Cycling Madness
September 7, 2008OK, I admit I can be a bit anal but I was having a real issue on my commute to work, three miles of which is along an off-road cycle path from Stenhouse Cross to Edinburgh Park.
The path is marked with this symbol
(although the other way round) and the wide paved area has a white line down it, with occasional pictures of bikes on the cycling side. However, it goes past Broomhouse and Saughton Mains, and I was forever having to slalom around folk wandering onto the ‘cycle’ side (or even worse, try to see dog leads extending over it).
Imagine my total surpise when in an email from the city cycling officer I found out that
”The segregated paths which you refer to are defined legally under the Roads Scotland Act 1984 which overrides the Access Reform Act. On these paths cyclists may only use the cycle side but it is legal for pedestrians to be on both sides of the path.”
What on earth is that all about? Who thought that that was a good idea? That means Middle Meadow Walk, where there is often a problem with pedestrians wandering into the path of fast moving cyclists is actually working as designed.
I also asked about the painted No Cycling signs on Bruntsfield Links and the Meadows, and what effect they have.
“I have been investigating the impact of the Access Reform legislation on the legality of paths for cycling and in particular on the Meadows. I am currently awaiting a legal opinion to confirm my understanding which is as follows:
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Paths which have cycle signing are obviously legal for cyclists to use (this is predominantly the Middle Meadow Walk/Leamington Walk route)
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Paths which have been adopted by the Council but do not have cycle signing are not legal to cycle on (this is Jawbone Walk/Coronation Walk/Boys Brigade Walk)
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Paths in the Meadows which have not been adopted by the Council are legal to cycle on (these are mainly the minor paths between the above paths)
I appreciate that this may seem a bit confusing but once we are sure of the legalities the Council will ensure that the paths are signed correctly. Whilst the Council may not be able to use signage banning cyclists on some paths (due to the Access legislation) we do not intend to encourage cycling on these paths where they are not suited for shared use.”
