I decided to follow a short cyclepath shown on the OS map that neatly avoids a very busy and dangerous stretch of A379 between Brixton and Plymouth. It comes complete with Millenium Sculpture.
This image shows what should be a well used path about 2.5 miles long. Indeed it started promisingly with a beautiful stretch of wooded former railway track.
However it was not to last. The tarmac ended and it turned to mud but at least it was reasonably level. I arrived at a T junction and met a steep hill. There was no sign telling me whether to turn left or right. In both directions it was steep and deeply rutted stones not possible to cycle on.
The map said to turn right. When I reached the highway at the end of the path, there were no signs telling me which way to go.
The message for me here is simple. What has gone wrong and what does this tell cyclists about attitudes towards them?
Aah, that'd be the "old" bit of what was meant to be NCN2, and which ends behind Otter Nurseries. Last time I was down there it still had NCN2 signs up, in addition to the milenium sign.
ReplyDeleteI believe what went wrong is that Devon County Council surfaced their part properly, while Plymouth City Council reneged on their undertaking of surfacing their end. (Why am I not surprised?)
It is such a pity the path is diverted from the old track bed, as an old bridge appears to now be in private ownership. That diverted path really is not fit to be classified as a cycle route without a major upgrade.
Agreed. This needs a major upgrade and Plymouth City Council has been informed. It has also been sent to Parliamentary Cycling Committee as an example of problems cyclists encounter.
ReplyDelete