County councillors in Cumbria have ignored advice from their own officials and have approved a ban on cycling across a bridge in the Lake District.
The bridge, in Portinscale, links the village with Keswick on the northern shores of Derwentwater and lies on National Cycle Network route 71.
But following a ruling by Cumbria County Council’s Local Committee for Allerdale, cyclists will now be required to dismount to cross it, reports the News and Star.
The decision was made at a meeting last Friday and followed a consultation regarding four options for the crossing, which attracted 80 responses.
Council officers, noting objections to some of those proposals from cyclists, said that an existing ban on cycling across it should be ditched.
Instead, they recommended a “share with care” scheme to allow cyclists to ride across the bridge, while giving pedestrians priority.
Councillors instead decided to ban cycling altogether with one, Alan Johnson, saying: “Sorry, I disagree, it’s been on my parish for the last five years.
“While I don’t want to ban cyclists it’s a footbridge and the aggressiveness of some of the cyclists is unbelievable. So I’m for banning cyclists riding on the footbridge.”
Fellow councillor Tony Lywood said: “There is already a sign up saying to dismount and no one is going to police it. I will be supportive of prohibition of cyclists on this.”
Another councillor, Alan Barry, commented: “Our job is to keep people safe and I don’t think there is any other option than to dismount either end to go across that footbridge.
“On this occasion health and safety is a priority. I don’t want to see a lady with a pram or child jumping out of the way.”
Following the ruling, cyclists will now need to dismount at either end of the bridge and walk their bikes across it.
15 thoughts on “Cumbria councillors ignore officials’ advice and ban cycling across footbridge”
So will they also be asking
So will they also be asking drivers to “dismount and push their cars” on central London streets where “a minority of agressive drivers” cause problems for pedestrians causing children and women with prams to jump out the way ?
I think they’d probably be
I think that’d probably be overstepping the mark, since this is in Cumbria – and pretty sure the remit of a local Councillor in Allerdale doesn’t extend to London…
I get the distinct impression
I get the distinct impression that none of those councillors rides a bike, and they all drive absolutely massive 4x4s.
“Fellow councillor Tony Lywood said: “There is already a sign up saying to dismount and no one is going to police it. I will be supportive of prohibition of cyclists on this.”” So no-one is going to enforce it, but he thinks they should have a ban anyway. The only people who would obey such a ban are the careful, law-abiding cyclists, the rash, careless ones will still ride across, so the end result of this illogical decision is SFA.
Great that the officers recognised the problem and produced a workable solution, but not quite so great that the councillors are too dumb to accept it.
I wonder, have any
I wonder, have any councillors considered cyclist who are simply unable to dismount? Disabled cyclists with handcycles or adapted cycles? I intend to ask them.
I’ve ridden across that
I’ve ridden across that bridge loads of times. No-one has ever questioned it.
It’s quite narrow – you often have to wait for people who are already crossing it to clear it so in many ways the width controls it anyway. You can’t speed across it, you can’t really fit on it while Rambler Family Robinson are walking across so it’s self controlled. If you’re riding across it and someone wants to come the other way, they have to wait until you’ve cleared it.
Alos, it won’t ever be enforced so it a “ban” is utterly pointless.
crazy-legs wrote:
As a councillor voting for it even noted himself:
“There is already a sign up saying to dismount and no one is going to police it.”
Caversham lock and weir have
Caversham lock and weir have No Cyling signs (the proper red ones, with appropriate roundall) some people still ride across it, I don’t (I have seen a bicycle bound fully uniformed PSCO ride across it). It is very narrow. Because of the height of the safety rail, designed to stop people walking across it from falling in, it is too low to stop the cyclist riding, who loses balance from falling in, as we generally have a raised centre of gravity. It is a weir, very powerful is moving water, especially at the moment. I have seen the local fire rescue unit practicing around there.
The lock has such a huge step up onto it, I might be able to hop the front wheel up onto it and follow with the rear, but probably fail, and at the very least look like a fool to the lock keeper, at the worst falling into a river lock.
We have a wooden road bridge
We have a wooden road bridge on our regular Sunday ride which has a “Cyclists Dismount” sign. I’m guessing that the reason is that the bridge is extremely slippery when wet, but I’m pretty sure that none of the rule-makers has ever tried walking across it in cleats! No sign for motorists to get out and push, of course.
Quote:
It’d be great if we could apply that same logic to prevent driving on roads with particularly aggressive motorists.
This isn’t a major issue TBH.
This isn’t a major issue TBH.
The bridge is very narrow and already has bollards and “cyclists dismount” signs at either end.
When I cross it I generally unclip one foot and punt myself across or get off and push if there are lots of people on it. Trying to ride across when it’s busy would be pretty daft.
I’ve always felt that if I
I’ve always felt that if I walk my bike, I’m actually taking up more room than if I ride it…
If that photo is the bridge,
If that photo is the bridge, the sign looks to be in blue, with a white border, which means it’s advisory…maybe that’s why people ignore it?
We have something similar with some locks i cross over daily, now there is no right of way for cyclists so i’m in the wrong when i cycle over it, but it has the advisory signs and a red circles with a bike in it, on which someone has added a red stripe though each of them. They’re now no-no-cycling, or end of the no-cycling… so i cycle across because i’m better with pictures than i am with words.
If someone is walking across i wait or walk over.
Exactly my thinking. “There
Exactly my thinking. “There is already a sign up saying to dismount and no one is going to police it. I will be supportive of prohibition of cyclists on this.” because it is advisory. This just stinks of angry people who don’t know the rules. Whats the betting Alan Barry is also one of the people who get angry about cyclists not using cycle lanes, yet has no problem with pedestrians wandering in to cycle tracks, gets angry at cyclists doing anything over walking pace on them and ssays nothing about cycle lane parking.
Like several people I have
Like several people I have regularly used this bridge. It is narrow and my opinion not suited for dual use so to get off my bike for 15 seconds max and keep the peace with walkers is worth it.
Anybody got a GoPro video of
Anybody got a GoPro video of cycling across the bridge? You will also need to give them a few years to get the correct signs in place. They will need to provide disability access. Possibly another footbridge?