When a motorist encounters cyclists and then asks what’s wrong with the bike path, it isn’t always rhetoric. Scottish broadcaster Lesley Riddoch actually wanted to know. And when she found out, she tried to do something about it.
On Monday, Riddoch tweeted:
Just passed a dozen cyclist guys heading north on A9 above Calvine. So dangerous as artics suddenly see them & judder to a halt. What’s wrong with cycle path visible from the road?
— Lesley Riddoch (@LesleyRiddoch) June 24, 2019
She then followed up by saying:
As keen cyclist I did consider b4 tweeting. But honestly they nearly caused serious accident. That’s why I asked what’s wrong with cycle path I don’t think folk are crazy – there must be a reason.
— Lesley Riddoch (@LesleyRiddoch) June 24, 2019
The 273-mile A9 runs from Falkirk in central Scotland to Thurso in the far north. Riddoch described it as, “a dodgy road without anything extra to avoid.”
There is a cycle path alongside it for much of its length, but the quality of that path is predictably variable. Many cyclists replied to Riddoch to say as much.
John G Burns linked to something he’d written about the route in September 2012.
“Bear in mind that this is meant to be a road bike path, not a mountain bike trail,” he said. “The aim is to keep long distance cyclists doing runs such as Land’s End to John O’Groats off the A9. These cyclists will be aiming to average at least 20mph and are often on heavily laden bikes that don’t stop quickly in the wet.”
Burns encountered a huge amount of grit on the path, broken asphalt, potholes and unnecessarily steep gradients.
Other cyclists agreed that parts of the route were not well maintained, so Riddoch found out who was responsible for upkeep.
The stretch in question is managed by BEAR Scotland. Riddoch has asked them whether it is fit for purpose and is awaiting a response.
Spoken to @SustransScot & @transcotland re state of the A9 cycle path. Seems the section above Calvine is responsibility of @Bear_Scotland. Cant call them – on train hame fae Glesca with all windows open cos of heat so cannae hear a thing. But have emailed and will chase them up.
— Lesley Riddoch (@LesleyRiddoch) June 26, 2019
Honestly, I’m pretty satisfied that doesn’t apply here. @SustransScot tell me there is an “issue” with that section of cycle path. Its Bear Scotland’s job to maintain. So Im onto them.
— Lesley Riddoch (@LesleyRiddoch) June 26, 2019
Indeed. It’s ridiculous. I’ve asked @BEAR_Scotland who are responsible if they think cycle path north of Calvine is fit for purpose.
— Lesley Riddoch (@LesleyRiddoch) June 26, 2019
23 thoughts on “Scottish broadcaster asks why cyclists aren’t using A9 cycle path”
I worked in Scotland 10 years
I worked in Scotland 10 years ago and driving on the A9 used to scare the life out of me; anyone who cycles on it must be certifiable. Toxic mix of trucks, mad speeding locals, tourists and campervans; you get these short sections of dual carriageway and the fun begins. Like something out of Ben Hur. Normally the carnage was at the end of one of these stretches. I was told it was all controlled by average speed cameras now.
Shades wrote:
Yes, has the reputation for the most dangerous road in Scotland. I recognise your comments from the main stretch of Perth to Inverness.
Average speed cameras has reduced some of the worst excesses. Not somewhere it would be fun to cycle.
Work is underway to dual it all the way.
As “a keen cyclist” why doesn
As “a keen cyclist” why doesn’t she just try and ride it and find out for herself?
ktache wrote:
Don’t knock her. She has recognised a problem and does seem to be fighting the cause. We need all the friends in the media we can get!
ktache wrote:
I don’t honestly see anything heinous about asking cyclists who might have tried it recently, as opposed to having to make a special excursion herself, when, presumably she has other things to do. It’s just more efficient.
Likeise, I also scowled at the “_they_ almost caused an accident” bit, but that seems a minor point compared to the main issue of actually trying to get whoever is responsible for the path to do their damn job.
Quote:
Imagine if Highways England had to shout out for volunteers to come and help resurface the M4??
“As keen cyclist I did
“As keen cyclist I did consider b4 tweeting. But honestly they nearly caused serious accident.”
Clearly you didn’t consider matters enough darling, nor are you obviously a keen cyclist or are you really just an ignorant motorist who uses a cycle sometimes?
For one thing, who the fuck is ‘they’, and blaming other human beings going about their lawful business not doing anything wrong for ‘nearly causing an accident’ (sic) when in fact a serious incident almost occured because a motorist was acting in a dangerous/criminal manner and only just managed avoided killing/maiming innocent victims.
This is typical ignorant motorist bullshit speak!
Griff500, she hasn’t recognised the problem at all, even if the path was suitable, the people on bikes are still doing nothing wrong. She doesn’t even for one split second grasp that she’s apportioning the blame for nearly causing an “accident” onto those who would have been the innocent victims of a crime if the criminal hadn’t have driven so dangerously in the first instance i.e. an HGV driver only just seeing them last split second and juddering to a halt ergo, dangerous driving.
She might as well have said,
“Just passed a dozen gay muslims heading toward town on xx street. So dangerous as homophobic racists will suddenly see them & only just stop themelves in time before beating them to death. What’s wrong with forcing ‘them’ to walk down the back alley’s so that they avoid getting in the way of hompophobic racists?
“As a casual lesbian muslim myself, honestly ‘they’ nearly caused themselves to be beaten to within an inch of their lives if not worse!”
Or ‘they (referring to all women) should have stayed indoors/not walked down the street as it nearly caused them to be raped, the potential rapist had only a split second judgement to make not to rape her. Honestly, they (women) almost caused themselves to be raped because they decided to walk on the same street as a man.
It’s the same old tired victim blaming bullshit, again and again and again, she wouldn’t say any of those examples I’ve given but it’s precisely the same!
BehindTheBikesheds wrote:
Not what I meant at all. How often do people on this board say quite rightly ” the problem is not helmets, the problem is not high vis, the problem is infrastructure”. I’m not one of those who think we should all be forced to use cycle paths, and rarely use them myself, nevertheless, here we have a case where a number of cyclists who know the road well, as I do, say they wouldn’t cycle on it, which is why infrastructure was put in place in the first place. If she can get the cycle path sorted, then good on her!
BehindTheBikesheds wrote:
I do agree… “But honestly they nearly caused serious accident” is an utterly stupid thing to say, but then resorting to calling this lady “darling” is rather condescending, sexist and appalling, it simply wasn’t needed, a comment such as a cyclist riding correctly and abiding to the law doesn’t cause an accident, it is the other careless road users that fail to see and react to the situation that are at fault… and as for the rest of your rant, just as bad.
BehindTheBikesheds wrote:
Yes she is a proper cyclist and a very formidable woman who would rip you a new one for the patronising shit.
https://www.lesleyriddoch.co.uk/cycling/
Not knocking her, just asking
Not knocking her, just asking.
First hand information and personal experience is always good.
‘… artics suddenly see them
‘… artics suddenly see them and brake’.
The sentient motor vehicle again.
Nothing to do with the prick in his cab, checking Facebook on his iPhone. No, no. Perish the thought.
Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:
I had wondered about that myself: how fast were the HGVs being driven, and how far ahead was the driver actually looking, that they had to apply the brakes so very suddenly as to nearly cause a collision?
The A9 used to have a
The A9 used to have a lamentable record for crashes. This was addressed to a degree by the installation of average speed cameras. Actually raising the speed limit for trucks from 40mph to 50mph also reduced the number of scary overtakes that so often used to end up in head-on crashes.
It does carry a lot of tourist traffic and the crash statistics do show that a significant proportion of those head-on crashes involve foreign drivers, perhaps unused to driving on the left or overtaking on the right and potentially at a disadvantage if they’re in a left hand drive car.
It’s a lot less dangerous now than it was before the speed cameras were fitted.
I’ve driven it many, many times and also ridden a motorbike along it. I can’t say I’d really want to cycle along it as cars will be passing at up to 60mph and trucks at up to 50mph. It is a two lane road mostly. But then if the cycle lane is in such poor condition I can understand why people do. It’s a real shame that inadequate cycling facilities are in place in an area that has such stunning scenery, where you’d think cycle tourism would be set as a priority. It takes you through exactly the sort of countryside you’d want to visit, whether on a bike or otherwise.
The cycling provision needs to be sorted.
Just to be clear, speed limit
Just to be clear, speed limit on a single carriageway is still 40 mph for an hgv in Scotland, 50 on a dual, doesn’t stop me from being tailgated and overtaken by hgvs at dangerous sections though…
Tommytrucker wrote:
Except on the A9 between Perth and Inverness where there’s been a 50mph HGV limit in place since 28th October 2014, which is also when the average speed cameras went live on this stretch.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-29708280
dodger421 wrote:
Except on the A9 between Perth and Inverness where there’s been a 50mph HGV limit in place since 28th October 2014, which is also when the average speed cameras went live on this stretch.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-29708280— Tommytrucker
You beat me to it, but yes. The increased speed limit for HGVs on the A9 was one of a package of measures (along with the average speed cameras) intended to reduce the alarmingly high number of head-on crashes occurring along the route.
And these measures appear to have worked, given that the fatal crash rate on the A9 has been reduced substantially.
Ah, I stand corrected, very
Ah, I stand corrected, very rarely go up to Scotland, and never driven the A9, I do agree that increased limits for hgvs have reduced the number of cars who overtake when it’s not safe.
In the face of the inability
In the face of the inability of the designated authorities responsible for the upkeep of the A9 cycle path to maintain and repair to a suitable standard (applicable to motor vehicles on the rest of the carriageway) possibly what is required is a crowdfunding campaign to raise the funds to send a cycle path sized road sweeping machine along the length of the route. The upshot of this might shame the scottish government and the local and regional authorities into action and highlight the barriers and hazards faced by our community . A video of the exercise would be handy as the desk jockeys responsible for the shocking route can view it without shifting their lazy A***S into action and provide evidence of the neglect
who are these minority who
who are these minority who cycle in the middle of the road AND charge at pedestrians on pavements?
They are the same ones who
They are the same ones who have no lights and yet whose lights are too bright.
Both seperate from the totally invisible ninja cyclists that drivers seem to be able to see and count so easily.
Rode most of the length of
Rode most of the length of the A9 cycle path heading south two weeks ago as part of a 10 day JOGLE. The surface is a little broken up in parts but it’s a really great option compared with the main A9. The road is crazy busy and traffic speeds are high, despite the extensive 50mph average zones – I wouldn’t have fancied cycling it. We were a group of four, riding road/CX bikes with 28-32mm tyres, and no one punctured on the A9 cycle path.
Lets hope this formidable
Lets hope this formidable person manages to get some action – if the road is about to have new dual sections best time to provide an alternative user friendly safe cycle path these types of roads desperately need proper provision and the cost will be a fraction of the main carriageway
As to “THEY nearly caused an accident” – plain lazy and bigotted (not patronising enough?)
When I sit eating my breakfast listening to the morning traffic news I’m amazed at the “multi vehicle” “major incident” “pileups” and “fatal headon collisions” all caused by cyclists appearing “out of nowhere”!
Lets put this straight the problem is dangerous, inconsiderate, unthinking driving.
The assumption that cyclists have no place on busy roads and that driving too close to the vehicles in front and being unable to see or be able to react safely to slower road users needs to be challenged. It is a dangerous rationalisation of behaviour to blame THEM for being in the wrong place.
The stats show that in the main drivers are the guilty party in collisions involving cyclists and I could even point to one study that shows that in the majority of potential conflicts it is the cyclist that takes evasive action not the driver.