In the last week several of these notices have appeared along the length of the busway maintenance track / bridle path / cycleway:
Presumably asking cyclists to show respect
for pedestrians and vice versa.
But most of the signs are mounted high
up. About the height of horse riders heads. Is it asking horse riders to
show respect for pedestrians and cyclists? Seems unlikely.
A search finds this Twitter
article https://twitter.com/gnomeicide/status/574853452414738432 where Richard Taylor says “Cllrs to spend
public health cash putting “RESPECT” signs on Cambridge guided busway
cycle/pedestrian path”. Obviously
relevant - but I have not found any Council minutes about this.
Anybody know any more?
When the busway was built, it was stated that National Cycle
Route 51 would be re-routed along the busway. Sure enough, signs soon appeared along the busway with the number 51 on them.
But for the next 3½ years the
old signs remained on the route through Fenstanton, Fen Drayton, Swavesey,
Longstanton, Oakington, Girton. A few
weeks ago these were finally changed to local cycle route 24:
(3)
A new sign has been put up at Swavesey bus-stop by the
Swavesey Meridian Magazine, showing a map of the village, and some places of
interest.
(4)
I recently found this busy signpost 2/3 of the way through the "public footpath" connecting Trumpington to the busway through the allotments:
The top sign clearly says "Public Footpath". But the bottom one shows cyclists and pedestrians equally and points ahead to the busway (and cycle racks at the bus stop). Are cyclists allowed to ride on this one?
Re (1) - the Respect signs. This was approved by the County Council's Highways and Community Infrastructure Committee at its meeting on 17 March. The papers are here:
ReplyDeletehttp://www2.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/CommitteeMinutes/Committees/AgendaItem.aspx?agendaItemID=11242
Para 3.16 of the main report is the most relevant. Minute 91 covers discussion of the report, although there's nothing I could find that was specific to the Busway.
Re (4). If you look at Cambridgeshire CC's online map of rights of way, that entire path is marked as a footpath - that's between the Busway and Shelford Road, plus the links to Foster Road.
ReplyDeleteSo legally, its a footpath which I guess is unenforceable given the council put up cycling signs.
Changes to Right of Way status have a habit of being forgotten or ignored, perhaps because of bureaucracy. I'm guessing this was a footpath, got upgraded to cyclepath as part of the Busway building works but the legal paperwork has not been completed. Leaving the confusing signage in its wake.
Hugh, thanks for finding that.
ReplyDeleteAs I read it Para 3.16 is entirely about the busway track, and this is entirely the work of the cycling projects team, "funded by Public Health monies designated for Road Safety awareness sign signs."
I have not seen any of the plastic ones applied to the surface of the track yet - interesting how they will wear.