Gritting Cyclepaths?

[GuinnessMK]

My local council have just built a dedicated new cyclepath, completed in October, providing a lovely 1/2 mile of traffic free bliss across a park. However, there is a steep hill in the middle and being about 100 yards from the main road, means it isn't gritted in the winter.

I've complained to the council, who have offered to install grit bins (no sign as yet), but at least two people have already come off on icy mornings, so I've reverted to the main roads.

Whilst I'm all in favour of investing in the infrastructure, if the council won't help keep it usable it's not very sustainable.

Anyone ever seen a council grit a cycle path?

[ShampooEfficient]

Could have done with it near me - came a cropper the other morning.

[ecsrobin]

Councils struggle to grit the roads without having to worry about cycle paths. Surely the cyclists should be taking extra caution in those conditions?

[anonymous-user]

GuinnessMK said:

I've complained to the council, who have offered to install grit bins (no sign as yet), but at least two people have already come off on icy mornings, so I've reverted to the main roads.

Whilst I'm all in favour of investing in the infrastructure, if the council won't help keep it usable it's not very sustainable.

Anyone ever seen a council grit a cycle path?

At least you have managed to do your own risk assessment and use a different route.

I wonder when the first 'claim' will come in, or the council will have to shut the path for the 10 years a day the path is icy.
Or people will moan because the usual tossing council have put tax up to grit a cycleway or instal grit bins.

Rock and hard place spring to mind.

You do know that what usually happens is the grit and kit is usually stolen.

[yellowjack]

ecsrobin said:

Councils struggle to grit the roads without having to worry about cycle paths. Surely the cyclists should be taking extra caution in those conditions?

Poor excuse, really.

If they ('the Council') provide a facility, they have an obligation to ensure that it is maintained and repaired as and where necessary, to ensure the safety of users. This principal has been long established under HSE "duty of care" legislation and case law. If these councils cannot afford to maintain their 'capital projects' they should not be building them. I'll bet that gritting the roads a couple of days a week through the winter turns out to be cheaper than paying out a small fortune in damages and legal costs from people who sue them when they injure themselves.

Rushmoor Borough Council new cycling infrastructure includes a 'road to nowhere' cycle path that may, at some indeterminate point in the future, allow workers at an (as yet un-built) industrial/commercial estate to commute by bicycle. Currently it is useless. It's been built from block paving, and is fully lit by low level light pillars along it's length. It would have been better built somewhere where it might get used. But no, while it very much counts toward the LA's boasts of "x miles of dedicated cycle paths", it is entirely useless, covered as it is with sloppy, soggy leaves and pine needles to the point where, despite the lighting, you can barely tell (visually) whether you are on the path or not. In wet weather it's like trying to ride on an ice rink, even on 2.1" winter MTB tyres Added to that, the fact that the MOD have stopped up the access points to their land adjacent to the path (which is currently the only likely destination for cyclists using it) and it is a very expensive 'white elephant'.

As with so many issues, the lack of gritting has cumulative effects. Folk won't ride it when there's risk of frost. This means the passing of wheels doesn't clear grit and dirt, and the build up of leaves is greater. Then pedestrians will "take over" and tut at and obstruct cyclists. It becomes unpleasant to use, and as with the OP, cyclists will revert to the roads, making the path an utter and complete waste of everyone's time and money. That'll lead to aggression from motorists ("gerron the feckin' bike path, yer 'alfwit") and no-one ends up remotely happy with the spangly new 'facility'.

Furthermore, if it's OK to fail to maintain the cycling infrastructure - "Surely the cyclists should be taking extra caution in those conditions?" - then the council could happily abdicate responsibility for (and the cost of) gritting the roads? After all, surely drivers should be taking extra caution in those conditions too?

[Rolls]

ecsrobin said:

Councils struggle to grit the roads without having to worry about cycle paths. Surely the cyclists should be taking extra caution in those conditions?

Lordy - by the same virtue we should leave roads un-gritted and say the same thing to those using cars / buses / lorries etc...

[Birdthom]

Unreasonable to expect them to grit everything. Plan accordingly.

[Rolls]

And I agree - but its these sort of posts that usually end up with various people moaning about cyclists clogging up "their" roads that they have paid "road tax" for when there is a "perfectly good" cycle path 2 meters away..

Edited by Rolls on Wednesday 21st January 11:32

[S10GTA]

Birdthom said:

Unreasonable to expect them to grit everything. Plan accordingly.

As a cyclist, I agree.

Saw a video a while back of some bloke in Aberdeen crashing on ice. My comment then was "left his brain at home. It's always someone else fault"

[Squiggs]

The footpath outside my front door hasn't been gritted - in fact none of the actual road where I live in has been gritted, and no grit bins have been installed - and it's been the same for the last 20 years.

It's about time something was done - every single square foot of public footpath, road, cycle path and public car park should each receive immediate attention by authorities as soon as the temperature drops below freezing

[S10GTA]

I also recall that the reason gritting works is because the cars crush it into the road, and bikes wouldn't have the same effect.

[Fartomatic5000]

Yes, cycle path has been gritted on a motorway bridge near me. It hasn't been spRead very well though and looks like the guy shovelling the salt was lazy as it was in piles.

Edited by Fartomatic5000 on Wednesday 21st January 15:05

[Type R Tom]

Sounds like there is a chance it won't be public highway, therefore outside of the usual gritting routes etc. I would ask what their policy is on gritting parks etc. and you may get the answer.

Ask to see their gritting policy, you will probably see major routes, school, hospitals etc. you may find that footpaths aren’t usually included, therefore possibly unreasonable to include a cycle route well away from the public highway.

[TheLemming]

While I cant disagree with the sarcasm expressed earlier (we cant grit EVERYTHING) if a transport route is provided then it should be maintained in a safe fashion.

Sheet ice is not safe to ride on

As councils aren't obliged to even clear a cyclepath of debris (wet decaying leaf mulch is much like ice for grip - with bonus broken glass often mixed in) and they will VERY rarely provide services they aren't obliged to - or feel they have to - then there is little change of getting them to grit the things.

One more reason to avoid the bloody useless cycle infrastructure we have.