Since there have been a few posts about cycle lanes and cyclists just lately I wondered how many cycle lanes there are in the country that are simply a pointless and an utter waste of time and money.
This one is certainly not the shortest but may be one of the most pointless, the road it is on only goes to a school but the cycle lane is only 40 feet long, I have not measured it but I did used to park my rig there when I was at work until I could get into the yard, it is strangely the same length as my trailer was ■■?
No doubt there are many more that are of the same ilk.
brados:
but I did used to park my rig there when I was at work…
You still can can’t you? It doesn’t look like there are any restrictions there, is it illegal to park over them? People park in them all over the place where I am.
Theres loads about, same with cycle paths, that used to just be paths but now have blue signs on saying its shared use.
The reason, its simple. Its to say the area has X amount of cycle facilities so its a good place to cycle, when really most are crap.
Once upon a time I used to commute to work on a bike - in Milton Keynes…
My pet hates are; Road planners in Milton Keynes, and the misbegotten son-of-a-harlot who invented the extending dog lead.
Perhaps an explanation is called for.
The road-planners-of-MK crafted a magnificent set of highways for motor vehicles in a grid formation linked by more roundabouts than you can shake three sticks at - and then in a fit of lets-be-all-green-and-cuddly they went to the pub, leaving the purblind apprentice with the trivial task of laying out the cycle-paths (redways).
The apprentice, armed with a primitive 2D drawing package and a scan of the last planning document but three, set about drawing the paths with graceful curlicues and interesting intersections. Later, as the experts had still not returned from the pub, he found the “Shrub and Bush” tool in the drawing package and set about filling in the edges - mostly with berberis and gorse.
Later still, the planners returned - sober as newts - saw the work of the apprentice and said:
“Thish is goog - lesh bild it”
It would be some time before the full horror of the situation dawned on the people of MK.
Initially they noticed that there were LOTS of stupid little hills - remember the 2D drawing…
but at that point the could still see OVER the bushes and spot the unusual road hazards.
Then the bushes grew, and there soon came a point where every graceful curlicue became a blind decreasing radius bend - ridden by people who knew where the path went - but not what was coming.
What was coming was: the automatic extending dog-lead - pedestrian safe on one side, hidden in the bush on the other side, a rottweiler, and connecting the two - A trip wire.
