useful is a few tweaks to planning rules (or new-build regs).

With sensible alternatives to cope with the “situation on the ground”.

Of course – as you imply – but then where will they cycle?

[Author]

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