About-turn on cyclists

FROM years of encouraging cyclists to use the Regents Canal towpath, Canal & River Trust have at last realised that the speeding cyclists are dangerous, so are now telling them to use the roads instead.

This is something that many have been telling British Waterways and CaRT for years, that the ever increasing number of commuters cycling to and from work on the narrow path is dangerous, backed of course by narrowboatworld and its contributors.

Cycle at speed

CaRT now admits that at times 500 cyclists an hour are using the towpath—that does not even meet regulation width—and it is not the right environment to cycle at speed.

The mix of these cyclists with other users, such as pedestrians, people with prams and young children together with dog walkers is dangerous, so CaRT is now looking to create safe on-road routes for speeding peak time cyclists.

Flawed

One particular contributor to narrowboatworld, who has often told of the dangers is Del Brenner, Secretary of Regents Network and a member of the London Waterways Commission, who has written about the conflicts between cyclists and pedestrians together with the unworkable 'solutions' that have been put forward, by the then British Waterways, that have proven to be flawed and unworkable.

These concerned parts of the towpath around Islington, (Del's photographs below shows the dangerous 'pinch point' by the Narrowboat pub) and it is this area that CaRT has at last realised is a major problem, admitting having had reports of collisions, and is looking for routes parallel to the waterway.

Coordinator

CaRT's answer so far is to appoint Rosie Tharp as Strategic Cycle Routes Coordinator, to attempt to create new cycle routes away from the towpath, she admitting that at peak times the towpath gets very busy with pedestrians 'overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of commuter cyclists'.

The past solution, two years ago of 'two tings' campaign, where cyclists rang their bells and slowed down has just not worked.  Many cycles do not have a bell and many will not slow down.

Bad language

The 'smile and a thank-you' was not very successful either in view of so much reported bad language from cyclists at pedestrian in their way.

So now the new initiative.  But how the speeding commuters will be persuaded to forsake the towpath for the roads, is not mentioned.