Cyclists have been told to slow down on Cardiff’s Taff Trail with some suggesting that a speed limit should be imposed in a bid to prevent conflict with pedestrians.
Penny Bowers, chair of the Friends of Hailey Park in Llandaff North, told Wales Online that the speed of some cyclists had long been a problem, but said nothing would be done as no-one was reporting such issues to the council.
“This has been a problem for a long time, but no-one has yet come up with a solution. People need to report any issues that arise to the local authority. People are just not reporting any issues and the council can’t do anything if it is not reported.
“The cyclists seem to think that it is a cycle path, but it is a path that is there for everyone and what would help is if they killed their speed, especially with the parks and busy areas.”
Writing on Facebook, Jane Elliott suggested there had been “numerous accidents with cyclists hitting joggers, dogs and kids,” and claimed that cyclists were becoming “increasingly aggressive.”
“Would all local dog walkers (who pick up their dog poo) like to start getting hold of council and demand a speed limit on the Taff Trail for cyclists. It is for pedestrian use as well as bikes, dogs, toddlers etc. It is ridiculous that they are allowed on a public path to ride as fast as they do with no consideration to anyone.”
In 2011, Sustrans Cymru issued the Taff Trail Code of Conduct in response to a number of incidents involving cyclists, walkers and dog owners.
The Taff Trail Code reinforces that “pedestrians have a priority over all other users on shared pathways,” and that “cyclists are asked to ride at a speed and in a manner that is appropriate to the conditions of the path.”
It also says that “pedestrians are asked to keep their dogs under control and preferably on a reasonably short lead in busy areas.”
A Sustrans spokeswoman emphasised that all users of shared-use paths should use the paths with consideration for each other, but added: “People riding bikes tend to be the fastest movers on these paths and particularly need to consider their speed so not to startle other people, particularly those who are frail or who have reduced sight, hearing or mobility.”
Ken Barker, secretary of Cardiff Cycling Campaign, said the group did not approve of setting speed limits, “as many cyclists do not have the means to know their speed and the appropriate speed relates to the path or track conditions including the space available to manoeuvre and the presence of pedestrians, dogs, etc. on shared paths.”
Barker said he would be happy with advice to slow down or give way, especially where there is reduced visibility.
A spokesman for Cardiff council said: “We ask everyone who uses the Taff Trail, including cyclists, pedestrians and dog walkers, to be courteous and show consideration to each other.”
20 thoughts on “Call for cycling speed limit on Taff Trail”
Doubtless there are
Doubtless there are incosiderate assholes among all user groups. But if a fixed speed limit were to be applied, then why stop there? How about a maximum length of dog lead? Or a decibel limit for screaming children?
I have lived in Cardiff for
I have lived in Cardiff for over a decade and walk and cycle along parts of the taff trail regularly. In my opinion dog walkers are the truly dangerous group.
I have only once, as a pedestrian, encountered a dangerous group of cyclists.
Virtually every time I ride along the taff trail I have to take evasive action to avoid dogs running across the path.
Most dogs are off the lead or, even worse, on those extendable leads.
I only ever take the taff trail if I’m planning a slow leisurely ride so I’m never going fast but have still nearly hit a few!
I find it constantly
I find it constantly bewildering that dog walkers choose a tarmaced path over the pleasant wide open spaces of Hailey Park to walk their dogs.
While I don’t dispute that
While I don’t dispute that there are some dickheads on shared paths, this is not the solution.
Who is going to police it? Ridiculous.
I was accused of going to fast last night after I kicked up a fuss of the (unattended) dog that came out of the verge. I was apparently doing 25mph, and he should know as the owner wqas also a cyclist.
I was in fact doing around 25kmh as I was warming down and had just passed a group of people.
This is just a small example of bigger problems we have in society.
Dog walkers can get away with dogs being of their leads and/or crapping everywhere.
People are allowed to walk 4/5 abreast on the path, basically blocking it and woe betide not having a bell to warn them. No sir, an audible (like what it says in the Highway Code) isn’t good enough.
It’s a shared path yet pedestrians don’t see the need for taking responsibility for their own safety. It’s always down to someone else and if it goes pear shaped, it’s not their fault.
Blame the cyclists, it’s the easiest solution.
EDIT: Get some of these angsty and shouty bike haters out on a bike, it should help them get rid of some of their aggression (and lard).
To be honest 25kph can be a
To be honest 25kph can be a tad fast on a shared path. I tend to go 15kph because then i can stop on a dime if needs to be.
That said its not the solution. Pokemon catchers still jump in my wheels, eyes on the screen with zarro awareness. Or dogs, too, of course.
I don’t think shared path work anymore when you get a large amount of peds and cyclists. Like you said, you can’t police people into it.
Where i live parts of the path that are faster are split which helps though some peds take the bike path even thus its parallel and clearly indicated. I suspect it almost needs a flashing sign or be separated all the way, cuz ppl are bad at following directions
Why stop with cycling? What
Why stop with cycling? What about the Park Run further along the trail organised every week that makes it impossible for anyone else to use it? It beats me why, in a park with loads of space, some park users want to confine themselves to a narrow tarmac path when they could be enjoying the rest of the park.
It’s interesting as there are
It’s interesting as there are very rarely any issues cited by dog walkers outside of Hailey Park itself. I’ve seen at least two cyclists down at Blackweir with dog owners attendant (I confess I have no idea what happened).
One of the bigger issues to address here is that Cardiff City Council rely on the Taff Trail to do very little to promote active travel elsewhere in the City. It’s arguable that, as good as it is, it prevents a wider uptake of cycling because linkage to it is so poor. It’s also rarely known that northerly entrance to the city is either the Trail or a complex set of underpasses at Coryton. There is a cycling prohibition on the A470 and the Coryton roundabout.
It is clear that pedestrians
It is clear that pedestrians and fast bicycles don’t mix particularly well. I notice that on trails in the Netherlands you find a Cycle Road (tarred) alongside a walking path (which could be a softer surface) alongside a bridle path (sandy/dirt path). Sustrans always produces only one path and then asks the three groups (or a subset) to share. It works when the path is too muddy for any of the groups to use properly. It doesn’t work on tarred surfaces or where the usage is high.
There’s a few paths near me
There’s a few paths near me with a 10 kmh speed limit, what a joke, I can run faster than that. If I have to ride to work at 10 kmh i may as well just leave the bike at home and walk or otherwise just drive and fill the roads up a bit more. As it is driving to work takes longer than cycling but this would change.
The only thing these limits are good for is giving me amunition for arguing with dickhead drivers who tell me I should be using the stupidly designed cycle path rather than delaying them on their oh so important journey.
I use a shared path quite a
I use a shared path quite a lot.
It’s true that not everyone follows the rules perfectly. I think the solution is all users doing their best to be considerate, and being tolerant and calm when other users don’t follow the rules exactly. Getting aggravated doesn’t help.
On a bike, there are places and times of day where you can go faster, and others when you have to expect to slow down or stop regularly.
I agree that ideally, we’d have separate cycle and footpaths, as in the Netherlands, but it’s probably not going to happen in our lifetimes.
I don’t believe complaining to the council, or setting speed limits, will help.
I guess this illustrates that
I guess this illustrates that a shared use route can’t please all of the people all of the time. The Taff Trail sounds like its fine for cyclists riding recreationally but no good for people who actually need to get somewhere by a specific time (who come into conflict with other Trail users). Similar problems bedevil the Bristol & Bath Railway Path.
The Taff Trail sounds like
The Taff Trail sounds like its fine for cyclists riding recreationally but no good for people who actually need to get somewhere by a specific time (who come into conflict with other Trail users).
I’m not sure about this. If you have to be somewhere by a time, set off early enough so that you can slow down or stop when you need to. (I realise this is sometimes easier said than done). We’d say the same thing to the ‘must get past’ motorist who overtakes when it’s not safe.
And it’s not as if we all go slowly when we’re cycling for recreation.
HarrogateSpa wrote:
OK, so it’s pretty much useless unless you don’t mind giving way to every elderly couple with an asthmatic Jack Russell on an extending lead…?
If you need to get to your
If you need to get to your destination quickly cycle on the road, if you want to amble use the trail. The trail is a pavement that you can cycle on. Families and children use it, I wouldn’t cycle around my own children at speeds of 25kph so why would I do that to other people.
mrdoofer wrote:
Which route from the North do you suggest? Use the underpass, exit at Whitchurch golf club then use Manor Way? Go outside the 3 mile queue or stay with it?
Or, perhaps, go over to Asda and down through Llandaff? All the way and use the flyover rather than using the trail?
The trail is an active travel route which provides a safe route for cyclists and pedestrians into Cardiff. It’s not a haven for dog walkers. It has excellent sight lines for much of its length so doing 25 kph is perfectly reasonable. You just need to slow down where there’s conflict. And pedestrians need to be aware of their surroundings as a shared use path rather than walk without responsibility. It’s actually fairly easy to share this route if everyone used a modicum of self awareness.
@bendertherobot
@bendertherobot
I agree, there is a shared responsibility, but I think in much the same way we expect cars to respect cyclists on the road, I think we need to do the same when we’re sharing a path with pedestrians. My point is that it is frustrating but if you want to travel quickly there are other options available to you. I lived in North Cardiff and using the Taff Trail got me back into cycling. I now live 20 miles outside Cardiff and travel in by road.
mrdoofer wrote:
I also travel in by road every day and my last 4 miles is the Taff Trail. It allows me to travel quicker than using the roads, being stopped by lights and being in constant conflict with large objects. And when I use the trail I watch out for others. 15 mph on the Trail is a perfectly sensible speed on most of it and, in some places with excellent sight lines, there’s no good reason not to go faster (the ambulance station fields being a good example).
But the point is that this is not any old piece of shared use. It’s an Active Travel route and, as such, there should be a recognition from the Hailey Park dog walking massive, that there’s something a bit more important going on here. This is a commuting route which allows people to change their lifestyle choice. That there may be the odd racing cycling on there is by the by. There are idiots everywhere.
What’s interesting is that there are never calls from the “Ambulance field dog walkers,” or the “down by Tesco dog walkers” or the “Tongwynlais crew.” It’s virtually always a call from the same old group, the ones who prefer to walk on a path at the side of acres of green grass.
And one of the bigger issues is the lack of an active travel plan. When the thousands of houses get built to the South of Radry the traffic will be gridlocked. So the solution is linkage from each directio to the Taff Trail to ensure that people commute in by bike. It’s a wonderful thing. If you live within 10 miles of Cardiff then just about anyone can sensibly cycle in but too many people have their own personal excuse. It’s about time the Trail was sold for what it is and some groups forced to focus on why it’s important.
May sound a bit dull here,
May sound a bit dull here, but how would you enforce such a speed limit? speedometers are not fixed to cycles (yes I know some people have a Garmin). So how would a cyclist be able to ensure they are abiding by any such limit?
Cycling is not a slow paced
Cycling is not a slow paced activity. To have it in the same space as pedestrians on a transport route is a really big compromise.
A shared use path without shared responsibility is just a stupid idea.
I have cycled, run and walked
I have cycled, run and walked on the Taff Trail regularly. The problem is people with no consideration for others. I disagree that pedestrians should have priority over others as this reinforces their capability to be inconsiderate and dumb. I am not singling out pedestrians, but many wander around spread across the path with no idea where anybody else is or their dogs! I say this from personal experience. I have been accused of speeding when as an experienced cyclist I know I was doing 10mph at most. The accusation came from dog owners who were all huddled together talking to each other face to face blocking the path, whilst their dogs, approx ten of them, ran around without direction or supervision, into my path. As you can guess, if they were talking to each other quite how they knew how fast I was going is beyond me! Some cyclists treat the taff trail like a motorway and afraid that any delay would dent their Strava time, get a life! So you see it is not more rules that would solve the problem but application of tolerance, respect and losing the prejudice.