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Dungannon Greenway.jpg"Successful" cycle scheme prompts mirth by baffled cyclists
Twitter can be a harsh proving ground for any company - not least for all things cycling - the Niceway Code being a recent example.
So when AG Wilson Engineering posted a picture of what it called another “successful” greenway in Northern Ireland, with a barrier entirely blocking it, the results were, perhaps, predictable.
Perplexed cyclists jumped in to ask how to use the path, which is blocked by a long metal gate, with a chicane barrier to one side.
Chicanes on bike lanes - why are we still building this rubbish? ask frustrated campaigners
The company tweeted: “AG Wilson successfully delivered another greenway project in Railway park Dungannon”.
AG Wilson successfully deliver another greenway project in Railway park Dungannon. @nigreenways pic.twitter.com/cLiiy99P1T
— AGWILSON ENGINEERING (@agw_engineering) January 8, 2016
Many questioned how the greenway constituted a success given the apparent access issues, and say the large barrier and chicane combination make the route inaccessible for those on non-standard bikes including disability bikes, cargo bikes, tandems and tagalongs.
If @agw_engineering use this image to show success, I'd hate to see what failure looks like. pic.twitter.com/fwDFp8fldN https://t.co/nLsiLlaoEo
— GM Cycling Campaign (@GMcycling) January 9, 2016
.@agw_engineering @nigreenways You call bull-traps that disabled people, trikes, tandems, parents with kids on tagalongs can't use success?
— William (@WilliamNB) January 9, 2016
@TweedColin this sort of stuff fails any basic consideration under the Equality Act @GMcycling @agw_engineering
— The Ranty Highwayman (@RantyHighwayman) January 9, 2016
Some wondered who the scheme was actually designed for, and whether there had been a mistake. It is unclear if AG Wilson is responsible for the gate itself.
@agw_engineering When does the big barrier in the middle of the cycle path get removed? @nigreenways
— Matt Turner (@MattTurnerSheff) January 8, 2016
.@agw_engineering Erm. Go on, tell me how someone on a bicycles gets through there? @nigreenways
— Borghert Borghmans (@StripyMoggie) January 8, 2016
There was sarcasm aplenty.
@agw_engineering @nigreenways "Why do cyclists use th road when there's a cycle path?" <Looks at that photo> Oh yeah. That. #crapcyclelanes
— John Baker (@JohnBaker1975) January 9, 2016
@agw_engineering @nigreenways A bit muddy beside the gate. You might need more metalwork to stop people using it.
— Michael (@baoigheallain) January 8, 2016
Before people started to get creative with possible solutions, including developing Danny Mackaskill-level stunt skills.
@GMcycling @agw_engineering This is Macaskill gate. Easy for him.
— Tony Mclean (@steelmac) January 9, 2016
Something some brave souls suggested they’d try it out, with different approaches.
The over:
@StripyMoggie @pedalparity @agw_engineering @nigreenways looks just about bunny-hoppable from here
— Alan Head (@kil0ran) January 8, 2016
The under:
@StripyMoggie @kil0ran @pedalparity @agw_engineering @nigreenways maybe skid and slide under?
— Sally Hinchcliffe (@sallyhinch) January 8, 2016
The "here’s how it should be done, kids".
@agw_engineering @nigreenways Here's the Dutch equivalent nr The Hague. Note separate footway and lack of barrier pic.twitter.com/dihznvk4js
— Dan Doherty (@dandoherty1981) January 9, 2016
AG Wilson did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Laura Laker is a freelance journalist with more than a decade’s experience covering cycling, walking and wheeling (and other means of transport). Beginning her career with road.cc, Laura has also written for national and specialist titles of all stripes. One part of the popular Streets Ahead podcast, she sometimes appears as a talking head on TV and radio, and in real life at conferences and festivals. She is also the author of Potholes and Pavements: a Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network.
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22 comments
The path and the gate are old infrastructure and not initially bike related.
The path was created approx 12 years ago. The gate was installed about 10 years ago, apparently a few of the travelling community moved in temporarily and the gate was installed after they had 'moved' on.
The new piece of infrastructure they are trumpeting about is the green tarmac and the the lowered kerb.
Not sure if the gate is being looked at or not.
It's brilliant. Confirms that the UK is maintaining an unassailable lead in the annual "Shitty Cycling Infrastructure of the Year" awards.
If this was for cars there would be so much fuss caused you'd end up with the mayor and the radio station hanging about to berate the disgrace and inconvenience caused to motorists.
Cycle infrastructure?
That'll do is the key phrase.
Lack of equailty remains painfully evident.
"Successfully delivered" is construction phrse for built on time/to budget. it doesn't mean that they are saying the cycle path is a success.
All the company are saying is they built what they were asked to, on time.
I have Bertie Wilsons number in my phone, very tempted to ring him about this. Though in all honesty it is probably to the spec the council asked him to deliver.
I was following the discussion on Twitter the other night and AG Wilson said that's what happened. They followed the spec laid down by the council.
But surely the contractor should be advising the council on why their spec is wrong, rather than just blindly doing what they're told? I work in web development and if someone asks me to build them something that isn't going to acheive what it's intended to, I'll say so and offer a better alternative. They may well have tried and been told just to get on with waht they were asked for, but in that situation I wouldn't choose to draw attention to it by posting photos on Twitter.
Why should the contractor know? They know how to build things, there is no reason they need to know the why. Most businesses run on fragmentation of duties, everyone knows the bit they need to know and assume that those around them know what they are doing.
You don't think it's reasonable that the contractor should have been able to look at the plans for that cycling "facility" and recognise that it wasn't going to be effective?
they don't give a fig, they're tendering for the work as they can make a profit and keep their workforce in employment... they're not going to say that's stupid...
No.
It's not what they do. They work to specifications supplied, I am sure.
Blame the council for this one.
Going out on a limb here. While the barrier is not a great idea I would suggest that there are possibly issues with quad bikes or scramblers in the area. Some folk who are more local to Dungannon may bring some insight to the whole thing. I've not been there for a long time so things may have changed. There's a track my way that has bull traps either side due to locals using quads on it. Regardless of that. I'm sure a better setup could have been put in place to open up the Greenway to all. Can't remember what the access points on the Comber Greenway are like as its been a few years since I last used that one.
so the majority have to suffer because of the actions of the few?
'Tis the way of the world, I'm afraid...
No, it's just the way of cycle infrastructure. If I cycle on the motorway where I am not allowed I would expect to get arrested and removed. I would not expect them to erect barriers that prevent me getting my bike onto the motorway.
[/quote] I would not expect them to erect barriers that prevent me getting my bike onto the motorway.[/quote]
Be good if they did though.
Apply the same logic to the motorways, putting barriers up to stop those that should'nt be there, it'd be brilliant and of course generate swathes of comments from motorists.
I didn't say that it wasn't also stupid and unfair.
Don't you mean they would have to put a barrier to prevent the cars going on there because of the cyclists that are using it ? as after all there aren't any other ways of stopping them are there ?
Why can't they just ban quad-bikes entirely? Anyone caught with one in any context gets a fine. Sure, the law-abding quad-bikers would suffer due to the actions of those who use them inappropriately, but, that's the way of the world, no?
I wonder if they're already banned, so this was done because they can't have police or security there 24/7 to enforce it...? Near my home, neighbours complaining about scooters using an access point to our local cycle path led to one of those stupid a-frame barriers being installed. Now, every time I wheel my bike through it bongs off the panels on the barrier- sounds like a temple bell.
And it didn't stop the scooters anyway- I can (just) fit a bike through, and a scooter (just) fits through too - the only thing that would completely stop scooters would completely stop bikes too. I don't know, maybe like some sort of stupid metal five bar gate and chicane arrangement...
Sadly that seems to be the way of it Paul. As Kwi says, it's probably the council that wanted it done this way and I reckon they're reacting (in the wrong way) to a perceived nuscience. Thanks Beatnik for refreshing my memory
Like this:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.5905818,-5.8558581,3a,75y,220.09h,61.87t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sS4f1vXL5Mhj5DQW-v3UEwQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DS4f1vXL5Mhj5DQW-v3UEwQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D122.94145%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en