Cyclist uses town's "best bike route"... that takes four minutes to cross a road; Tom Pidcock "blown away" by reaction to descending footage; Chris Froome on the attack at Tour du Rwanda; Glasgow world champs tickets on sale now + more on the live blog

"It's like Scottish independence", they said, "people keep bringing up the same topic and having the same noisy arguments all over again; meanwhile the space isn't fit for us to use".

Perpetuum mobile.

Well it's right their in our primary goal for "roads" - the maximum safe throughput of motor traffic.

Meanwhile - where it's been made easy to make journeys other than via car, lots of people don't drive every trip.  And where that might mean long waits at traffic lights people rightly complain:

https://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/2014/10/16/why-are-we-waiting-protest...

Again there's an asymmetry for different modes.  For motor traffic long waits can be a temptation - which is a safety concern.  However for non-motor traffic it's both a critical safety issue (vulnerable road users are more likely to be injured or die) and a "too inconvenient, won't use" issue.  So - in less car-sick places the authorities do something sensible and positive about it:

https://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/2017/09/19/why-are-we-still-waiting/

In the UK we'd probably put up signs telling people it's dangerous if they don't wait.  Or simply remove the crossing! (Actually of course we do neither - we do nothing, just let nature take its course and people give up on using that route - problem solved).

Thats why they call it Amazingstoke said no-one, ever.

At least Forbes stands by her convictions unlike the lying scum of Sturgeon et al.

Forbes has been honest about her beliefs as an individual. She has not to the best of my knowledge condemned anyone and has stated that she will defend all people to be treated fairly and equally and has not made any indication of attempting to reverse any laws. Yet she has been savaged across both mainstream and social media.

There's one of those at the Redbridge roundabout in Southampton, it only changes when there is a lull in traffic coming of the M271. Most of the traffic is driving at speed, jockeying for position as the road goes from 2 to 2 lane. Someone nearly always jumps the light. The roundabout is not for the faint hearted, thankfully the shared paths are useable it's one of the few sections of shared path I use because...

Work up a submission to the Transport Select Committee on Accessible Transport about how signalled crossings need a minimum time delay for people in foot, on wheels, and using a bike as a mobility aid.

I'm out on Saturday to work out how long it takes me to get across the local junction where I have to cross SEVEN Toucan Crossings to go corner to corner. On a crossroads.

https://committees.parliament.uk/work/6805/accessible-transport-legal-ob...

It sounds like it is about accessible buses, but they are also taking evidence on more basic rules of the system.

PRSboy wrote:

I occasionally cross the A33 at a different point, to get from Theale to Three Mile Cross.  Its a similarly silly crossing.  The best of it is having to wait in a very vulnerable position with vehicles streaming past at 50 mph.

the junction just over the m4? That one is awful. Three lanes each way I think  and a verrrrrrrrry sloowwwwww beg button that doesn't actually interrupt the sequence at all.

at least the cycle along the kennet is nice enough - I tend to go in that route and go under and along the side of  the a33 rather than try 3 mile cross. 

Thats the one... I only use it when I'm on a ride down to Hampshire which I like from time to time.  I'd have to find an alternative if I did it regularly.  Kennet sounds fun- I see cyclists on that route in Newbury... you can go for miles. 

PRSboy wrote:

Thats the one... I only use it when I'm on a ride down to Hampshire which I like from time to time.  I'd have to find an alternative if I did it regularly.  Kennet sounds fun- I see cyclists on that route in Newbury... you can go for miles. 

yep, you can go from Newbury to reading relatively ok - there is one section of field with no graded path, but you can loop round a quiet road to bypass it if you like. The rest is mostly packed stone or similar paths, with some mud to deal with.  Not road bike territory, gravel or xc mtb which is what I used tends to be fine 

I'd planned to do a one way to Newbury but rsil replacement buses mean can't take the bike back.  Got to love it. 

Same for me when cycling out - kennet every time.  Although the a33 side of the canal is a lot more prone to flooding so tend to go the town side, and through the kennet island estate 

Me too then use the Kennett Island/Tip junction to cross the A33.  Its quiet enough to take your pick to use the pedestrian lights or the road lights to cross.

I don't usually cross there - I'd cross at the retail park bridge, up right and right to go under.  The cut thriugh takes you straight to the pumping station without going past the tip.  Slightly muddier / at risk of flooding especially just before the pump station bridge though! 

The left wing death squads are going to find you soon enough. You cannot travel more than 15 minutes from your home without suffering the consequences. 

Patrick9-32 wrote:

The left wing death squads are going to find you soon enough. You cannot travel more than 15 minutes from your home without suffering the consequences. 

As a minimum, your Right of Way privileges will be revoked, making you fair game for any licence holder

As long as you're in Scotland you'll not need to fear the Fisc - your allowance is 20 minutes here apparently.  Obviously because in the Highlands it sometimes take over 15 to get from one end of the village to the other.

Apparently when the catch you if you just use some bizarre language, like referring to yourself as Nick of the family Sprink - and refuse to "board" their police "launch" they can't touch you though...

Lochcarron. I remember we went past there on a family holiday. We were laughing on the way there, when we saw the sign saying "No Ferry at Strome Ferry".