tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376064199249774842024-03-05T23:04:37.140+00:00Zen Biker ManiacCycling in and around InvernessUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637606419924977484.post-24522067618279696222018-09-30T21:13:00.003+01:002018-09-30T22:10:37.630+01:00What are Roads?<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">[<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1M8WPsBQFNdeZyGSd9DqNnLVHpxc-Jp1l">Click here to download this blog as a pdf file.</a>]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">People often quote from the <b>Highway Code</b> but,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">in Scotland (where we don't have any Highways),</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">it is</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span>mainly<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> based on the <a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/54/pdfs/ukpga_19840054_en.pdf"><b>Roads (Scotland) Act 1984</b></a> [pdf] - <i>R(S)A</i>.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">But what are <b>Roads</b>?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />This is my understanding of some of the legal terms used in <i>R(S)A</i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm sharing it in the hope that it may be useful to others.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For some of the finer detail, that has been omitted, please refer to <i>R(S)A</i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />Although <i>R(S)A</i> terminology has been updated, some traps remain.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />For example, a <b><i>road</i></b> in <i>R(S)A</i> gives a public right of passage.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">But it's not a road in the normal sense.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In <i>R(S)A</i> a <i><b>road</b></i> may be a <b><i>footway</i></b> or a <i><b>cycle track</b></i> or a <b><i>carriageway</i></b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A <i><b>carriageway</b></i> in <i>R(S)A</i> is what is normally called a road.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Although intended to give a right of passage for motor vehicles,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">it also gives a right of passage for pedal cycles and pedestrians.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />A <b><i>footway</i></b> in R(S)A is what is normally called a pavement.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is for exclusive use by pedestrians.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />A <b><i>cycle track</i></b> in R(S)A is what is normally called a shared used pavement.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Usually it is for shared use by pedal cycles and pedestrians.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In some cases it is for pedal cycles only.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />A cycle track for pedal cycles only may sound like a cycle lane.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The distiction is that a cycle lane is part of the carriageway</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">but a cycle track is separate from the carriageway.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A <i><b>cycle track</b></i> is a <b><i>road</i></b> in its own right.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />As a result, <i>R(S)A</i> has a specific offence of parking on a cycle track.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This does not require the motor vehicle to be causing an obstruction.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There is no exception for loading, dropping off, taxis or Blue Badge holders.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Essentially, a <b><i>cycle track</i></b> is a 'no go' area for motor vehicles.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>A More Detailed Explanation with References</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>R(S)A - Part XIII - Section 151. Interpretation</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Sub-section (2) pages 101-102 : [pdf 109-110 of 202]</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Plain English Summary of Definitions:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A <b><i>road</i></b> gives a public right of passage and may be</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">a <b><i>footway</i></b> or a <i><b>cycle track</b></i> or a <i><b>carriageway</b></i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Each category of road is associated with a category of user:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">- <i><b>footway</b></i> - passage is by foot only;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">- <b><i>cycle track</i></b> - passage is by pedal cycle only</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> or by pedal cycle and foot only;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">- <b><i>carriageway</i></b> - passage is by vehicle [but not exclusively].</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Quoting Sub-section (2) (c)</i>:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">[Where the public right of passage] <i><b>includes such a right by vehicle,</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>other than a right by pedal cycle only, the road is a " carriageway ".</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It follows from these definitions that:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1. The right of passage on a carriageway includes pedestrians and all vehicles.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">2. The right of passage on a cycle track excludes motor vehicles.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> The way can be a cycle track or a carriageway but not both.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This second point is reinforced explicitly in two sub-sections of the <i>R(S)A</i>.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Part XI - Offences - Section 92 - page 129 - [pdf 92 of 202]</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>(5)</i> Subject to section 64 of this Act,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> a person who, in a foot-way, footpath or <i><b>cycle track</b></i>,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> as the case may be <i><b>drives</b></i>, rides, leads or propels a vehicle</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> or horse, or any swine or cattle, commits an <i><b>offence</b></i>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>(6)</i> A person who <b><i>parks</i></b> a motor vehicle</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> wholly or partly on a <b><i>cycle track</i></b> commits an <i><b>offence</b></i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />I</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">n Plain English:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i style="background-color: yellow;">It is an offence to drive or park a motor vehicle on a cycle track.</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></b><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="gd"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ann an Gàidhlig shìmplidh:</span></span></span><br />
<span class="" id="result_box" lang="gd"><span style="background-color: yellow; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>Tha e na eucoir dràibheadh no pàirceadh carbad motair air slighe rothaireachd</b></i>.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-style: italic;"><br /></b></span><a href="https://zenbikermaniac.blogspot.com/">https://zenbikermaniac.blogspot.com/</a></span><br />
<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-style: italic;">Your comments are welcome.</b></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637606419924977484.post-86439428405113417392017-02-28T12:49:00.000+00:002017-02-28T12:49:51.649+00:00We Need to Talk about Active Travel<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Describe in 40 words how you would procrastinate for a year.</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The best entry so far comes from the <b>Active Travel Task Force</b>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b>"To identify and make recommendations to the Minister for Transport and the Islands</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b> on ways to improve delivery of ambitious, inclusive walking and cycling projects in Scotland,</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b> helping to create high quality places and communities that support health and wellbeing"</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Their full supporting documentation can be found at:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.transport.gov.scot/environment/active-travel-task-force">http://www.transport.gov.scot/environment/active-travel-task-force</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This Task Force was announced by <i><b>Transport Minister Humza Yousaf MSP</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">at the <i><b>Active Travel Summit</b></i> on Wednesday <i><b>2 November 2016</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and met for the first time, three months later, on <i><b>8 February 2017</b></i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As well as <i><b>Transport Scotland</b></i> and <i><b>COSLA</b></i>,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">the other members are drawn from <i><b>Sustrans</b></i>, <i><b>SESTRANS</b></i> and <i><b>NESTRANS</b></i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A representative for younger people is also on the cards (<b><i>YoungTrans</i></b>?).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But no mention of a disabled representative. I suggest <i><b><a href="https://www.rnib.org.uk/scotland">RNIB Scotland</a></b></i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The <i><b>Sustainable Transport Team</b></i> have embraced the duties of <i><b>Secretariat</b></i>,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">one of which will be to update the Transport Scotland website with progress updates.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">They have also invited <b><i>"known organisations and individuals"</i></b> to submit written evidence by <i><b>10 March 2017</b></i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(They're only asking for 1,200 words - you'll not need more than a fortnight.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The evidence will then be summarised, circulated and considered by the the Task Force.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If your not on their <i><b>"known list"</b></i> you can still submit your evidence using the online form at:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.transport.gov.scot/system/files/documents/tsc-basic-pages/attf-evidence-form-230217.pdf">http://www.transport.gov.scot/system/files/documents/tsc-basic-pages/attf-evidence-form-230217.pdf</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Issues to be considered include the usual:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">simplify processes, improve communications,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">community engagement, local democracy,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">encourage, promote, investigate, ...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And so it goes on with a final report being sent to the Minister in <i><b>December 2017</b></i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is presumably with a view to achieving the <a href="http://www.transport.gov.scot/system/files/documents/reports/Transport%20Scotland%20-%20Policy%20-%20Cycling%20Action%20Plan%20for%20Scotland%20-%20January%202017.pdf"><b><i>CAPS</i></b></a> vision:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">"</span><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">10% of
everyday journeys to be made by bike, by 2020"</span></i></b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The greatest barrier to achieving this target is extreme and chronic lack of funding.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It should be noted that this was the vision in <i><b>2010</b></i> and has been continually repeated since then.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As we approach the 2020 deadline, it makes no sense to take a year to discuss the way ahead.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But Transport Scotland needs your input so act now and send in your written evidence on</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><i>"the barriers to delivery of ambitious, inclusive walking and cycling projects in Scotland".</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<b style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif; font-style: italic;">Please do not submit your evidence here</b><br />
<b style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif; font-style: italic;">but your comments are welcome.</b><br />
<b style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif; font-style: italic;"><br /></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637606419924977484.post-63412163528476961932016-05-30T02:23:00.000+01:002016-06-06T01:00:32.355+01:00Pushing over the Bridge<i style="background-color: #f6f6f6; font-family: "trebuchet ms", trebuchet, verdana, sans-serif;">[</i><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Any of the images can be clicked to enlarge.]</span><br />
<h3 class="western">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></span></span></h3>
<h3 class="western">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Background</span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The
Infirmary Bridge in Inverness crosses the River Ness upstream of the
city centre.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It
takes its name from the nearby Royal Northern Infirmary (RNI) which
now houses the Executive Office of UHI (University of the Highlands
and Islands).</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">On
the far side is Cavell Gardens, named in memory of Edith Cavell. (In
spite of pronunciation by many locals, the correct stress is as in
'travel' rather than 'Ravel'.)</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.cavellnursestrust.org/edith-cavell">https://www.cavellnursestrust.org/edith-cavell</a></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This
suspension bridge, built in 1881, is 90 m long with only 1.7 m
available width, nearly level, and connects two relatively quiet roads along the
riverside.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">These
three photos were taken earlier this year and show the bridge as it
was until a few weeks ago.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">There
were a couple of 'No Cycling' signs one of which had its red circle
partly obscured with 10 plain address labels (plus an <b>NH</b>YE<b>S
</b>sticker from the time of the Scottish Referendum).</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC77rcJPhPYI1-fKBW0pNOMBdGSTRLvgU0ITFcubNZWDMboPj-2x0imwM5YpIlFO8ENY9KHtefMWhlL9gAaVlTBfXC1jSFL0ZVPyo8JJDP9d7gFVWTCFisE82Gg_bWVNpj4colVuxRr0Q/s1600/SAM_4098.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC77rcJPhPYI1-fKBW0pNOMBdGSTRLvgU0ITFcubNZWDMboPj-2x0imwM5YpIlFO8ENY9KHtefMWhlL9gAaVlTBfXC1jSFL0ZVPyo8JJDP9d7gFVWTCFisE82Gg_bWVNpj4colVuxRr0Q/s200/SAM_4098.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbuJyMxuH2uBNyu0X4obmPDGqpYiUG6GwAI5EdonAMG3oJELijVWFXr0mSl3Qv7I_71XlO9NcrROfaOhHMg_erz5or2nV_bSIMzYZAmxYtJJAs5xVL-W7pUMIjtdF9Jci94IIPtu57Uk/s1600/SAM_2939.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbuJyMxuH2uBNyu0X4obmPDGqpYiUG6GwAI5EdonAMG3oJELijVWFXr0mSl3Qv7I_71XlO9NcrROfaOhHMg_erz5or2nV_bSIMzYZAmxYtJJAs5xVL-W7pUMIjtdF9Jci94IIPtu57Uk/s200/SAM_2939.png" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYqxjNgvPJtPe0iabKl_ovkZ_PGTuffhkwx_52b6FbGljnn_8v5izoQwHIU8Olz1MZR6-oIh4YkUhpoOAZMwbNDfUvgE3UUusyFARbmEcazLcsi0NgBg5kBYvbxUVedb0HxHbddPCfUA/s1600/SAM_2929.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYqxjNgvPJtPe0iabKl_ovkZ_PGTuffhkwx_52b6FbGljnn_8v5izoQwHIU8Olz1MZR6-oIh4YkUhpoOAZMwbNDfUvgE3UUusyFARbmEcazLcsi0NgBg5kBYvbxUVedb0HxHbddPCfUA/s200/SAM_2929.png" width="200" /></a></div>
</span></h3>
<h3 class="western">
</h3>
<h3 class="western">
<span style="font-size: large;">Traffic Regulation Order</span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">A
major project is under way in the Highlands to repaint 94 miles of
lines on the road surface and replace 1,600 road signs.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/highlands/897849/highland-parking-crackdown-means-repainting-100-miles-of-street-lines/">https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/highlands/897849/highland-parking-crackdown-means-repainting-100-miles-of-street-lines/</a></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">As
part of this, messages were painted at the entrance to both ends of
the bridge augmented by two extra 'No Cycling' signs.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Approaching
the bridge the message says 'Cyclists Dismount' in 18" (45 cm)
high letters.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Leaving
the bridge the message was 'Beware' but strangely this was burned off
a few days later.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhInZ-UHEJdFyIu-G-usQ4-JmCe5mJs98StMKGQx_Z0pRsUe36LYbWKbuK9M5ryHuzDw9juzhr0lLheJuAFs_lhnn9VXF9Ogs1WvoxpFZTglBqXqu9Lqajn7LAJf_U3QBBAiP4Owk0ou2U/s1600/SAM_4492.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhInZ-UHEJdFyIu-G-usQ4-JmCe5mJs98StMKGQx_Z0pRsUe36LYbWKbuK9M5ryHuzDw9juzhr0lLheJuAFs_lhnn9VXF9Ogs1WvoxpFZTglBqXqu9Lqajn7LAJf_U3QBBAiP4Owk0ou2U/s200/SAM_4492.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibnO9Bmbtene2xGlz0QAGrx_Eeb98lWdojxlDGIH1I5h0pJdouu-usji7OLI288RzDsGdhQ1roYbcRMB3VJWUUpoJy9jqQV6ZoTyOLHcC7Y9k69FzMgzjIJEflLpAq9pw8055-DEd1_QY/s1600/SAM_4422.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibnO9Bmbtene2xGlz0QAGrx_Eeb98lWdojxlDGIH1I5h0pJdouu-usji7OLI288RzDsGdhQ1roYbcRMB3VJWUUpoJy9jqQV6ZoTyOLHcC7Y9k69FzMgzjIJEflLpAq9pw8055-DEd1_QY/s200/SAM_4422.png" width="200" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8J-Gx1fCtNmoPU6ecGCzDKpOUNNjGC_g02Y9rgToqV5mc3F000j_0A0ZfZiTJvF-z5gT9IOYUnuPW_DrqCz9YyYE7TbqnalYhx1N1Ly9idRmVjz2aX9NmKi31j4ZWO_udCeYeJiBBbow/s1600/SAM_4423.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8J-Gx1fCtNmoPU6ecGCzDKpOUNNjGC_g02Y9rgToqV5mc3F000j_0A0ZfZiTJvF-z5gT9IOYUnuPW_DrqCz9YyYE7TbqnalYhx1N1Ly9idRmVjz2aX9NmKi31j4ZWO_udCeYeJiBBbow/s200/SAM_4423.png" width="200" /></a></div>
</span></h3>
<h3 class="western">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></span></span></h3>
<h3 class="western">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Typical
Peak Weekday Traffic</span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">Data
was gathered between 8 am and 9 am for 96 pedestrians and 38
cyclists.</span></span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%px;">
<colgroup><col width="64*"></col>
<col width="64*"></col>
<col width="64*"></col>
<col width="64*"></col>
</colgroup><tbody>
<tr valign="top">
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: 1px solid #000000; padding-bottom: 0.1cm; padding-left: 0.1cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0.1cm;" width="25%"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i><b>Percentages</b></i></span></span></td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: 1px solid #000000; padding-bottom: 0.1cm; padding-left: 0.1cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0.1cm;" width="25%"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Pedestrians</span></span></td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: 1px solid #000000; padding-bottom: 0.1cm; padding-left: 0.1cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0.1cm;" width="25%"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Cyclists</span></span></td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 0.1cm;" width="25%"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Both
Modes</span></span></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.1cm; padding-left: 0.1cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0cm;" width="25%"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Cavell
-> UHI</span></span></td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.1cm; padding-left: 0.1cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0cm;" width="25%"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">50</span></span></td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.1cm; padding-left: 0.1cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0cm;" width="25%"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">19</span></span></td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.1cm; padding-left: 0.1cm; padding-right: 0.1cm; padding-top: 0cm;" width="25%"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">69</span></span></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.1cm; padding-left: 0.1cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0cm;" width="25%"><span style="font-size: 16px;">UHI -> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;">Cavell</span></td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.1cm; padding-left: 0.1cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0cm;" width="25%"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">22</span></span></td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.1cm; padding-left: 0.1cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0cm;" width="25%"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">9</span></span></td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.1cm; padding-left: 0.1cm; padding-right: 0.1cm; padding-top: 0cm;" width="25%"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">31</span></span></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.1cm; padding-left: 0.1cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0cm;" width="25%"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Both
Directions</span></span></td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.1cm; padding-left: 0.1cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0cm;" width="25%"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">72</span></span></td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.1cm; padding-left: 0.1cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0cm;" width="25%"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">28</span></span></td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.1cm; padding-left: 0.1cm; padding-right: 0.1cm; padding-top: 0cm;" width="25%"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">100</span></span></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">The
different counts in each direction is mostly explained by where the
people work.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">The
opposite would be expected at the end of the day.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">There
were a few joggers and walkers with buggies and dogs among the
pedestrian numbers.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">I
initial attempted to do a separate count of cyclists cycling and
walking but I abandoned this because quite a few changed mode
(sometimes more than once) as they crossed.</span></span></div>
</span></h3>
<h3 class="western">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></span></span></h3>
<h3 class="western">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Observations</span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Pedestrians
crossed singly or in groups of up to four taking about a minute.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Some
trailed wheeled luggage, pushed buggies or were accompanied by dogs.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Some
stopped to take photos or look at the view. Some were jogging.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Cyclists
usually travelled alone and could cycle across in about 20 seconds.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Some
cyclists walked the full length while others cycled for all or part
of the crossing.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">There
is only 1.7 m of available width. Walking two abreast is comfortable
but cycling two abreast is not really an option. This naturally means
that cyclists have to take care when passing other users of the
bridge and will usually only overtake a pedestrian with consent.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmoawUR9jD0RZUSW_uf8va8e16wwiEP5uUip1LwngITamAgF4v7HI-Xth128A6mBbtPpNChpfZAgDrBfAmDgR2ZttEDtNp9OXJYSLlJb4yLbdjyIRZUzOHPth_gsZBLvg5xSrO0u21Ilc/s1600/SAM_4521.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmoawUR9jD0RZUSW_uf8va8e16wwiEP5uUip1LwngITamAgF4v7HI-Xth128A6mBbtPpNChpfZAgDrBfAmDgR2ZttEDtNp9OXJYSLlJb4yLbdjyIRZUzOHPth_gsZBLvg5xSrO0u21Ilc/s200/SAM_4521.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_7f2GsTWU0gbXCyBGUoYW58Xc36MYETlDTTPTLnAppeMzn-PWYOf7FmNl19sMMJYQikNJaPQ2HOv4K18z8fCaHRXR8LffRgIDvMcCJ9lvYdl4QoTuUA9pE3gI9g98hueKkNoewZKJC8/s1600/SAM_2934.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_7f2GsTWU0gbXCyBGUoYW58Xc36MYETlDTTPTLnAppeMzn-PWYOf7FmNl19sMMJYQikNJaPQ2HOv4K18z8fCaHRXR8LffRgIDvMcCJ9lvYdl4QoTuUA9pE3gI9g98hueKkNoewZKJC8/s200/SAM_2934.png" width="200" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9AWt0Lhfw_-gUOIeqdGTfpsty4MECBS5_1yJdNk4tJ7VYfJvqexP_krSoioSXsnlDgF3J0vGW9NNgG_iGSVcpNwT4vamR9iSrKwbFcAC8f46rqG98vP5ElkaiVnW_mKxfApo1jI_Uf7w/s1600/SAM_4518.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9AWt0Lhfw_-gUOIeqdGTfpsty4MECBS5_1yJdNk4tJ7VYfJvqexP_krSoioSXsnlDgF3J0vGW9NNgG_iGSVcpNwT4vamR9iSrKwbFcAC8f46rqG98vP5ElkaiVnW_mKxfApo1jI_Uf7w/s200/SAM_4518.png" width="200" /></a></div>
</span></h3>
<h3 class="western" style="break-before: page;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></span></span></h3>
<h3 class="western" style="break-before: page;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Signs
on Metal Plates</span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The
Greig Street Bridge, near the city centre, is of similar construction
but slightly wider at 2.3 m. It also has a more obvious rise in the middle. It has rectangular blue 'Cyclists Dismount' signs
at each end. Being advisory, they can be ignored (and often are)
provided the cyclist takes account of other bridge users. It also has two red circle 'No Cycling' signs at each end. Their lettering is badly weathered and their position on the side barrier of the bridge makes them easy to overlook.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdy_LWWbdX_qHw9g_I4k29z4dbxNIGB2U_MQxt9jki_0GV170_eIobLiMYtwWAzSRYGEXG_lauT5Y7mqlgr39rQr10JWfig1xCCVwbyiP6cNzSFwVJQRoK-fEhB8BwvLjg-zOGSGHxd6w/s1600/SAM_4648.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdy_LWWbdX_qHw9g_I4k29z4dbxNIGB2U_MQxt9jki_0GV170_eIobLiMYtwWAzSRYGEXG_lauT5Y7mqlgr39rQr10JWfig1xCCVwbyiP6cNzSFwVJQRoK-fEhB8BwvLjg-zOGSGHxd6w/s200/SAM_4648.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9o8g9wOpywE4gasbz_Z1dPFBs-HNXqMfE6lCx6_joHaj8PnVQNRJrJlINh-D49psmAE6zNxpFuUsvb0_f6bZ1GDefwjoT20PNzcO5RT6zfa-dJ_cDZ9z4vHd5aAhspmlMGrE9pPIrZJs/s1600/SAM_4651.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9o8g9wOpywE4gasbz_Z1dPFBs-HNXqMfE6lCx6_joHaj8PnVQNRJrJlINh-D49psmAE6zNxpFuUsvb0_f6bZ1GDefwjoT20PNzcO5RT6zfa-dJ_cDZ9z4vHd5aAhspmlMGrE9pPIrZJs/s200/SAM_4651.png" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_tL0Uoog2CYSdZy2pu12Gvrm87srrwTYFGkQBs99QM7M0I3KSW97kfNRNNbEkRsBmMun3G_PGtL5G5Vk4_9MbHtuSyt7crFAz1GRElTzVGAkFeUSa_Gp8ygKifnahHX_J3Hu7QTpHVI/s1600/SAM_4650.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_tL0Uoog2CYSdZy2pu12Gvrm87srrwTYFGkQBs99QM7M0I3KSW97kfNRNNbEkRsBmMun3G_PGtL5G5Vk4_9MbHtuSyt7crFAz1GRElTzVGAkFeUSa_Gp8ygKifnahHX_J3Hu7QTpHVI/s200/SAM_4650.png" width="200" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Infirmary Bridge has </span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">two
new </span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">red
circle 'No Cycling' signs at each end. </span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This
is an </span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">order</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
and failure to comply is potentially an offence carrying a fine.</span></span></span></span></div>
</span></h3>
<h3 class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></span></span></h3>
<h3 class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Other
Locations</span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">There
is no prohibition on the paths or bridges further upstream in the Ness Islands. Indeed there is an official cycle route (The Great Glen Way) through the Ness Islands.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></div>
</span></h3>
<h3 class="western">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Core
Paths</span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><div style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", trebuchet, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It
is worth noting that both of these suspension bridges are Core Paths.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", trebuchet, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", trebuchet, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">This
is a legal term that grants a legal right to walk or cycle that
route.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", trebuchet, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.highland.gov.uk/downloads/file/1170/map_9_-_inverness_west" style="font-weight: normal;">http://www.highland.gov.uk/downloads/file/1170/map_9_-_inverness_west</a></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", trebuchet, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", trebuchet, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i><b>Map_9___Inverness_West.pdf</b></i></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", trebuchet, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"> IN19.06
- Greig Street Bridge</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", trebuchet, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", trebuchet, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"> IN19.07
– Infirmary Bridge</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", trebuchet, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", trebuchet, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">It
would appear that the 'No Cycling' signs contradicts this basic
right.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", trebuchet, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", trebuchet, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">Invalid
prohibition signs that are likely to be ignored put the law into
disrepute.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", trebuchet, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", trebuchet, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Conclusion</h3>
</span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Cyclists
walking or cycling across these suspension bridges already appear to show
consideration for others on the bridge.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The narrowness of the Infirmary Bridge naturally encourages cyclists to stop and give way to pedestrians or cyclists passing in the opposite direction. The main justification for overtaking is when pedestrians stop to take photos. This is typically done politely with appropriate care.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The
Greig Street Bridge is 0.6 m (2 feet) wider and provides greater width and
better sight-line than some local shared-use pavements (cycle
tracks). Cycling across the bridge is quite common and is typically
done with consideration. Cyclists will usually walk their bike if the
bridge is busy. Each end is constricted by a pair of right-angled
corners. BMX riders often leave the bridge by jumping the steps.
(Some even jump up the steps.)</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">
</span></span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">'No
Cycling' signs contradict the reasonable access right of a Core Path.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">'Cyclists
Dismount' signs are often an indication of poor design. Here they are
simply not appropriate.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The
painted messages on the surface are unsightly.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">All of these signs only serve to disrespect cyclists and encourage others to
quote the law: - “Can't you read the sign?” - no matter how much
care the cyclists show.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I
have asked the Highland Council to remove these new messages and
signs.</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">They
could more suitably be replaced with a round, blue shared-use sign.</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">If
it is really thought necessary, they could be supplemented with a
blue rectangular sign with the text such as 'Pedestrian Priority'.</span></span></span></div>
<br /></div>
</span></h3>
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Your comments are welcome.</b></span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637606419924977484.post-38282952755995804692016-05-09T02:03:00.000+01:002016-05-09T14:33:40.739+01:00Antisocial Parking on Huntly Street<i style="background-color: #f6f6f6; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', trebuchet, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></i>
<i style="background-color: #f6f6f6; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', trebuchet, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">[</i><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Any of the images can be clicked to enlarge.]</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBF4By1suws6WsHaHrT2ikf0qE-A3jskZI5kntEcbDir2RC_WWOPWfjzpZcrnDkrt_gKlG0ob_4_3yUJItwSJyZ4XXPfvWE-asEPwp0Cq-VJ1b0sKk6mYTxk8-zj3rtj-zvpqBIHA6gQ8/s1600/SAM_4328+900x450.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBF4By1suws6WsHaHrT2ikf0qE-A3jskZI5kntEcbDir2RC_WWOPWfjzpZcrnDkrt_gKlG0ob_4_3yUJItwSJyZ4XXPfvWE-asEPwp0Cq-VJ1b0sKk6mYTxk8-zj3rtj-zvpqBIHA6gQ8/s640/SAM_4328+900x450.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Backgrou</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">nd</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">Huntly Street, Inverness is a restricted zone. The road is single lane one-way with a shared-use pavement on the river side and a pedestrian pavement on the other. Contra-flow cycling on the road is legal. Being a restricted zone, there are no yellow lines on the road but there are signs on lampposts at entry points and along the length of the road.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">The shared-use pavement has a kerb flush with the road to give a pedestrianised feel but this unfortunately makes it too easy and inviting for drivers to drive onto and park their vehicles.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Enforcement</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Highland Council are preparing to take over parking enforcement (expected in November). Currently it remains the responsibility of Police Scotland. This usually means Traffic Wardens of which there used to be two for the whole of the Highland area (11,838 sq miles or 30,659 km2) but I believe there is now only one.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Law</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm no legal expert but here are several key facts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">A pavement along the side of a road is legally referred to as a <b>footway</b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">In Scotland, it is an offence (with certain exceptions) to drive on a footway but parking is not so clear.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sandra White MSP (Glasgow Kelvin) has proposed legislation, <i>The Footway Parking and Double Parking (Scotland) Bill</i>, which has been agreed in principle by the Scottish Parliament.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">However, a shared-use pavement (walking and cycling) is legally a <b>cycle track</b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">Parking a motor vehicle on a cycle track is a definite offence under the <i>Scotland (Roads) Act 1984</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/54/pdfs/ukpga_19840054_en.pdf">http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/54/pdfs/ukpga_19840054_en.pdf</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">Part XI Offences 129 (6) - [Page 85]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">"A person who parks a motor vehicle (...) wholly or partly on a cycle track commits an offence."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Parking Space</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">There is ongoing discussion about whether or not Inverness has adequate parking space provision. This will not be discussed here. This blog accepts the signage and law as it presently exists.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">Focus here is on the section of Huntly Street shared-use pavement between Greig Street Bridge and the main Ness Bridge which includes a Loading Bay (which is a Parking Bay on Sunday) and a Disabled Bay.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">As well as the motor traffic, Huntly Street is popular with people of all ages and (dis)abilities, with buggies, bikes and mobility scooters. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">It should provide an enjoyable walk/ride along the riverside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">Since the completion of the new flood wall [</span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=637606419924977484#editor/target=post;postID=6804216801420890737;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=3;src=postname" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', trebuchet, verdana, sans-serif;">Huntly Street Uncovered</a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">] almost a year ago, the shared-use pavement has been frequently occupied with parked motor vehicles.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Experiment</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">On Sunday morning 08 May 2016 between 10am and 11am I approached drivers who had newly parked their car and asked them if they knew that that they had parked on a pavement or in a disabled bay (as appropriate).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">Based on previous observation, I'd expected more vehicles to be parking but was pleasantly surprised to find there weren't too many so I was able to approach almost all the drivers directly and speak with them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Results</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">Many drivers seemed genuinely surprised that parking on the shared-use pavement (cycle track) is an offence. Common responses were:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">- It's OK on a Sunday.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">- The Police have given us permission.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">- Everyone else is doing it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">- I've parked here before.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">- Where does it say that?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">The attitude to parking in a Disabled Bay without displaying a Badge was similarly casual (although the responses were more apologetic and cooperative):</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">- I didn't see the sign.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">Out of 6 cars, 1 displayed a badge, 4 moved on when informed, and 1 was briefly dropping off a passenger. Another 2 stayed on the road to drop passengers off.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">Activity on the pavement near the Premier Inn seemed to be visitors leaving who had either parked on the pavement overnight or were being picked up by a taxi. There is a lot of pavement parking there at other times and may be the subject of a future study.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">Activity nearer Greig Street was obviously related to church attendance, particularly at St Mary's.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">Out of 8 drivers who parked on the pavement near the Greig Street Bridge, 1 already there moved away, 3 moved away after being informed, 1 walked over the bridge, 3 listened/discussed but stayed parked.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">These latter four cars can be seen in the photo. Also in the picture is the '<i>Shared-Use</i>' sign and a '<i>No Waiting At Any Time</i>' sign. I purposely avoided photographing people but there were a lot around. To pass the parked cars, pedestrians would have to squeeze through the gap beside the wall or transfer onto the roadway.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBF4By1suws6WsHaHrT2ikf0qE-A3jskZI5kntEcbDir2RC_WWOPWfjzpZcrnDkrt_gKlG0ob_4_3yUJItwSJyZ4XXPfvWE-asEPwp0Cq-VJ1b0sKk6mYTxk8-zj3rtj-zvpqBIHA6gQ8/s640/SAM_4328+900x450.png" /><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Conclusion</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;">These few inconsiderate parkers believe themselves to be more entitled than genuine pavement users. Even worse, they also act as a bad example and attract other less self-assured motorists to copy them.</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;">Your comments are welcome.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637606419924977484.post-2254350724721058202016-02-08T01:36:00.001+00:002016-02-08T01:36:26.274+00:00Shared Space Storm<i style="background-color: #f6f6f6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></i>
<i style="background-color: #f6f6f6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">[</i><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Any of the images can be clicked to enlarge.]</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Last week, while
Storm Henry was howling through the north of Scotland, I went to
Edinburgh for the day to meet up with colleagues planning the Walk
Cycle Vote campaign.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
[<a href="http://walkcyclevote.scot/">http://walkcyclevote.scot/</a>]</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Travelling by bus
from Inverness, gave me almost 4 hours each way to read the online
documents relating to the bill that Alexander Taylor's recently
lodged with the Scottish Parliament.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
[<a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01595">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01595</a>]</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
This bill “urges
the Scottish Government to place a moratorium on all shared space
schemes until safety and equality concerns have been addressed.”</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
It comes with 53
supporting documents of written evidence.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In truth, you don't
need to read much of this evidence to realise that shared space, as it's being
implemented in the UK, is a disaster for disabled people,
particularly those with sight loss.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
If this issue is new
to you, a good place to start is with the “Sea of Change” video
that was premiered in the House of Lords at the end of 2013 and is
now available online.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
[<a href="http://seaofchangefilm.org/">http://seaofchangefilm.org/</a>]</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
[<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOObDPOSm-g">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOObDPOSm-g</a>]</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Lord Holmes of
Richmond MBE (Chris Holmes), being blind himself, is a strong campaigner.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
This page on his
website has many excellent links.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
[<a href="http://chrisholmes.co.uk/news/accidents-by-design-the-holmes-report-into-shared-space/">http://chrisholmes.co.uk/news/accidents-by-design-the-holmes-report-into-shared-space/</a>]</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
He published a very
readable report in July 2015</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Accidents by Design:
The Holmes Report on “shared space” in the United Kingdom</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
[<a href="http://chrisholmes.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Holmes-Report-on-Shared-Space-.pdf">http://chrisholmes.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Holmes-Report-on-Shared-Space-.pdf</a>]</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Lord Holmes secured
a debate on this subject in the House of Lords 15 Oct 2015.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
More recently,
Alexander (Sandy) Taylor and Margaret Hutchison gave evidence to the
Public Petitions Committee at the Scottish Parliament on 26 Jan 2016.
(The first 39 mins of this video.)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
[<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpdACiUk-58">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpdACiUk-58</a>]</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Something like
shared space had been attempted before in other places but the term
'shared space' originated with the Dutch traffic engineer, Johannes
(Hans) Mondermann (1945-2008).</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
[<a href="http://www.pps.org/reference/hans-monderman/">http://www.pps.org/reference/hans-monderman/</a>]</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
He was born in
Leeuwarden (Friesland) and, as a traffic engineer, created shared
spaces in that area as well as Groningen and Drenthe – the three
Provinces in the north of the Netherlands.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
His key philosophy
was that road users (pedestrians, drivers, cyclists) must negotiate
their way by interacting with each other. To bring about this change
in behaviour, all traffic controls such as traffic lights, lane
markings and kerbs are removed.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The idea is
attractive and has much to commend it but two serious problems need
to be resolved:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
1 – Greatly
reduced motor traffic is a prerequisite for shared space to work.
Creating shared space should not be used in an attempt to reduce
motor traffic.</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
2 – Because
negotiation is expected to be mediated by eye-contact, navigating
shared space is impossible or very difficult for sight impaired
people and many other disabled people. These people have a continuing
need for controlled crossings and clear, uncluttered routes.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I'll end with some tenuously related thoughts.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin9p3wo-OqkwUoeHglCKkYtmKQqMyGrMg1oHv9K_ypoSx78GaqvINAuPR_bVY_7w2jQ-HsJOLqS4ulfO1IuxPAyzK6SfdvYqM4096ihk4seQWUA0ADGStfaKyz4shETIkCzpZdOWPgr7w/s1600/Kaninchen_und_Ente+400x340.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin9p3wo-OqkwUoeHglCKkYtmKQqMyGrMg1oHv9K_ypoSx78GaqvINAuPR_bVY_7w2jQ-HsJOLqS4ulfO1IuxPAyzK6SfdvYqM4096ihk4seQWUA0ADGStfaKyz4shETIkCzpZdOWPgr7w/s200/Kaninchen_und_Ente+400x340.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The rabbit and duck
illusion (Kaninchen unde Ente) has been known for over 200 years old.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The same image can
be perceived in two distinct ways by the same observer at different
times.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit%E2%80%93duck_illusion">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit%E2%80%93duck_illusion</a>]</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiB82ldlrJ7VkOBB-k0mhuAS5gbm_geJXQinYyLrYeYR7B17M80YMcodtfwG6CiLLXs7BWg1kBydYzGbgUYzTcHE1TQxwxcds6cZBDxvooXOl7fkJPyGw2Y3zc7ptGlCZx1EgkU-0S_Uw/s1600/rabbit+duck+wars+300x392.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiB82ldlrJ7VkOBB-k0mhuAS5gbm_geJXQinYyLrYeYR7B17M80YMcodtfwG6CiLLXs7BWg1kBydYzGbgUYzTcHE1TQxwxcds6cZBDxvooXOl7fkJPyGw2Y3zc7ptGlCZx1EgkU-0S_Uw/s320/rabbit+duck+wars+300x392.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Two groups can each
hold to one of these views with possible conflict.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The lack of clear
priority can result in shared space being viewed as either a pavement
(by pedestrians) or a roadway (by drivers) and consequent conflict
between the two groups.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Cyclists can end up
somewhere in between and disliked by both the others.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
[<a href="http://www.paulnoth.com/about.htm">http://www.paulnoth.com/about.htm</a>]</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jPbmweJ_ONnwXkfRh9j8eyuBT0rW99H38qWWS5vOhgC3ddM4mUKRMpWd9te3RxbFgii6WGRWxpl6C4rxoYaWvsSWGadHVmipdNbxg7pFyZS3_OAnDTLk9QxIMkamsWmCJ0c_bbkijEo/s1600/Escher_Waterfall+300x383.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jPbmweJ_ONnwXkfRh9j8eyuBT0rW99H38qWWS5vOhgC3ddM4mUKRMpWd9te3RxbFgii6WGRWxpl6C4rxoYaWvsSWGadHVmipdNbxg7pFyZS3_OAnDTLk9QxIMkamsWmCJ0c_bbkijEo/s320/Escher_Waterfall+300x383.jpg" width="250" /></a>Like Mondermann, the
Dutch graphic artist, M. C. Escher, was also born in Leeuwarden.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._C._Escher">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._C._Escher</a>]</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
At first glance his
print, Waterfall (1961), appears simply to show water falling down
two levels and over a waterwheel.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The water then flows
away down a zigzag channel but this mysteriously returns the water to
the top of the waterfall.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Focusing our
attention locally, there appears to be no problem with any individual
component. And, indeed, the individual components can all be built.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
But, taken as a
whole, we know it can't be right as it contradicts the laws of
science. And if we had built the individual components, we'd find we
couldn't join them together.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
This illustrates a
potential flaw in taking a tick-box approach to design.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The typical goals of
shared space are to have smooth traffic flow while simultaneously
allowing people to walk in and about the space. Without reducing
traffic flow, these are incompatible goals.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; page-break-before: always;">
People are more likely to have heard about Mondrian than the similar
sounding Monderman.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Piet Mondrian
(1872-1944) was a Dutch artist who was born near Utrecht. During his
life he spent time in Amsterdam, Paris, London and finally New York.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
A gallery of all his
work sorted by year:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
[<a href="http://www.wikiart.org/en/piet-mondrian/tableau-i-1921">http://www.wikiart.org/en/piet-mondrian/tableau-i-1921</a>]</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
His early paintings
are similar to the like of Van Gogh.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
He then moves onto
more abstract representations of subjects like trees.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
From 1918 onward he
produces the rectangular grids for which he's best known.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVX29g-Q88YPPjLUADonVUG7pmwHrd5XZcclMnPJrQpVnSObbt0eCRC7oMzQlgKwHMwL3-O145CUICbe4L2dHV11o44Z9yUbfmy0IkynAt6X9g_R4dlw3od9ok-JZMW48BP3_zo-USj8E/s1600/Composition_II_in_Red%252C_Blue%252C_and_Yellow+400x406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVX29g-Q88YPPjLUADonVUG7pmwHrd5XZcclMnPJrQpVnSObbt0eCRC7oMzQlgKwHMwL3-O145CUICbe4L2dHV11o44Z9yUbfmy0IkynAt6X9g_R4dlw3od9ok-JZMW48BP3_zo-USj8E/s200/Composition_II_in_Red%252C_Blue%252C_and_Yellow+400x406.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Many, such as (the
catchily titled) Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow, are
characterised by grids of strong, black outlines around a few
coloured rectangles on a white background.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
[<a href="http://www.wikiart.org/en/piet-mondrian/composition-with-large-red-plane-yellow-black-gray-and-blue-1921">http://www.wikiart.org/en/piet-mondrian/composition-with-large-red-plane-yellow-black-gray-and-blue-1921</a>]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxu3kpLfJtjIDDTwyocyiXkBNW6ErzIQJmlk_CT6RrG7yRdg08EYFA1AlSp47sb5RjkPozZfPlHxMsHdspqGFJ8SxfJ2EwW0tyI4yh1kXGnV5WET_IoI5NViiURQsAdlKAWKe_uWDVqVY/s1600/broadway-boogie-woogie+450x460.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxu3kpLfJtjIDDTwyocyiXkBNW6ErzIQJmlk_CT6RrG7yRdg08EYFA1AlSp47sb5RjkPozZfPlHxMsHdspqGFJ8SxfJ2EwW0tyI4yh1kXGnV5WET_IoI5NViiURQsAdlKAWKe_uWDVqVY/s200/broadway-boogie-woogie+450x460.jpg" width="195" /></a></div>
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His Broadway Boogie
Woogie (1942/43) eliminates the black outlines to <span style="line-height: 100%;">successfully capture the shimmering lights of
Broadway.</span><br />
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[<a href="http://www.wikiart.org/en/piet-mondrian/broadway-boogie-woogie-1943">http://www.wikiart.org/en/piet-mondrian/broadway-boogie-woogie-1943</a>]
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Reducing the
visibility of kerbs by making level surfaces and using variously
coloured pavings and setts may create a sense of place but it also
creates a space that is impossible for sight impaired people and
their guide dogs.</div>
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I feel another storm is coming.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal;">Your comments are welcome.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637606419924977484.post-51173897361247153442015-11-09T01:36:00.001+00:002015-11-09T01:36:42.414+00:00Riverside Rat-Running Reduced<i><br /></i>
<i>[</i><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Any of the images can be clicked to enlarge.]</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit95X7Jt4-UFjjRvGzjFszzMdC-YcHbsstb9lQuRShiJzQcqoKczj8kOXCbE2q2CnvXyrFBTR8hVD9dwqBoGTEML9JBq4rofiTlJp-6YVecP2E3qfb1Jz1BmrZKnIktsDB3qZ5twA0d24/s1600/10_SAM_1593+800x400.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit95X7Jt4-UFjjRvGzjFszzMdC-YcHbsstb9lQuRShiJzQcqoKczj8kOXCbE2q2CnvXyrFBTR8hVD9dwqBoGTEML9JBq4rofiTlJp-6YVecP2E3qfb1Jz1BmrZKnIktsDB3qZ5twA0d24/s320/10_SAM_1593+800x400.png" width="320" /></a><br />
A Toucan Crossing has been installed at the far end of Ness Bridge in Inverness. It links and aligns with Huntly Street and Ness Walk to provide pedestrians with a straight route along the riverside. The junction has been painted with a yellow box. There are dropped kerbs all around the junction apart from, puzzlingly, one kerb on Young Street.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNU1H0eM1bMpqxMtomqblCYLzhUyC8x3tVMVPlK8kkFWztZ_lbhn9n5tMhLu9PDZoXVOe8v3kqmvUyU6dmkfUdVoGysNb29WZ8muGMgR9eL7KNcH2rETRihjZkww-OGQCcx2QPlE1CT6w/s1600/12_SAM_1593+800x400+main.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNU1H0eM1bMpqxMtomqblCYLzhUyC8x3tVMVPlK8kkFWztZ_lbhn9n5tMhLu9PDZoXVOe8v3kqmvUyU6dmkfUdVoGysNb29WZ8muGMgR9eL7KNcH2rETRihjZkww-OGQCcx2QPlE1CT6w/s320/12_SAM_1593+800x400+main.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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The main traffic is in four lanes between the Ness Bridge (city centre side) and Young Street (leading to the main road to Fort William). The side roads (Ness Walk and Huntly Street) are both one-way (away from the camera). When this (first) phase has a green light any traffic from Huntly Street is stopped but there may be some traffic turning into Ness Walk from either direction. So this is a safe time to cross Huntly Street although there is no signal for pedestrians.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE95C4FweZYGee27zmlN5vTtY25SxZ3yf1jskNxKnlH5rAAvVrLuaIUwxUvHQvT1b0_npaDtil4msJT_CtbFdYIJtVSkyR7q0HJLZWHKz8KYxIXSnv8g_eX8o0FeANciqrF1ZpiS68iYg/s1600/14_SAM_1593+800x400+side.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE95C4FweZYGee27zmlN5vTtY25SxZ3yf1jskNxKnlH5rAAvVrLuaIUwxUvHQvT1b0_npaDtil4msJT_CtbFdYIJtVSkyR7q0HJLZWHKz8KYxIXSnv8g_eX8o0FeANciqrF1ZpiS68iYg/s320/14_SAM_1593+800x400+side.png" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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On the second phase, the main traffic is stopped allowing traffic from Huntly Street to cross to Ness Walk or turn right into Young Street. Turning left from Huntly Street onto Ness Bridge is explicitly prohibited. This was done on purpose to deter rat-running along Huntly Street into the city centre.Also in this phase, pedestrians can cross all 4 lanes of the Toucan Crossing.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSjRbNxOTJ1Xml93x7oCyvu0JpfEDaNEciHujrZYdLxTznHAGzpumru9OnSM1Ixy4R56NWG6poLWCLbZIwgtpMFnsIIKcUOQYkdPV8j9IK2rDpWzea59XRagpBaTyMOcO5KaTfCvHZqc/s1600/20_SAM_1625+24+bit.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSjRbNxOTJ1Xml93x7oCyvu0JpfEDaNEciHujrZYdLxTznHAGzpumru9OnSM1Ixy4R56NWG6poLWCLbZIwgtpMFnsIIKcUOQYkdPV8j9IK2rDpWzea59XRagpBaTyMOcO5KaTfCvHZqc/s320/20_SAM_1625+24+bit.png" width="320" /></a><br />
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When the Green Man appears on the Toucan Crossing the audible signal can be heard by any pedestrian heading towards Young Street. This can give the false impression that it is safe to cross Huntly Street (and possibly Ness Walk) when actually traffic from Huntly Street has been given a Green Light.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1lVhmw44lwV2FgkCIpPvgJJXzpP5jA7GGDk74h8LQ0y6kizp1CfC5Bc9pZFZuUd_cyJb8t5bnrX7iC6lrDjYMBygqlirUzR8iS18QXKO0Kq8krYopZDCQYYubP94ZjqFqWCrFE8ExLs/s1600/30_SAM_1613+800x400.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1lVhmw44lwV2FgkCIpPvgJJXzpP5jA7GGDk74h8LQ0y6kizp1CfC5Bc9pZFZuUd_cyJb8t5bnrX7iC6lrDjYMBygqlirUzR8iS18QXKO0Kq8krYopZDCQYYubP94ZjqFqWCrFE8ExLs/s320/30_SAM_1613+800x400.png" width="320" /></a><br />
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Pedestrians (particularly visitors) using the Toucan Crossing may wrongly assume that a Green Man means that ALL traffic has been stopped and that it is safe to cross diagonally by the yellow box. As a result they may unwittingly put themselves in front of cars from Huntly Street.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegtLMMOY7VZNIUyI16YnWBgwQVseANMBODyr85PWnir0v4Le6opWHmIhcX3f-BmfbFIOKT_rqCKswsm8FmeCeaqrS_BoE2LgOThghBOB8TszyTRSdjpxi7tDMPcMj3o8uTdjIFOPiWWA/s1600/40_SAM_1580+800x400.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegtLMMOY7VZNIUyI16YnWBgwQVseANMBODyr85PWnir0v4Le6opWHmIhcX3f-BmfbFIOKT_rqCKswsm8FmeCeaqrS_BoE2LgOThghBOB8TszyTRSdjpxi7tDMPcMj3o8uTdjIFOPiWWA/s320/40_SAM_1580+800x400.png" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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Even if they keep within the crossing they might need to watch for traffic illegally turning left onto Ness Bridge.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGN8Oj_jbGFHuTdz3B6HJuIv6yBjOhAKVIIKStJf95rLas8Jw7wid0Qdf4Yp4dW4Nl1j5KwRmMAJCB9JkunQtaMbhDmuYqzoX9L5i_R8aQJJlS2_dkKUGplk_a_0oyA2eZKk06PGXd0vk/s1600/65_SAM_1622+24+bit.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGN8Oj_jbGFHuTdz3B6HJuIv6yBjOhAKVIIKStJf95rLas8Jw7wid0Qdf4Yp4dW4Nl1j5KwRmMAJCB9JkunQtaMbhDmuYqzoX9L5i_R8aQJJlS2_dkKUGplk_a_0oyA2eZKk06PGXd0vk/s320/65_SAM_1622+24+bit.png" width="320" /></a>Up to this point I haven't mentioned cyclists although it is a Toucan Crossing. As is often the case the Highland Council have left it for cyclists to determine their own routes and negotiate with other road users. Many cyclists will stay on the road. I understood that the original intention was to provide a small lane to allow cyclists to turn left from Huntly Street. There is no signage to indicate this. In practice, I suppose this could be the route I've indicated across the blister paving but that would be so wrong.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzM7Y7PnH-up8snpC7EwRggZ-wLAlAsqo0-EAvCwXQiL5ZKXgctM8RBqbCPbneY7kSuvPkGBvsHZeWoysSAUJ2K1nRpbElmWfPy6o_TZYx2VYQ3QOdvrS34NHzDPRunjHb-wFozyCuFc/s1600/75_SAM_1573+800x400.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzM7Y7PnH-up8snpC7EwRggZ-wLAlAsqo0-EAvCwXQiL5ZKXgctM8RBqbCPbneY7kSuvPkGBvsHZeWoysSAUJ2K1nRpbElmWfPy6o_TZYx2VYQ3QOdvrS34NHzDPRunjHb-wFozyCuFc/s320/75_SAM_1573+800x400.png" width="320" /></a>There is an exception that allows contra-flow cycling along the full length of Huntly Street. How this is intended to work at this junction remains a mystery. It is clearly legal to cycle across the Toucan Crossing except that the pavement at each end has not been designated for cycling (or shared use). Again, it might be legal to cycle across the corner - but not advisable. The Toucan Crossing will encourage (illegal) pavement cycling. This photo also shows that it's not uncommon for drivers to stop their vehicle on the crossing and/or the yellow box.</div>
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<b>Summary</b><br />
The goal of reducing rat-running along Huntly Street seems to be a success. However this depends on drivers being responsible and the law being enforced on drivers who don't comply.<br />
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Drivers on Young Street need to take care that there will be enough space beyond the Toucan Crossing so that their vehicle will not end up blocking the crossing and/or the yellow box.<br />
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Pedestrians can cross Young Street with the help of a central refuge. It's odd that there is a dropped kerb on one pavement but not the opposite one. There are no pedestrian signals here.<br />
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Crossing Ness Walk, particularly from Ness Bridge, can be difficult. There is always the potential for traffic to enter Ness Walk from any of three different direction at different times.<br />
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There is a safe phase to cross Huntly Street but there is potential for confusion.<br />
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The inclusion of a phase that allows pedestrians and cyclists to cross the junction in all directions, including diagonally, might be safer. Or expressing it in a different way, extend the Toucan phase to the whole juction and give Huntly Street a phase of its own.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Your comments are welcome.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637606419924977484.post-68042168014208907372015-06-29T03:47:00.000+01:002015-06-29T03:58:16.293+01:00Huntly Street Uncovered<br />
<i>[</i><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Any of the images can be clicked to enlarge.]</span><br />
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Last week's blog <a href="http://zenbikermaniac.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/a-pavement-with-aspiration.html">A Pavement with Aspiration</a> described the problem for cyclists and pedestrians caused by parked vehicles on the newly opened shared-path on Huntly Street.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgicA3uL0yC7VO6u6avzNSGQedkiVSA-L-dxXmSucJa374aGp9QunHgQqHs11Z4RXPR4HLJsFb_8esFmT6FJ9UnyCdIWOA-iTwlVdaZNRUMTEXeHhcj4Gyo2r1WHBGETUCscdg2Z-5usdA/s1600/SAM_9225+640x480.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgicA3uL0yC7VO6u6avzNSGQedkiVSA-L-dxXmSucJa374aGp9QunHgQqHs11Z4RXPR4HLJsFb_8esFmT6FJ9UnyCdIWOA-iTwlVdaZNRUMTEXeHhcj4Gyo2r1WHBGETUCscdg2Z-5usdA/s200/SAM_9225+640x480.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqyzYJIrpAEmiEfTOGnDhKDmzRPONMHN4otQFFpdXC9YgUxnzqkBANZ47uUy2P7eygNmuCjuVXf1-Tcm7EYz8xoYTod9vDmV5W-K3Bi75EiN1iC5IUS4IFUi9yee6TQQoQ4T2ILHCv1mY/s1600/SAM_9159+640x480.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqyzYJIrpAEmiEfTOGnDhKDmzRPONMHN4otQFFpdXC9YgUxnzqkBANZ47uUy2P7eygNmuCjuVXf1-Tcm7EYz8xoYTod9vDmV5W-K3Bi75EiN1iC5IUS4IFUi9yee6TQQoQ4T2ILHCv1mY/s200/SAM_9159+640x480.png" width="200" /></a><br />
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At a meeting convened by HITRANS, on Wednesday, The Highland Council (THC) informed <a href="http://highlandcyclecampaign.com/index.html">Highland Cycle Campaign</a> (HCC) that repeater 'No Waiting' signs had been ordered to inform drivers and support Traffic Wardens.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbzN52yRHm0gnpOdvUafRiEhKfhDXAWqQnnzo1UdlDFeVhEusvqxBDEQbJ58KV97Vr19cTTUQtvpa33eprLgKBHjt-CTLA-7uCL6SnxK_heayRkT9IW1T6jfAzOJcGlCaguJY2lbA69BY/s1600/SAM_9231+640x480.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbzN52yRHm0gnpOdvUafRiEhKfhDXAWqQnnzo1UdlDFeVhEusvqxBDEQbJ58KV97Vr19cTTUQtvpa33eprLgKBHjt-CTLA-7uCL6SnxK_heayRkT9IW1T6jfAzOJcGlCaguJY2lbA69BY/s200/SAM_9231+640x480.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREjdk9e7WgrYcTFt3tuz1H0ccPlGb42cbh2CRqsaegFFzNZGe4k9TXG_qBhz_r1heofIFSAeR4HcOFQgiRHU-Uy03FiG-5mwkIzXiA29cQGZt9pHNujRplMo8g5E4db4sksR-lgD-sTc/s1600/SAM_9220+640x480.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREjdk9e7WgrYcTFt3tuz1H0ccPlGb42cbh2CRqsaegFFzNZGe4k9TXG_qBhz_r1heofIFSAeR4HcOFQgiRHU-Uy03FiG-5mwkIzXiA29cQGZt9pHNujRplMo8g5E4db4sksR-lgD-sTc/s200/SAM_9220+640x480.png" width="200" /></a><br />
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On Friday morning the signs were being fitted. Apart from two marked bays for disabled parking and for loading it should now be clear that there is no waiting anywhere between Greig Street Bridge and Ness Bridge.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilefziu4T49zyS21TWa4zuvgsNz3Z6LzF8ReI_WK18dKCEslXBw5aMBN9Umz7tTibeLCkhdIJ_I43cY2pdecLlYboXzxu_jVf1CyzxGZo0thkBUXyTyo6vSDAPRaI3As0rf66eZ4c-Fg4/s1600/SAM_9248+640x480.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilefziu4T49zyS21TWa4zuvgsNz3Z6LzF8ReI_WK18dKCEslXBw5aMBN9Umz7tTibeLCkhdIJ_I43cY2pdecLlYboXzxu_jVf1CyzxGZo0thkBUXyTyo6vSDAPRaI3As0rf66eZ4c-Fg4/s320/SAM_9248+640x480.png" width="320" /></a><br />
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It took a while for already parked vehicles to move away but by the evening the street was clear revealing a very pleasant environment.<br />
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This was helped by the presence of 'No Waiting' cones along the pavement. It turned out that these were not intended as a permanent feature but to ensure that the area was kept clear for a Riverside Party on Saturday.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0gRBH3ZoUKK3EPh-6dNHglybrc6woZU4Mflfg117VT_sPtzQg_zfkzcm-Sc6rOys3ZGKNp_KKqTS89qI86B6KAP7vo8c6haD8dwdRdY4ESj00trIcOvHWc3T8CYRPhkjvT-oxTXIAATI/s1600/SAM_9271+640x480.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0gRBH3ZoUKK3EPh-6dNHglybrc6woZU4Mflfg117VT_sPtzQg_zfkzcm-Sc6rOys3ZGKNp_KKqTS89qI86B6KAP7vo8c6haD8dwdRdY4ESj00trIcOvHWc3T8CYRPhkjvT-oxTXIAATI/s320/SAM_9271+640x480.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Perversely, the opening of Huntly Street was to be celebrated by a party that required the street to be closed.<br />
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Two friends of <a href="http://www.bigrory.com/index.html">Big Rory</a> were on duty entertaining people and diverting the traffic.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlUG-Q95PrRbdvHiim_UcwBfkqwQql5vHWY-xwIIMtnpNqcHdHm8Em6biV45AOmWN-NPO5_nrSyvpkRP87o12SbvgZPKz8M-cN01CRly1cwVw5rncHFC-4emzi6JLGeJbbsyaafNugMtA/s1600/SAM_9264+640x480.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlUG-Q95PrRbdvHiim_UcwBfkqwQql5vHWY-xwIIMtnpNqcHdHm8Em6biV45AOmWN-NPO5_nrSyvpkRP87o12SbvgZPKz8M-cN01CRly1cwVw5rncHFC-4emzi6JLGeJbbsyaafNugMtA/s200/SAM_9264+640x480.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0I_1gnzUiS-qAoX9pDx-Lw7GF4lXDXgZxagpA0zaoStUhql6zU6CdV0qlYPf5_FRW2Ge11Bpi0YQICezdi4R9olLME4TSQtcJ3K1siDfX-gdwSNIQioSBwAs4shhluGMZnFQTVOJEFE/s1600/SAM_9280+640x480.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0I_1gnzUiS-qAoX9pDx-Lw7GF4lXDXgZxagpA0zaoStUhql6zU6CdV0qlYPf5_FRW2Ge11Bpi0YQICezdi4R9olLME4TSQtcJ3K1siDfX-gdwSNIQioSBwAs4shhluGMZnFQTVOJEFE/s200/SAM_9280+640x480.png" width="200" /></a><br />
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The weather held and children had a great time on attractions including the Eurofighter, Bouncy Castles and Merry-go-round.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqeO6AbQDV7odVmyHCOzIoNe2r6X7i-bPyQDFh9TtGuImQEbQ4sEVBMIpozIFwZp8ncxM_ca9PZn-TKGn_mwqq8oqgvGUQBeRV4sbJimXHwJJX93GYgi-_B1OW1G_Na0jAcxdACwCIFZI/s1600/SAM_9281+640x480.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqeO6AbQDV7odVmyHCOzIoNe2r6X7i-bPyQDFh9TtGuImQEbQ4sEVBMIpozIFwZp8ncxM_ca9PZn-TKGn_mwqq8oqgvGUQBeRV4sbJimXHwJJX93GYgi-_B1OW1G_Na0jAcxdACwCIFZI/s320/SAM_9281+640x480.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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The area still looked good on Sunday but the real test starts on Monday. But hopefully by then Traffic Wardens will be patrolling to enforce the parking restrictions.<br />
Truly a case of watch this space - literally.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Your comments are welcome.</span><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637606419924977484.post-18345336716835060802015-06-19T03:17:00.000+01:002015-06-22T12:09:07.594+01:00A Pavement with Aspiration<i><br /></i>
<i>[</i><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Any of the images can be clicked to enlarge.]</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.hitrans.org.uk/">HITRANS</a> is one of seven Regional Transport Partnerships in Scotland<br />
which were established through the 2005 Transport (Scotland) Act.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmQBZW4uYzHPExm4SYBfKtpCKDsGJzy8Kr3rRT8vqugFAlkOgRHXicM9eVzKZVdjLoLxIWigeSMxVpgDbmxaEdnYR7IozwSTRDVz2vcSzOmAx0EB7op6FyLtL4DVrSdBaDQZ1XiTvuR5s/s1600/10615+Bike+Week++005+640x480.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmQBZW4uYzHPExm4SYBfKtpCKDsGJzy8Kr3rRT8vqugFAlkOgRHXicM9eVzKZVdjLoLxIWigeSMxVpgDbmxaEdnYR7IozwSTRDVz2vcSzOmAx0EB7op6FyLtL4DVrSdBaDQZ1XiTvuR5s/s320/10615+Bike+Week++005+640x480.png" width="320" /></a><br />
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Last week (11 Jun 2015) they published a good news Press Release for Bike Week.<br />
<a href="http://www.hitrans.org.uk/News/Story/157">http://www.hitrans.org.uk/News/Story/157</a><br />
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It included a publicity picture of three commuter cyclists.<br />
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The chosen location was the newly opened Huntly Street with Inverness Castle in the background and the River Ness out of sight on the other side of the flood wall.<br />
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A few days later, the Press and Journal ran an inspiring story based on the Press Release.<br />
<a href="https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/inverness/610159/cycle-friendly-inverness-tops-cycle-to-work-poll/">Cycle friendly Inverness tops cycle to work poll</a><br />
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Their caption for the picture referred to "<i><b>... the new cycle friendly lane on Huntly Street ...</b></i>"<br />
My immediate thought was "If it's so cycle friendly, why are they all wearing helmets?"<br />
I know that each of these has their own reason but it's just not that typical of local cyclists.<br />
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But a "<i><b>new cycle friendly lane</b></i>" is always worth taking a looking at.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqIPxZhoj_y3xSYAOTvORmDo1jysTMBJDtK0zzl3bB4K_pSR2TgQpCUN3b7IcStquvsKfowehceU0rc4LWahSf8EQ3vH7xDcM_HToDRvjXkoLI4yAijk6za4r1p4SRmDI2Dz3sGi26hH8/s1600/SAM_9098+640x480.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqIPxZhoj_y3xSYAOTvORmDo1jysTMBJDtK0zzl3bB4K_pSR2TgQpCUN3b7IcStquvsKfowehceU0rc4LWahSf8EQ3vH7xDcM_HToDRvjXkoLI4yAijk6za4r1p4SRmDI2Dz3sGi26hH8/s320/SAM_9098+640x480.png" width="320" /></a>This photo is a zoomed-out view at the same location.<br />
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The triangles represent the approximate position of the cyclists on an unsegregated shared-use pavement with a Caithness slate surface.<br />
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The tarred road is one-way in the direction of view. There is a narrower path on the side where I was standing.<br />
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In the distance, a yellow digger is completing some final work on the wall.<br />
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Huntly Street is a Restricted Parking Zone. Although there are no single or double yellow lines, parking should only be in designated bays. The pavement, as shown here, has a dropped kerb flush with the roadway and is not designated for loading or parking.<br />
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I took my photo in late morning and was lucky to catch a moment when the pavement was clear.<br />
Usually there are cars on the riverside pavement. And they're not just partly on the pavement but in the middle of the pavement.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpbfE2CAIDD8F7wFPhhyphenhyphenPkHUPcSwYXy0VzK6JY_SXwaiQiE9WXWEAVdCi5uU1N2jl_wkMWLM3ZMDzpsfKvKvRZdz_32RO_bZYh3kG6syr7RaJK46AvugK0Gdhp0PCBRijxOzMRB4zo2ro/s1600/SAM_9105.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpbfE2CAIDD8F7wFPhhyphenhyphenPkHUPcSwYXy0VzK6JY_SXwaiQiE9WXWEAVdCi5uU1N2jl_wkMWLM3ZMDzpsfKvKvRZdz_32RO_bZYh3kG6syr7RaJK46AvugK0Gdhp0PCBRijxOzMRB4zo2ro/s320/SAM_9105.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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This next photo was taken later in the day and a bit further back.<br />
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A shot like this with 9 parked vehicles is much easier to take.<br />
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Notice that the pedestrians are on the narrower pavement.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fl5QMxrxh0Wc-zuX9OflPSY7PIUhsKlSAfczxLXSpF0HTPUqFQ5UBYh9AmaTlQ6m4YwW3czWAi-LaS_goqhsxkq8Va1iJngJJ9YXfIon6KS8Kx916neV-wn4KKkB9HOhIonWR1EfMek/s1600/SAM_9107.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fl5QMxrxh0Wc-zuX9OflPSY7PIUhsKlSAfczxLXSpF0HTPUqFQ5UBYh9AmaTlQ6m4YwW3czWAi-LaS_goqhsxkq8Va1iJngJJ9YXfIon6KS8Kx916neV-wn4KKkB9HOhIonWR1EfMek/s320/SAM_9107.png" width="320" /></a><br />
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This is not surprising really when you see the view looking back from roughly where the cyclists were pictured.<br />
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The question whether this pavement is "cycle friendly" is currently irrelevant.<br />
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Sadly, this pavement is not even pedestrian friendly.<br />
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Some motorists believe pavement parking is allowed because of the lack of yellow lines.<br />
The pavement being at the same level as the road encourages this idea.<br />
Once one driver parks, others are quick to follow.<br />
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What can be done to return the pavement to its intended use?<br />
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- Traffic Wardens could advise drivers who attempt to park.<br />
But this would be a full-time job and (as far as I know) the Highlands only has two Traffic Wardens.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6hOIgeuDq40BRmTIQoWRWQ2rYgYtZomRV9LcSGVoa4a_LUzuDQOO2YLMyqwbwaEr2GTo9Xm24w-VKnIo8cHVhkn8NeF_5b1nmvHBSZv6DP6NnGrUXC8wPYm8gL-aeEnt6AdPB5tGAV0/s1600/SAM_9135+640x360.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6hOIgeuDq40BRmTIQoWRWQ2rYgYtZomRV9LcSGVoa4a_LUzuDQOO2YLMyqwbwaEr2GTo9Xm24w-VKnIo8cHVhkn8NeF_5b1nmvHBSZv6DP6NnGrUXC8wPYm8gL-aeEnt6AdPB5tGAV0/s200/SAM_9135+640x360.png" width="200" /></a>- Fix 'No Waiting - At any time' plates to appropriate lamp standards. It is accepted that there is a desire to reduce street sign clutter. But drivers have been observed looking at lamp standards to see if there are any parking restrictions. This would provide a reference for the avoidance of dispute.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB87pBvMKT1V_CKi4fb1XJ7XTABLmTxwgtt53l62YnZTKq9TVdOujGWrpaEJU5H3eye0xArgpTQQdsC9TtVt-UDRe1WBfRMpcvDsvXaiitoLOuMhrFcXvLv-4Gu2Nbje39VSL5bhJAVvk/s1600/SAM_9125+640x360.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB87pBvMKT1V_CKi4fb1XJ7XTABLmTxwgtt53l62YnZTKq9TVdOujGWrpaEJU5H3eye0xArgpTQQdsC9TtVt-UDRe1WBfRMpcvDsvXaiitoLOuMhrFcXvLv-4Gu2Nbje39VSL5bhJAVvk/s200/SAM_9125+640x360.png" width="200" /></a>- Place temporary traffic barriers along the kerb. They don't need to be joined together. Just enough to indicate that this is a pavement and is not intended for vehicles. Temporary fencing has been put in place near Friars Bridge to protect the new grass. Surely people are no less important than grass.<br />
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First we need to be able to use the pavement - then we can consider how friendly it is.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Your comments are welcome.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637606419924977484.post-48837276880020566322015-05-21T02:34:00.000+01:002015-06-01T01:33:39.951+01:00A Trip down King Street<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfBenCsmZlOAWzjwbfq4O-ppWbx6guHon7akEnqQNNmKpE19FhFQyCYaOvSvTkTpjFjx56CI8e4zGWMMiPvw4KgcUOGYYez9BSw5Kpc1hEAOi5GcL8-RoJzzGBKxBnEE9QtO3suJaruo4/s1600/_King_St_signs_630x630.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfBenCsmZlOAWzjwbfq4O-ppWbx6guHon7akEnqQNNmKpE19FhFQyCYaOvSvTkTpjFjx56CI8e4zGWMMiPvw4KgcUOGYYez9BSw5Kpc1hEAOi5GcL8-RoJzzGBKxBnEE9QtO3suJaruo4/s1600/_King_St_signs_630x630.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqaZvGxmHP3uSN8GaC_DGPJ-oyl-ycr2ujUGABFlfJgjZy78CfLA8NUgK7HzlaisfcdFRMte-tL1Shy_1QDofGxz4f-u3Ygj8sTZxjfxuU6B9ks30sWjK_ypeAIsYH29o3mooOHkGj3A0/s1600/_hcc20s_mini.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqaZvGxmHP3uSN8GaC_DGPJ-oyl-ycr2ujUGABFlfJgjZy78CfLA8NUgK7HzlaisfcdFRMte-tL1Shy_1QDofGxz4f-u3Ygj8sTZxjfxuU6B9ks30sWjK_ypeAIsYH29o3mooOHkGj3A0/s320/_hcc20s_mini.png" width="225" /></a></div>
<i>[</i><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Any of the images can be clicked to enlarge.]</span><br />
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Last month, <a href="http://www.highlandcyclecampaign.com/">Highland Cycle Campaign</a> organised a presentation with guest speaker Chris Thompson from <a href="http://www.livingstreets.org.uk/scotland">Living Streets</a>.<br />
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The subject of <a href="http://www.20splentyforus.org.uk/">20's Plenty</a> was inspired by a recent earlier meeting with <a href="http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Seminars/Children_and_Road_Safety/Biographies/Biography%20Rod%20King%20MBE.pdf">Rod King MBE</a>.<br />
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As I would be doing an introduction, I decided to familiarise myself with some of the 20 mph streets around Inverness.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfBenCsmZlOAWzjwbfq4O-ppWbx6guHon7akEnqQNNmKpE19FhFQyCYaOvSvTkTpjFjx56CI8e4zGWMMiPvw4KgcUOGYYez9BSw5Kpc1hEAOi5GcL8-RoJzzGBKxBnEE9QtO3suJaruo4/s1600/_King_St_signs_630x630.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfBenCsmZlOAWzjwbfq4O-ppWbx6guHon7akEnqQNNmKpE19FhFQyCYaOvSvTkTpjFjx56CI8e4zGWMMiPvw4KgcUOGYYez9BSw5Kpc1hEAOi5GcL8-RoJzzGBKxBnEE9QtO3suJaruo4/s320/_King_St_signs_630x630.png" width="320" /></a><br />
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There are significant examples of good practice in Inverness but I found one area particularly confusing.<br />
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Kenneth Street is on the A82 Trunk Road linking Inverness to Glasgow through Fort William. Kenneth Street is 30 mph but the streets between it and the River Ness are all 20 mph.<br />
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The route of interest starts at Junction A.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCFZ_bZQEhSStZds1gfj8zEVqeVX6nS6xqizWt7VqYg1sSkBERSHzR60FXKKocDGTA5QvrSo96V82j723X40euMaJyLkauMn6aOdlyt6vPXLJJ_30f-8jbD-wOkc7c8v6PxRDn4TtNfM/s1600/A_SAM_7186.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCFZ_bZQEhSStZds1gfj8zEVqeVX6nS6xqizWt7VqYg1sSkBERSHzR60FXKKocDGTA5QvrSo96V82j723X40euMaJyLkauMn6aOdlyt6vPXLJJ_30f-8jbD-wOkc7c8v6PxRDn4TtNfM/s320/A_SAM_7186.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Junction A</b><br />
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King Street is one-way with its speed limit clearly signed as 20 mph from the junction.<br />
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Let's proceed along King Street to the next main crossroad.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPox2KvA6Y9ilKY88QHVu0K06pIB_I1ovaNEUTOl4MDmIa3TuReYxjDBXcoXqCntHBa_4c09wZ9jK-OZcudNQYpE0QWmbMkXnQcXzqfwKZ_ENoJ_dxLqD70Rb4T44hF8r7gKfQ9-Z-Vyo/s1600/B_SAM_7188.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPox2KvA6Y9ilKY88QHVu0K06pIB_I1ovaNEUTOl4MDmIa3TuReYxjDBXcoXqCntHBa_4c09wZ9jK-OZcudNQYpE0QWmbMkXnQcXzqfwKZ_ENoJ_dxLqD70Rb4T44hF8r7gKfQ9-Z-Vyo/s320/B_SAM_7188.png" width="320" /></a><br />
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<b>Junction B</b><br />
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This is the junction of King Street with Greig Street.<br />
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Just before the junction there is a pair of 30 mph signs. On the other side of the junction there is a pair of 20 mph signs.<br />
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This would seem to imply that Greig Street, the street we're crossing must be 30 mph.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDqW8OUJO91wLdULs_sPTlxPKj14_nLl4oH-X1a6uXyS3BobDpLdZRzRyC4-86ELhTR-UeHYGi55UC7ix7J4BgNhaaIa_uIGGs2_oPYcGi8LOceP7bsQHYEx79rJj4OAZ8y-_UQJ5dIy8/s1600/C_SAM_7182.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDqW8OUJO91wLdULs_sPTlxPKj14_nLl4oH-X1a6uXyS3BobDpLdZRzRyC4-86ELhTR-UeHYGi55UC7ix7J4BgNhaaIa_uIGGs2_oPYcGi8LOceP7bsQHYEx79rJj4OAZ8y-_UQJ5dIy8/s320/C_SAM_7182.png" width="320" /></a><br />
<b>Junction C</b><br />
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But if we take a short detour to the Kenneth Street end of Greig Street we can see that Greig Street is actually signed (correctly) as 20 mph.<br />
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So the 30 mph signs at Junction B are wrong.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinGCZh7oJjUDdMg3Db4FDUNb1HDLeWS3FIpVyxoZZC4fTKto2BG11dgwLx2l3kJc9J5kKidobY_JUFHQiLG3kILLvV6jmg10eI7Kglydk0W7-g9eNCaf4bkU5HEUgU5CB_8wNo64ThDqw/s1600/D_SAM_8322.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinGCZh7oJjUDdMg3Db4FDUNb1HDLeWS3FIpVyxoZZC4fTKto2BG11dgwLx2l3kJc9J5kKidobY_JUFHQiLG3kILLvV6jmg10eI7Kglydk0W7-g9eNCaf4bkU5HEUgU5CB_8wNo64ThDqw/s320/D_SAM_8322.png" width="320" /></a><br />
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<b>Junction D</b><br />
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Continuing a little further along King Street, we come to the junction with Balnain Street.<br />
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It is signed as 30 mph from the start but is signed again as 20 mph from half-way along.<br />
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The resulting short 30 mph length makes no sense.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9NCgASmFVBNzbC_saLFgP4kEK8kMBOsgE_4t3-6KJHxn1QkYPgYWRx2rCXc8MnkjqoVXPRDaiGYKKQ10mvdjWXJBhEpYm7bDD0fmFqpDlZ1DMmYoac4ur5tuyUfuJCB9oJZKRt5k8Wk/s1600/E_SAM_8326.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9NCgASmFVBNzbC_saLFgP4kEK8kMBOsgE_4t3-6KJHxn1QkYPgYWRx2rCXc8MnkjqoVXPRDaiGYKKQ10mvdjWXJBhEpYm7bDD0fmFqpDlZ1DMmYoac4ur5tuyUfuJCB9oJZKRt5k8Wk/s320/E_SAM_8326.png" width="320" /></a><br />
<b>Junction E</b><br />
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Next we come to Queen Street which is 20 mph and has 20 mph signs just before it meets Huntly Street.<br />
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Huntly Street runs along the west bank of the River Ness and is currently closed for the Flood Alleviation Scheme.<br />
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When re-opened it will (still) be 20 mph.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG3YsC7sWHgieINt0cxFS-4_yYZnJPlwXm3Vq0buByqMAjdglZXMxmnlk_Jx6AgX5y0dV7GlLPyz2JeDffIldGwTyzFvgeJCbHARJZvLIaIomUY9FEvUuprlDP-CAFqFE2o2uNueM28Qo/s1600/F_SAM_8324.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG3YsC7sWHgieINt0cxFS-4_yYZnJPlwXm3Vq0buByqMAjdglZXMxmnlk_Jx6AgX5y0dV7GlLPyz2JeDffIldGwTyzFvgeJCbHARJZvLIaIomUY9FEvUuprlDP-CAFqFE2o2uNueM28Qo/s320/F_SAM_8324.png" width="320" /></a><br />
<b>Junction F</b><br />
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At its far end, King Street forks into two streets that both make a junction with Celt Street.<br />
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The street on the right, Duff Street, has a pair of 30 mph signs just before Celt Street.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-R5aDsKLd26UeoQyXgluyjhQ2AoEzK-T2axrVyPNAujQF_Y3ctyOwyu5x-GhJ8naniZPjHC_3WdPUQdTN4P4LuFmgIvGQXQszRiEnIciJ2x5QU19kSw8l9wbRgFTcc2E0Jz16yzwDNCE/s1600/G_SAM_8325.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-R5aDsKLd26UeoQyXgluyjhQ2AoEzK-T2axrVyPNAujQF_Y3ctyOwyu5x-GhJ8naniZPjHC_3WdPUQdTN4P4LuFmgIvGQXQszRiEnIciJ2x5QU19kSw8l9wbRgFTcc2E0Jz16yzwDNCE/s320/G_SAM_8325.png" width="320" /></a><b></b><br />
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<b>Junction G</b><br />
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The street on the left branch, Muirtown Street, similarly has a pair 30 mph signs where it crosses Celt Street.<br />
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But Celt Street is 20 mph.<br />
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So the 30 mph signs at Junctions F and G must be wrong.<br />
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<b>Conclusion</b><br />
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It seems clear that there are five pairs of 30 mph signs in this area that make no sense and are wrong.<br />
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I queried this with Highland Council. The response didn't really anser my question but there was some speculation that it had to do with the Flood Alleviation Scheme. I got no response from FAS at all.<br />
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Some people I've spoken to suggest that the signs will be checked and corrected if necessary at the completion of the Flood Alleviation Scheme in this area. I can see no reason to delay the removal of these 30 mph signs.<br />
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I appreciate that the current law makes it awkward and costly to create 20 mph zones.<br />
The Highland Council have achieved many good results in difficult circumstances.<br />
But inconsistent signage can cause drivers to lose track of the applicable speed limit.<br />
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<h2>
<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;">Updated 31 May 2015</span></b></h2>
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I informed the relevant Councillors of the original blog and got positive responses.<br />
I didn't hear any more about it so I checked again on Sunday 31 May and was pleased to see that all the offending 30 mph signs had been removed. There are now also additional 20 mph signs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJphn3wPSSszQqYLEfWIepAMf6mrY1F0R6W863NDBl9Lt_3gGRixTCb-yg4tQuYkqz8q8MozbjRfTTC4NW1WCTW02i2jxrBBWu6mFCi42MpULB51eDPMa9OQmM5JcPBXOFW1V2zXVgXOw/s1600/update+960x480.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJphn3wPSSszQqYLEfWIepAMf6mrY1F0R6W863NDBl9Lt_3gGRixTCb-yg4tQuYkqz8q8MozbjRfTTC4NW1WCTW02i2jxrBBWu6mFCi42MpULB51eDPMa9OQmM5JcPBXOFW1V2zXVgXOw/s640/update+960x480.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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I don't know if the original blog had any effect. The removal may have already been planned.<br />
However the final result is most welcome. A large area is now 20 mph throughout.<br />
All signs are mandatory (not just advisory 20's plenty or time dependent).<br />
This is particularly good because the area contains two primary schools.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Your comments are welcome.</span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637606419924977484.post-27300922158499241032015-05-18T03:54:00.001+01:002015-05-18T03:54:52.568+01:00Inverness Campus is Now Open<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihzmLY-jXV1b_VNeWPLREWy6oytDKft07McuCIFsZZhWt41pPY7g6MG6rnckNa3kNKNZWGeVIDusQJeyuDvoTVoZeCOgW6eyPc5lmDgdk7hTlFyQahfDBV5VKKf23HOaJMq2u96JhMoIs/s1600/SAM_8454+640x480.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihzmLY-jXV1b_VNeWPLREWy6oytDKft07McuCIFsZZhWt41pPY7g6MG6rnckNa3kNKNZWGeVIDusQJeyuDvoTVoZeCOgW6eyPc5lmDgdk7hTlFyQahfDBV5VKKf23HOaJMq2u96JhMoIs/s320/SAM_8454+640x480.png" width="320" /></a><br />
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This weekend saw the official opening of the <a href="http://www.invernesscampus.co.uk/">Inverness Campus</a> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Swinney">John Swinney MSP</a>.<br />
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<i>[</i><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Any of the images can be clicked to enlarge.]</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXuawklPC5YHeggxbs7WGvq3kHM2t_aLMBbDSoCxcIshRMkSi_kWwmkKjXPMTv4MyVIkmoZHhWGz6KT8amHZ4hFyR6xSlPEvbukg040T6wVtXWkE6exncZvvBbsmY3T8jS1f11hhMEsE/s1600/SAM_8434+640x320.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXuawklPC5YHeggxbs7WGvq3kHM2t_aLMBbDSoCxcIshRMkSi_kWwmkKjXPMTv4MyVIkmoZHhWGz6KT8amHZ4hFyR6xSlPEvbukg040T6wVtXWkE6exncZvvBbsmY3T8jS1f11hhMEsE/s200/SAM_8434+640x320.png" width="200" /></a><br />
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All the signs are in Gaelic and English. If you say 'Inner Neesh' you'll be more fluent than most of the people in Inbhir Nis (Inverness).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhWPNO82TkgFac7GuFzLAa07GwC_UJjfpjFYvEYVBv6eVX4YVbe6rXB-28-UInQbYsGRBcLFcgBB43UEqy-vlGIkeY16U0n4P015dxqB5wogN1FEIprD2Elsi_Ew71Rb-V8irZnocBQaU/s1600/SAM_8419+640x320.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhWPNO82TkgFac7GuFzLAa07GwC_UJjfpjFYvEYVBv6eVX4YVbe6rXB-28-UInQbYsGRBcLFcgBB43UEqy-vlGIkeY16U0n4P015dxqB5wogN1FEIprD2Elsi_Ew71Rb-V8irZnocBQaU/s320/SAM_8419+640x320.png" width="320" /></a><br />
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The dominant building on the campus currently is Inverness College <a href="http://www.uhi.ac.uk/en">UHI</a>.<br />
Behind it can be seen the Kessock Bridge.<br />
And about 26 miles away <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Wyvis">Ben Wyvis</a>.<br />
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The whole campus has a 20 mph speed limit.</div>
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The sign here is also qualified with <span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>PEDESTRIAN PRIORITY</b></span>.</div>
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It does seem a bit odd that the crossing point is just <i>outside </i>the pedestrian priority zone.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPm0ta1yZo5rd_NTTDHDPcf2IeYC-EoIKF2mguZInpi2FzGJeaqJx5zIyzLbDmXe4XkvK6XLmyh8_1j_u9Djug_uv3ETGwqnh5aK7PLDccF1UKlq7s1Vc7PRvTihGuoHdUhrcLJifIBq4/s1600/SAM_8532+640x320.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPm0ta1yZo5rd_NTTDHDPcf2IeYC-EoIKF2mguZInpi2FzGJeaqJx5zIyzLbDmXe4XkvK6XLmyh8_1j_u9Djug_uv3ETGwqnh5aK7PLDccF1UKlq7s1Vc7PRvTihGuoHdUhrcLJifIBq4/s320/SAM_8532+640x320.png" width="320" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9nNlQWMYD9eTt2BaGZHeFR1ty7U5TwOe_utsElxQfkiszpHChKiOOUjLcVWUHIxb9mjfpB0MBV_zUsI87DQJos97xhC35HuVn-5nBa3v9UKI7GAaKhLznO5XgPAZ8FpYDZ1BKrEuiQYA/s1600/SAM_8530+640x480.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9nNlQWMYD9eTt2BaGZHeFR1ty7U5TwOe_utsElxQfkiszpHChKiOOUjLcVWUHIxb9mjfpB0MBV_zUsI87DQJos97xhC35HuVn-5nBa3v9UKI7GAaKhLznO5XgPAZ8FpYDZ1BKrEuiQYA/s200/SAM_8530+640x480.png" width="200" /></a><br />
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Many natural land features have been created.</div>
The most obvious is a loch with viewing points at several easy-access positions around its edge.<br />
Already, the loch is hosting a variety of wild life.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrD2wzigOpa1W2JbqVEndsjrlrE2FxIOiLjsSB7gH4bMfNk5U8WFBO7FPb3K2pmhXMFYMMWec0ZHQCa4e5CLEtf-pGoB4YEyXibPswZOqH3G27Qx6djobtvqydjsFAs8xSUX726KMg8Dg/s1600/SAM_8476+640x480.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrD2wzigOpa1W2JbqVEndsjrlrE2FxIOiLjsSB7gH4bMfNk5U8WFBO7FPb3K2pmhXMFYMMWec0ZHQCa4e5CLEtf-pGoB4YEyXibPswZOqH3G27Qx6djobtvqydjsFAs8xSUX726KMg8Dg/s200/SAM_8476+640x480.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8a1-AylkDN3iWfyNyxZ3d6HfyYT5uYaSSgWkPXm1EeWDOivDPXMCNnlBMDU5XhYNgk1EeDyfgeZqEjfPX3mXUQ9pns0HasTTVWSrmPSHKk3xiOZ30d_Y1eG0BOvKAz0b_5RKQoj4B6M/s1600/SAM_8529+640x480.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8a1-AylkDN3iWfyNyxZ3d6HfyYT5uYaSSgWkPXm1EeWDOivDPXMCNnlBMDU5XhYNgk1EeDyfgeZqEjfPX3mXUQ9pns0HasTTVWSrmPSHKk3xiOZ30d_Y1eG0BOvKAz0b_5RKQoj4B6M/s200/SAM_8529+640x480.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazB82sVoUr9Bma4gNgo4Fp44i77V0aHYsJKMsj3lqa3mM-2hASLICmJrs-mwUBAC51gGTy9z-0kQX9KY6pdepX3h2smILsD023BqYszy4h2AwxwAwAM6gNbzu0IXLKJgLDCKhDEyl7TM/s1600/SAM_8490+640x320.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazB82sVoUr9Bma4gNgo4Fp44i77V0aHYsJKMsj3lqa3mM-2hASLICmJrs-mwUBAC51gGTy9z-0kQX9KY6pdepX3h2smILsD023BqYszy4h2AwxwAwAM6gNbzu0IXLKJgLDCKhDEyl7TM/s320/SAM_8490+640x320.png" width="320" /></a>There were many visitors this weekend: walkers, cyclists and some just driving around slowly. All were impressed with this new amenity. A group of young cyclists were enjoying tackling various wood and stone obstacles.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7HPEoSaxp3pj9vl47zPXyH4fDuxiq803Hw7hQpfsqOv51_OpT0tONVmLs5YjFlH7mzfsJ42rFjzFA5WU4WQrOkH_WqFt9hekeq7OYhJQb0qVqlYHyOixxHhl9WHGTr4poTdc41OkGbQ/s1600/SAM_8539+640x320.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7HPEoSaxp3pj9vl47zPXyH4fDuxiq803Hw7hQpfsqOv51_OpT0tONVmLs5YjFlH7mzfsJ42rFjzFA5WU4WQrOkH_WqFt9hekeq7OYhJQb0qVqlYHyOixxHhl9WHGTr4poTdc41OkGbQ/s320/SAM_8539+640x320.png" width="320" /></a><br />
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At a far corner of the campus, the Golden Bridge provides a crossing over the A9 to Raigmore Estate for pedestrians and cyclists.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkdM1uE7qsiW0Ym31s3ko_1UU1sfDINPY-RZ7u1gM0VrUgZQSXjUVG5OBWlL-n3gD6pT1yL5iA4CFjyeM6mr4mRWs5ZjvEPKRuFDpGTmnK57tE4lmPd2dejIdmm3k8URyOOwkJZ7jy5U/s1600/SAM_8544+640x480.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkdM1uE7qsiW0Ym31s3ko_1UU1sfDINPY-RZ7u1gM0VrUgZQSXjUVG5OBWlL-n3gD6pT1yL5iA4CFjyeM6mr4mRWs5ZjvEPKRuFDpGTmnK57tE4lmPd2dejIdmm3k8URyOOwkJZ7jy5U/s200/SAM_8544+640x480.png" width="200" /></a><br />
The path to the bridge follows a moderate slope for cyclists.<br />
There is an alternative set of steps for those that prefer it.<br />
It seems to attract <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ_IQS3VKjA">Danny MacAskill </a>fans.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2f-sFSJsj3qMDbNeNGhRqklo1cMJWGYrCcrcevzKOIiTcWMCLIt_HWIUnFDBntVQwq-0UXUkZDToq3TPSAL4YZB71jbMxsVbQd86mQ2cQK4NcYWilj_aas9Ai4G0hG4LOOVh-UeytYyc/s1600/SAM_8568+640x480.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2f-sFSJsj3qMDbNeNGhRqklo1cMJWGYrCcrcevzKOIiTcWMCLIt_HWIUnFDBntVQwq-0UXUkZDToq3TPSAL4YZB71jbMxsVbQd86mQ2cQK4NcYWilj_aas9Ai4G0hG4LOOVh-UeytYyc/s200/SAM_8568+640x480.png" width="200" /></a><br />
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The Golden Bridge spans the dual carriageway as well as the on and off ramps, a total of eight lanes.<br />
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The side barriers are angled (presumably to discourage people dropping things onto passing vehicles). This makes it quite awkward to look over the edge from the bridge.<br />
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Preventive measures can offer unintended opportunities.<br />
At several places, I noticed circular arcs on the stainless steel.<br />
These seemed to be consistent with 'Wall of Death' cycling<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsicAWoTXV0XsM8cy8PfrgwsBsVuodem7XYmS7R4VGLqGUy7uQkDm4qJAITNTlfKzEHBcLEhuq4WI_pLvLYpcUZujzOnomQXmpAPTHN2uGFm175z7IflAyAgtboj3WV2Pr-MJfpEmGrM/s1600/SAM_8576+640x480.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsicAWoTXV0XsM8cy8PfrgwsBsVuodem7XYmS7R4VGLqGUy7uQkDm4qJAITNTlfKzEHBcLEhuq4WI_pLvLYpcUZujzOnomQXmpAPTHN2uGFm175z7IflAyAgtboj3WV2Pr-MJfpEmGrM/s200/SAM_8576+640x480.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DjopC3gx1RACJit8yB6jlFukwFSto0BuWhlmWYWQFLizW_wRGpWp0vbbJXmhXyvfQe0zXFyRMxv6DCno1hR6jw_y-4DKDIqcaG8ewvnALBq6At5BaFa5BV6LSVKOx5svizvMYRp8VQ8/s1600/SAM_8580+640x320.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DjopC3gx1RACJit8yB6jlFukwFSto0BuWhlmWYWQFLizW_wRGpWp0vbbJXmhXyvfQe0zXFyRMxv6DCno1hR6jw_y-4DKDIqcaG8ewvnALBq6At5BaFa5BV6LSVKOx5svizvMYRp8VQ8/s320/SAM_8580+640x320.png" width="320" /></a><br />
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The ramp at the far end of the bridge has right angled corners including one 180 degree turn.<br />
The signage from the end of the bridge into Raigmore Estate has been in position for over a year.<br />
A focus of comment from the start was an unwanted <span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>CYCLIST DISMOUNT</b></span> sign.<br />
This has now been removed at last. Obviously this does nothing to improve the design.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Your comments are welcome.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637606419924977484.post-87472266530985114502015-04-27T00:30:00.000+01:002015-04-27T01:14:06.595+01:00The First Pedal on Aberdeen<br />
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2015 is the fourth year of <a href="http://pedalonparliament.org/">Pedal on Parliament</a> in Edinburgh. Aberdeen Cycle Forum (with the support of the PoP2015 Team) decided to organise their own ride from Hazelhead Park to Marischal College to take place at the same time as the one in Edinburgh.<br />
So I made an early start with my folder on the bus from Inverness.<br />
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[<span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Any of the images can be clicked to enlarge.]</span><br />
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I got off the bus 4 hours later at Foresterhill Hospital and cycled up towards Hazelhead Park.<br />
'CAUTION CYCLISTS' was the first sign that I was close to the start. ('Here be dragons!')<br />
Clearly, Aberdeen motorists are not used to seeing cyclists on the road.<br />
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The forecast had been for rain but it was a surprisingly sunny day. The chicane barrier reassured me that I was on the right route.<br />
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In the distance, I spotted a small group. Not quite the thousands that would be assembled at the Meadows in Edinburgh. But I could see some hi-vis and helmets and a police officer ensuring good order.<br />
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It was still 15 minutes before the start and there was a steady stream of newcomers.<br />
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As you might expect, there were people of all ages (and a Unicorn) and various trailers and tagalongs.<br />
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At noon, we set off sedately, in 4 groups of about 25 as advised by the police.<br />
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There was a momentary shambles getting through the chicane but everybody got off to a good start.<br />
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A brief stop to take in the traffic at the first roundabout as we turned right into Queen's Road. Just minutes after the start, the groups were merging, breaking up and reforming into new groups.<br />
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A (motorcycle) police officer at this point would have been to the benefit and safety of all road users.<br />
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On this section of Queen's Road there is a narrow advisory cycle lane. In comparison, the main lane is quite generous. But the cyclists hug the gutter and are reluctant to move closer to the traffic.<br />
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No cycle lane here so it would be reasonable for cyclists to take one of the lanes.<br />
A cyclist on the pavement, a group of cyclists in the inside lane, a line of cars in the outside lane - and a driver that likes to '<i>tear along the broken line</i>'.<br />
You can see why some would feel safer cycling on the pavement.<br />
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A rare 'Cycle event' sign. (Looks a bit non-compliant.)<br />
Queen's Road and Union Street have many brief sections of bus, cycle and taxi lanes that only apply during rush hours.<br />
This one extends a little before and after the bus shelter.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk5ejD7z1KfyiPNl9XRWb2EAXUB79O0Hm6CWQg-eD5r1CoLiT8fDJWU6TEJH5wYOddjbeiyvshkPu4W3kASTuinRcSLQn78s6XA0G84ceA2R3TFmCA6UjxDkdoWwgHeR4aet9_vBhProk/s1600/SAM_8045+640x480.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk5ejD7z1KfyiPNl9XRWb2EAXUB79O0Hm6CWQg-eD5r1CoLiT8fDJWU6TEJH5wYOddjbeiyvshkPu4W3kASTuinRcSLQn78s6XA0G84ceA2R3TFmCA6UjxDkdoWwgHeR4aet9_vBhProk/s1600/SAM_8045+640x480.png" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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Another stop to view the traffic as we prepare to cross the roundabout at Anderson Drive (aka A90) dual carriageway.<br />
And another missed opportunity where (motorcycle) police officers could have briefly directed traffic so that the riders could cross safely.<br />
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This group was quite near the front and had reached a noticeable size by the time we were preparing to turn the bend into Union Street.<br />
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The weather was holding out and there were plenty people out on the streets. A man on the pavement thought it worthwhile to take a video.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggyuoKyrURM5VTiKds0r0hc-mce3gVnVudmsveT9YXvMjy-wuPGXBcKNMQvJT933EStlhLyQGNY2N3xiA4QyMzlxEPSzhgLjwyxDz7vByfSfG6m_7qKaYzuIGe3LbNlF0cqQMv3x3tkjA/s1600/SAM_8082+640x320.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggyuoKyrURM5VTiKds0r0hc-mce3gVnVudmsveT9YXvMjy-wuPGXBcKNMQvJT933EStlhLyQGNY2N3xiA4QyMzlxEPSzhgLjwyxDz7vByfSfG6m_7qKaYzuIGe3LbNlF0cqQMv3x3tkjA/s1600/SAM_8082+640x320.png" height="100" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcO6abr7rLz1FckuFJphxhOI2FcWCCJyoR0bYCjw1k64_ov0OHS9tZoW5qbVHlR__fgmuFMH5iKAkBLd6fwJOlzJa_P4vEtY-ZojYhQ5lRm-KxZIcCxChUnQoX6xYU6GXFLs4iIH8aexk/s1600/SAM_8084+640x480.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcO6abr7rLz1FckuFJphxhOI2FcWCCJyoR0bYCjw1k64_ov0OHS9tZoW5qbVHlR__fgmuFMH5iKAkBLd6fwJOlzJa_P4vEtY-ZojYhQ5lRm-KxZIcCxChUnQoX6xYU6GXFLs4iIH8aexk/s1600/SAM_8084+640x480.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje8967kND4CqkDbVz2GszvYNrNS3t2v_oSXNDzJCx_8fUPlZ6VyQJke-M14LUAP2c13IgBySNLgLoXXwqKI8Fuf5CdbWN3lAz8JUH-gdEuGZ2OvCJh35kx374uC4uQBBLUO34IyEPoRbw/s1600/SAM_8085+640x480.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje8967kND4CqkDbVz2GszvYNrNS3t2v_oSXNDzJCx_8fUPlZ6VyQJke-M14LUAP2c13IgBySNLgLoXXwqKI8Fuf5CdbWN3lAz8JUH-gdEuGZ2OvCJh35kx374uC4uQBBLUO34IyEPoRbw/s1600/SAM_8085+640x480.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
Arriving at Marischal College.<br />
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A chance to meet with other riders and those who had just gone directly to Marischal College.<br />
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I heard an estimated number of 125.<br />
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Committee Members from <a href="http://www.aberdeencycleforum.org.uk/">Aberdeen Cycle Forum</a> (ACF) took the opportunity to speak to local politicians.<br />
(There were some Aberdeen Councillors present but I didn't manage to get any pictures.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFCYZ8Y1ap_y1ZT1I-1bR53yW03UDYC32RpNKvCMC1qEcP4p9kPi9Hx0y9TJj6NqoYx-LuWsfWG2hiDEketKdyA7kLfotu8LTSPiEUHRvFh1dOkzCj7x_I4xk94_4TGFPJTF299aHWOE/s1600/SAM_8095+800x675.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFCYZ8Y1ap_y1ZT1I-1bR53yW03UDYC32RpNKvCMC1qEcP4p9kPi9Hx0y9TJj6NqoYx-LuWsfWG2hiDEketKdyA7kLfotu8LTSPiEUHRvFh1dOkzCj7x_I4xk94_4TGFPJTF299aHWOE/s1600/SAM_8095+800x675.png" height="168" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Begg">Anne Begg DBE</a> (Aberdeen South incumbent Labour MP)<br />
talking with Gavin Clark (ACF).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwrqCTW8gegzjUuX8ZkNikQe5E7hB_lXJ8qgGGzw-B8kVTXwAACJfsXwLiGkpW9jiM-oHpi4m4m5IsHyEaNEw1sUqBZhAo8cfnhigHpb4cY2S0c65cv2rF5pJLf7OZvK2kn83f3Xz8NPg/s1600/SAM_8112+800x675.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwrqCTW8gegzjUuX8ZkNikQe5E7hB_lXJ8qgGGzw-B8kVTXwAACJfsXwLiGkpW9jiM-oHpi4m4m5IsHyEaNEw1sUqBZhAo8cfnhigHpb4cY2S0c65cv2rF5pJLf7OZvK2kn83f3Xz8NPg/s1600/SAM_8112+800x675.png" height="168" width="200" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://rossthomson.net/content/?page_id=160">Ross Thomson </a>(Aberdeen South Conservative candidate)</div>
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talking with Jyll Skinner (ACF).</div>
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The weather remained a bit cold but sunny. People had time to meet and talk together.<br />
It was a very enjoyable and friendly atmosphere to relax in.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGe9a_wkdQir-rd9JEauGHvwRNYX80letHqgtD5hDYLfzNdG_nDmgFqKTSBz2Kj5DSYtHMJuF5BZJXSBnecQQ7Lc73Sa1LLg_gLXxoF9hTX7MGSUAhGynOmMhtg1Asx4BL40TACpri1q4/s1600/SAM_8100+640x480.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGe9a_wkdQir-rd9JEauGHvwRNYX80letHqgtD5hDYLfzNdG_nDmgFqKTSBz2Kj5DSYtHMJuF5BZJXSBnecQQ7Lc73Sa1LLg_gLXxoF9hTX7MGSUAhGynOmMhtg1Asx4BL40TACpri1q4/s1600/SAM_8100+640x480.png" height="240" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLZ2GiHrLErrzzkm3kSzWc_Urd00zAVKFO4qi-15H2HG4g_B5E0Z_7ZPwDGwbl6KCjlsv7FdDbYDjuFqNQzK5k4C_e7ReiVz9VjKp-XWwSZs86vA_wAciO_i5L_BtSWAEOjZq6dThwZY/s1600/SAM_8092+640x480.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLZ2GiHrLErrzzkm3kSzWc_Urd00zAVKFO4qi-15H2HG4g_B5E0Z_7ZPwDGwbl6KCjlsv7FdDbYDjuFqNQzK5k4C_e7ReiVz9VjKp-XWwSZs86vA_wAciO_i5L_BtSWAEOjZq6dThwZY/s1600/SAM_8092+640x480.png" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
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It was a great pity that there were no speeches as they have in Edinburgh.<br />
This meant that assembling at Marischal College had no proper focus.<br />
I felt that, at the very least, someone should have led a cheer.<br />
People stayed there for a while and then gradually drifted away.<br />
No doubt it could have been better, but nothing went wrong and everyone had a good time.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Your comments are welcome.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637606419924977484.post-2413515545018691842015-04-17T02:08:00.000+01:002015-04-17T02:19:28.502+01:00Pedestrianising Experiment in Inverness Centre <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On Thursday afternoon I went for a cycle around the centre of Inverness. Church Street is one-way and normally one of the busiest routes. All sorts of vehicles such as buses, taxis, vans as well as cars, moving and parked, make it very congested. But this time I had an uninterrupted view from the middle to the High Street.</div>
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Looking to the left, I could see that Queensgate was closed off. It's also normally a congested one-way street. Even with bus stop bays on one side and car park bays on the other, it can still accommodate two lanes of traffic that become three lanes at the far end. And that still leaves room for a wide footway on both sides.<br />
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The reason for the closure could be seen at the far end, on Academy Street. A Fire Appliance was still in attendance at the scene of a fire that had started about 10pm on Wednesday night.<br />
<a href="http://news.stv.tv/highlands-islands/317408-major-fire-at-mco-on-academy-street-in-inverness-under-control/">[Link to report by Chris Foote : STV News]</a><br />
The building was still smoldering and the junction was sealed off.<br />
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The view from the junction back along Queensgate was completely clear of vehicles. Pedestrians were walking about freely. Some stood and watched the clear up work at the site of the fire.<br />
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There was light traffic in Academy in the West end of Academy Street. This is usually very busy with two-way traffic and street parking on both sides. Here too, the pedestrian experience was much more relaxed. Not even Poynton is ever this good.<br />
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From the closed junction looking East was a very similar picture. On a normal day, taxis in and out of Station Square regularly struggle with the main flow of buses and other traffic. Instead, people were able to walk about quite casually. The small amount of traffic that was there was moving very slowly and carefully.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0mKsdwyj65wMFZR3t-lSZgViLHcuyAJNWM1oiqNwz96MwuLY8UOEBXEDTxWtYzhuu29NxFTnI2RzzsyRsqsGk-Wa3WhMRZK90k9EXv-uEHaHUUAjloA96fFeDs1ruwDTsT0ABP7nGJlg/s1600/07_SAM_7795+640x320.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0mKsdwyj65wMFZR3t-lSZgViLHcuyAJNWM1oiqNwz96MwuLY8UOEBXEDTxWtYzhuu29NxFTnI2RzzsyRsqsGk-Wa3WhMRZK90k9EXv-uEHaHUUAjloA96fFeDs1ruwDTsT0ABP7nGJlg/s1600/07_SAM_7795+640x320.png" height="160" width="320" /></a></div>
Further East, on the way out of the centre, Millburn Road was surprisingly quiet particularly for about 5 pm on a Thursday. It is a dual carriageway with two lanes in each direction. I actually had to wait to catch this picture of a car.<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Conclusions</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
No doubt, there are major queues on other routes as a result of displaced traffic.<br />
Businesses will probably report lost trade. But, given time, trade is more likely to improve.<br />
Officials and Councillors should be taking this opportunity to observe the benefits of limiting traffic access to the city centre.<br />
<br />
It would be nice to say that one consequence was an increase in people cycling.<br />
The Millburn Road counter data does show an increase of about 100 (above the current daily average of about 175). However this all appears to be in an hour period around 5 pm.<br />
Unfortunately, in the light of <a href="http://zenbikermaniac.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/a-review-of-scottish-bike-counters.html">previous experience</a>, I'm inclined to disregard this increase simply as a bad data.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Your comments are welcome.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637606419924977484.post-66526369476326990062015-03-02T00:03:00.001+00:002015-03-02T00:18:46.720+00:00A Review of the Scottish Bike Counters<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Introduction</span></b><br />
Last year a bike counter was installed on Millburn Road in Inverness.<br />
It is one of nine bike counters sited around Scotland.<br />
As well as the current date, time and temperature each counter displays the number of bikes that have passed the counter that day since midnight along with the total since the start of the year.<br />
There are also a pair of master counters at Victoria Quay, Edinburgh. They don't themselves do any counting but simply display the values from the other nine.<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Online Sources</span></b><br />
Clickable photos of most of the Scottish counters (and one in Cardiff) can be seen online at<br />
<a href="http://www.falco.co.uk/products/live-cycle-counter-data/">http://www.falco.co.uk/products/live-cycle-counter-data/</a><br />
<br />
The location of 52 bike counters around northern Europe can be seen on a map at<br />
<a href="http://www.bicyclecounter.dk/BicycleCounter/BC_cykelbarometer.jsp">http://www.bicyclecounter.dk/BicycleCounter/BC_cykelbarometer.jsp</a><br />
Individual counters can be selected and displayed from the side bar.<br />
Then, clicking 'See statistics' shows two graphs<br />
- hourly data over the previous 24 to 48 hours;<br />
- daily data for the previous fortnight.<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My Interest</span></b><br />
I was curious to see how the Millburn Road counter could be used to support local cycle campaigning.<br />
Although the operation of the physical counter looked good, I soon noticed problems with the online graphs.<br />
I then noticed problems in the other Scottish counters.<br />
I haven't spent much time looking at counters in other countries but haven't observed any issues.<br />
<br />
To give a fair assessment, I monitored the Scottish online graphs from the beginning of February.<br />
I visited Edinburgh on Sat 21 Feb to attend the <a href="http://www.ctc.org.uk/article/campaigns-guide/presentations-ctc-campaign-training-edinburgh-scotland">Campaigner Training Day</a>.<br />
When I got home, I discovered that four of the online counters had stopped.<br />
February may have been an unfortunate month but, at any time, only the previous month is available online.<br />
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The graphs shown here were created by Olsen Engineering for the ITSTeknik website.<br />
Click on any graph to enlarge it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZQHGC8-FPdXlq0HKx8UAtoq6a6Dtx3s-IpdYyUC4y0L6r1ZyO7JEgi2sumW1A9GvT3FtvSqBoKMhP38kH2J53iazo2zc11DeRtOblHV0_t9h9D0h_GKBQN9xeAxxyZH8n8S0buIRwbo/s1600/Feb+2015+BC1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZQHGC8-FPdXlq0HKx8UAtoq6a6Dtx3s-IpdYyUC4y0L6r1ZyO7JEgi2sumW1A9GvT3FtvSqBoKMhP38kH2J53iazo2zc11DeRtOblHV0_t9h9D0h_GKBQN9xeAxxyZH8n8S0buIRwbo/s1600/Feb+2015+BC1.png" height="227" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">BC1 Edinburgh Middle Meadow Walk</span></b></div>
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Data for 01 Feb - 20 Feb. No data after 20 Feb.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
The daily count for Wed 11 seems rather high compared to the typical count of about 1500.</div>
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The consistently lower weekend counts point to people cycling to get to work rather than for leisure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2hinkDeEdTJppLiqI3eH5Z_AzQZaQeyEzTR9HgFMmI8Y_0UN1b0RhWZx___3_hsVxs0Pa4Vh68XY9le8r2ZrlNQ_VOqzTMQEaXHxh_cRga0YoqrOASBPYxtkFWRfYbcrYOKhkrg1Hq0/s1600/Feb+2015+BC2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2hinkDeEdTJppLiqI3eH5Z_AzQZaQeyEzTR9HgFMmI8Y_0UN1b0RhWZx___3_hsVxs0Pa4Vh68XY9le8r2ZrlNQ_VOqzTMQEaXHxh_cRga0YoqrOASBPYxtkFWRfYbcrYOKhkrg1Hq0/s1600/Feb+2015+BC2.png" height="227" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">BC2 Glasgow Anderston Footbridge</span></b><br />
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Data for 01 Feb - 20 Feb. No data after 20 Feb.<br />
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The typical daily counts of around 100 to 150 are dwarfed by the obviously anomalous count of 700 for Tue 11.<br />
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The consistently lower weekend counts point to people cycling to get to work rather than for leisure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNSoVH4QN855FhyaWSV_C0PLm70tIrbKZM3BqMDNHiMDIZq57zKS8aEbxckFhCeZFx4ypjg7umG71tmtsdFvAWSTjboprwYpM3whbHLvgh5N1I347v8df1DO0YcjeqJt7FH_65Ib9x6I/s1600/Feb+2015+BC3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNSoVH4QN855FhyaWSV_C0PLm70tIrbKZM3BqMDNHiMDIZq57zKS8aEbxckFhCeZFx4ypjg7umG71tmtsdFvAWSTjboprwYpM3whbHLvgh5N1I347v8df1DO0YcjeqJt7FH_65Ib9x6I/s1600/Feb+2015+BC3.png" height="227" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">BC3 Coatbridge The Fountain</span></b><br />
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Data for 01 - 28 Feb.<br />
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The graph appears continuous for the whole month. But two parts are suspect.<br />
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The peak for Sun 08 / Mon 09 is unusually high and the same for both days.<br />
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The ramp down from Thu 12 to Tue 24 is too steady to be believed. Interpolated?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt1qMrZOMejC3Gi1uYslBz-DCFvI3aexZWb_anmhsNlarjWWr8QXl06wEwjwpo9itNHEOerEypm7ronyLd0JCNNlvbpv19ytHzyoqKzWtBeBwPW6ZhHh-lfrSsSnCVu1E9uvueeb_xn_E/s1600/Feb+2015+BC4.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt1qMrZOMejC3Gi1uYslBz-DCFvI3aexZWb_anmhsNlarjWWr8QXl06wEwjwpo9itNHEOerEypm7ronyLd0JCNNlvbpv19ytHzyoqKzWtBeBwPW6ZhHh-lfrSsSnCVu1E9uvueeb_xn_E/s1600/Feb+2015+BC4.png" height="227" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">BC4 Perth Bells North Inch</span></b><br />
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Data for 01 - 28 Feb.<br />
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The graph appears continuous for the whole month. But is surprisingly similar in profile to BC3.<br />
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The peak for Sun 08 / Mon 09 is unusually high and the same for both days.<br />
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The ramp down from Thu 12 to Sat 28 is too steady to be believed. Interpolated?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnzLv_zOjSsl8_vsktk9jfml4W-oFj8NUoe6T7HlAbzeyBAUT_r80MCo3b4nrDjLMP-K6r6zRTQNQPLMAP5rqXuFNyOUpW8ryWesCcnwSucTqxTVJBWRbiGNunSYL4YCZnR7tF1LKAA8/s1600/Feb+2015+BC5.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnzLv_zOjSsl8_vsktk9jfml4W-oFj8NUoe6T7HlAbzeyBAUT_r80MCo3b4nrDjLMP-K6r6zRTQNQPLMAP5rqXuFNyOUpW8ryWesCcnwSucTqxTVJBWRbiGNunSYL4YCZnR7tF1LKAA8/s1600/Feb+2015+BC5.png" height="227" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">BC5 Edinburgh Union Canal</span></b><br />
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Data for 01 Feb - 20 Feb.<br />
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This counter normally gets little traffic and appears to have stopped recording after Sat 07.<br />
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The counts for Thu 05 and Fri 06 being unusually high and the same is suspect.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDITIrXlGEZu1xNfupzPDdqAI3QlNKucwHFTyWg8InM0lfQJF185ybRgr0SQlaTa1RFbYe2gWCAhTeV6W-ks4tFtc0PidxTwnTEJfqTe05gBJYtEeRIy1EhRA8t1dge6O2wWUdpBiVc4E/s1600/Feb+2015+BC6.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDITIrXlGEZu1xNfupzPDdqAI3QlNKucwHFTyWg8InM0lfQJF185ybRgr0SQlaTa1RFbYe2gWCAhTeV6W-ks4tFtc0PidxTwnTEJfqTe05gBJYtEeRIy1EhRA8t1dge6O2wWUdpBiVc4E/s1600/Feb+2015+BC6.png" height="227" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">BC6 Stirling Laurendecroft Road</span></b> (sic)<br />
(Should be Laurence Croft Road)<br />
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Data for 01 Feb - 12 Feb.<br />
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The variation between 300 and 1000 seems rather large.<br />
These may be correct but not much can be said with so few values.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhMaHj_RjyWLn2U_wuTbdbzUdIvzSxMJ7Kc3tYdrpWST-JZWr5Jfo2C4dHMLrDqDUJjo_6UP5F5n9Z7v3LE9yhcI70eWOngv_9xsdlu_fiY0TpuZjifYSPZ9clS9YwPm4ENeoj5GIhjn0/s1600/Feb+2015+BC7.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhMaHj_RjyWLn2U_wuTbdbzUdIvzSxMJ7Kc3tYdrpWST-JZWr5Jfo2C4dHMLrDqDUJjo_6UP5F5n9Z7v3LE9yhcI70eWOngv_9xsdlu_fiY0TpuZjifYSPZ9clS9YwPm4ENeoj5GIhjn0/s1600/Feb+2015+BC7.png" height="227" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">BC7 Clydebank Whitecrook Street</span></b><br />
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Data for 01 Feb - 20 Feb.<br />
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The graph shows a ten-fold increase over 15 days followed by a dramatic halving in one day.<br />
It would be interesting to know if this corresponds with reality and what the explanation is.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCQ29D5hyuYmMS7l_WHHeG5iH621HmrBDUJrWhcHVeC52DabSY6llK1iRriA6FYgkr4ejS1ObSjHDz_K4Dhn_0GGXOMMd4XVj9MkQtJod_LwXiIDOgnw86G6FJOtgKX6mokJ0ZKxU2e8/s1600/Feb+2015+BC8.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCQ29D5hyuYmMS7l_WHHeG5iH621HmrBDUJrWhcHVeC52DabSY6llK1iRriA6FYgkr4ejS1ObSjHDz_K4Dhn_0GGXOMMd4XVj9MkQtJod_LwXiIDOgnw86G6FJOtgKX6mokJ0ZKxU2e8/s1600/Feb+2015+BC8.png" height="227" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">BC8 Inverness Millburn Road Hitrans</span></b><br />
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Data for 01 Feb - 20 Feb. No data after 21 Feb.<br />
<br />
The count of about 530 on Sun 01 is clearly wrong and unfortunately dwarfs the other values.<br />
<br />
The count on Wed 04 was caused by false peak of about 100 at 4pm. The count on Thu 05 may have a similar cause.<br />
<br />
There seems to be no<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnBoU0qUJtpOtOvwrN5ugwA-QU_DcbnzullmMXb95DbYwnGORcLfuR5fHTeepfSAO2rqIXGjz3-Mgl9EY1r-Yk6FtnGb2-7gj-b-uiJ9RLFRXQh7JVk6HvPxwCDkUQ4-A41n-Y_k0iWVE/s1600/Feb+2015+BC9.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnBoU0qUJtpOtOvwrN5ugwA-QU_DcbnzullmMXb95DbYwnGORcLfuR5fHTeepfSAO2rqIXGjz3-Mgl9EY1r-Yk6FtnGb2-7gj-b-uiJ9RLFRXQh7JVk6HvPxwCDkUQ4-A41n-Y_k0iWVE/s1600/Feb+2015+BC9.png" height="227" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">BC9 Benderloch Lochnell Primary School</span></b><br />
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Data for 25 Feb - 28 Feb.<br />
<br />
The counter was not active until Wed 25.<br />
<br />
The automatic labeling of the horizontal axis has inserted dates twice.<br />
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There are really only four values. Early days.<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Summary</span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Only BC3 and BC4 have data for the complete month but even that seems to be of low quality.<br />
BC1, BC2, BC7 and BC8 show nothing after Fri 20. Of these, only BC1 seems to show reliable data.<br />
The others contain unfeasible peaks and apparently missing data.<br />
BC5 only has data for the first week and even that may be dubious.<br />
BC6 only has the first twelve days. The values cover a wide range but could be correct.<br />
BC9 only shows the final four days. Values are to low and too few for any comment.<br />
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<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Conclusions</span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Only BC1 (Middle Meadow Walk, Edinburgh) appears to be reliably informative.<br />
In general, it would be better to indicate interpolated sections of a graph with a broken line.<br />
Anomalous high values and missing values can be observed on all of the counters.<br />
This is likely to be caused by a problem with the online system rather than individual physical counters.<br />
<br />
The physical sensors are the most sensitive part of the system.<br />
It is difficult for them to distinguish individual bikes in a group and different materials.<br />
But they appear to do this job reasonably well.<br />
Transmitting, processing and publishing the data should be the easiest part.<br />
I'm disappointed as I find it difficult to understand why this system doesn't work flawlessly.<br />
Unfortunately, I'm not sure if it will be fixed as it's not clear (to me) who is responsible for what.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Your comments are welcome.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637606419924977484.post-27569464200153479062014-11-23T02:58:00.000+00:002014-12-18T00:34:45.716+00:00Millburn Road - Shared Path<br />
A new shared path has recently been completed in Inverness from Morrison's Junction on Millburn Road to the Golden Bridge that crosses the A9 to the Inverness College UHI Campus.<br />
The project included the installation of a Cycle Counter on Millburn Road.<br />
Background information on Highland Council website: <a href="http://www.highland.gov.uk/news/article/8122/work_on_city_cycle_route_completed_one_week_early">www.highland.gov.uk</a><br />
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The 18 week contract with a total budget of £733,000 was completed a week early.<br />
Those involved with the delivery of this new infrastructure are justly proud of their efforts however the project has also attracted some criticism.<br />
Local newspaper article: <a href="http://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/News/Flagship-733K-cycle-lane-branded-suicidal-white-elephant-by-critics-21112014.htm">www.inverness-courier.co.uk</a><br />
<br />
The most serious concerns have been raised over the King Duncan's Road section. Although these concerns may be well-founded, an ideal alternative would have been much more costly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgdr49UQR7AA0AlPbGqN_ceGto014jQ4IGlB8P8mZ3NPBRHbaHTTCgz7-OyHVPDX7r_B7F7KvviqGw6q3v4AAi2vrS_AkSK2X8i2YSMlbEh9gmjSWJYcdkNTnXZl8awuZXKlyMKjg7c_A/s1600/40_SAM_5702.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgdr49UQR7AA0AlPbGqN_ceGto014jQ4IGlB8P8mZ3NPBRHbaHTTCgz7-OyHVPDX7r_B7F7KvviqGw6q3v4AAi2vrS_AkSK2X8i2YSMlbEh9gmjSWJYcdkNTnXZl8awuZXKlyMKjg7c_A/s1600/40_SAM_5702.png" height="160" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Millburn Road section is less contentious but there are still a number of potential improvements that could be made relatively cheaply given enough will from the Council.<br />
This Blog relates to the Millburn Road section from Morrison's Junction to Millburn Roundabout.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvjigkZsCYXEQz1Kw2eAFSjigkkchxm84snKiJTQckI7ys35gHeoa7iCi_coygwBFMzmL4-tmvnD9vraLzx4qdk-MMm-VxXN00rcnP3KJ8AMhamtuZ76XNpbVmTYkdXWbwD524QG_Ex7w/s1600/02_SAM_5641.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvjigkZsCYXEQz1Kw2eAFSjigkkchxm84snKiJTQckI7ys35gHeoa7iCi_coygwBFMzmL4-tmvnD9vraLzx4qdk-MMm-VxXN00rcnP3KJ8AMhamtuZ76XNpbVmTYkdXWbwD524QG_Ex7w/s1600/02_SAM_5641.png" height="160" width="320" /></a><br />
The path is on the south side of the road. So if you're cycling from the City centre you immediately have two problems:<br />
- Where does the shared path start?<br />
- How to get to it?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_esdOpKvfmaSSApi1BOF2sCwZk5IERq1XlbDsEP37ns5NWRkWeuwAyotKMyNStbHPKDq_jzQqsPD8h5FspBv1WoFmwDz9HcIeabSRKOlj3Ww6rYPT_lMLe8UblB9pQpF_9pN7M0kk9c/s1600/04_SAM_5647.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_esdOpKvfmaSSApi1BOF2sCwZk5IERq1XlbDsEP37ns5NWRkWeuwAyotKMyNStbHPKDq_jzQqsPD8h5FspBv1WoFmwDz9HcIeabSRKOlj3Ww6rYPT_lMLe8UblB9pQpF_9pN7M0kk9c/s1600/04_SAM_5647.png" height="160" width="320" /></a><br />
<div>
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There is a small "Shared Use" sign on a lamppost on the diagonally opposite corner of the junction.</div>
<div>
There is a two-stage Toucan Crossing with chicane barriers.</div>
<div>
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<div>
But the route is awkward and not sign-posted.so is still not uncommon to see cyclists on the north side pavement.</div>
<div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMuGs5E5d5VklwmMgN_9a0eiX5qydFCYffCEW5mp5xPguqv12eDI1JnEdzv5eyCbNtEmA70PyNLB0g3IZRw7Vd3MHmrcK7PCicEg3suWH5y3JKis_EcAfW3LSp7rZ1I77l8oM1yDtU0bg/s1600/06_SAM_5726.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMuGs5E5d5VklwmMgN_9a0eiX5qydFCYffCEW5mp5xPguqv12eDI1JnEdzv5eyCbNtEmA70PyNLB0g3IZRw7Vd3MHmrcK7PCicEg3suWH5y3JKis_EcAfW3LSp7rZ1I77l8oM1yDtU0bg/s1600/06_SAM_5726.png" height="160" width="320" /></a></div>
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The west-bound carriageway has three vehicle lanes and one filter cycle lane. An Advanced Stop Line (ASL) extends across the full width with an associated cycle reservoir behind it.<br />
It deviates from <a href="http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/report/j185500-07.htm#7.2.3.1">Cycling by Design</a> in two respects:<br />
- The reservoir and lane are the same colour as the rest of the road.<br />
- The continuous painted line wrongly appears to bar cyclists from entering the reservoir.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizi3YhNTvG8FEqgUXtPMF2iAH-PAKtlhaf1_E2tRqrILSt0-nlC_-a_geWSwKQatWf9_qjc-p9rK0IyGqIHt4jayfhfoObn_L9r5AhYQJvMLT1MOYT5R6UF8_to8ISF68vzh9UzpqWGM4/s1600/08_SAM_5648.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizi3YhNTvG8FEqgUXtPMF2iAH-PAKtlhaf1_E2tRqrILSt0-nlC_-a_geWSwKQatWf9_qjc-p9rK0IyGqIHt4jayfhfoObn_L9r5AhYQJvMLT1MOYT5R6UF8_to8ISF68vzh9UzpqWGM4/s1600/08_SAM_5648.png" height="160" width="320" /></a><br />
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The start of the shared path on the south side is not clear apart from the small circular sign on the lamppost where the ASL filter lane starts.<br />
The shared path is 3m wide between the low retaining wall and the kerb. Unfortunately, a fixed bin reduces this to 2m.<br />
It would seem that this could easily be improved by re-locating the bin to the corner in front of the shop.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_53lvTpgvF8HXEBY7XaZ6iWnG4thoC1BHX-a2Zt9K4d_JCnrabIGP3_uiUZ82dmX-_DyEHcVgxNTPp6UIOGoezWOuiVqLv2a73WuRXcykD4h_6_CQZOAprSYmqvbZlDADMnsWftkdSG0/s1600/10_SAM_5653.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_53lvTpgvF8HXEBY7XaZ6iWnG4thoC1BHX-a2Zt9K4d_JCnrabIGP3_uiUZ82dmX-_DyEHcVgxNTPp6UIOGoezWOuiVqLv2a73WuRXcykD4h_6_CQZOAprSYmqvbZlDADMnsWftkdSG0/s1600/10_SAM_5653.png" height="160" width="320" /></a><br />
Small "Shared Use" signs are appropriately displayed along the route.<br />
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There is a solitary rectangular cycle sign that means "Recommended route for pedal cycles". Its purpose is a mystery as it faces away from the road traffic.<br />
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The signs are around 3m above ground level. This seems excessive as, being small, they are not at all obvious. Re-positioning at 2m might be more sensible.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFniui7ACL6y9kTOlhhvXT2dKUjq9JnFrqD9liW-_yzATfad7x_wYJ3Yl85HFbcvug2-ttxrwBRFwPZQoMglKu3p6Jh9C7DPEnTadZstgS1G6OWwvf3Lo8ZPVgvtTpYv4hy1sNw09f-k/s1600/12_SAM_5662.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFniui7ACL6y9kTOlhhvXT2dKUjq9JnFrqD9liW-_yzATfad7x_wYJ3Yl85HFbcvug2-ttxrwBRFwPZQoMglKu3p6Jh9C7DPEnTadZstgS1G6OWwvf3Lo8ZPVgvtTpYv4hy1sNw09f-k/s1600/12_SAM_5662.png" height="160" width="320" /></a><br />
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A Council bin for litter and 'dog poo' is conveniently placed off the path. This is appreciated and highly commended.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNGXKCnDRqeBut8eLSZEHrZwZTfriRMS0bYPHyzktKuCoYLq5EYpNAtWgnM241cJZMx421bN7jZNy4aMbqQznO7_q0jzVjKWGBaxmx_Uw7FPSnDHplIMakz0n6ZzZ7KH3pKwq6I4Dpsk/s1600/15_SAM_5665.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNGXKCnDRqeBut8eLSZEHrZwZTfriRMS0bYPHyzktKuCoYLq5EYpNAtWgnM241cJZMx421bN7jZNy4aMbqQznO7_q0jzVjKWGBaxmx_Uw7FPSnDHplIMakz0n6ZzZ7KH3pKwq6I4Dpsk/s1600/15_SAM_5665.png" height="160" width="320" /></a><br />
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However, bins for nearby housing partly obstruct the path.<br />
The presence of several different colours suggest this is their permanent position.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5M8HXYXP7yq_tf1o6mTrycalswT84729oflwX2hnZliiB_jjBH3C6uMbI2F85E8hl5p7a7UlJUfAQInmesovVFZ7gnrq_fNvO-4zVM6rkO-0RwA_pqchjKAOhGVvqptRuiFpYx-S_a8/s1600/18_SAM_5666.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5M8HXYXP7yq_tf1o6mTrycalswT84729oflwX2hnZliiB_jjBH3C6uMbI2F85E8hl5p7a7UlJUfAQInmesovVFZ7gnrq_fNvO-4zVM6rkO-0RwA_pqchjKAOhGVvqptRuiFpYx-S_a8/s1600/18_SAM_5666.png" height="160" width="320" /></a><br />
The path on each side of the junction with Victoria Drive ends with a patch of tactile paving and a dropped kerb.<br />
It is clear to drivers that the road is meant for vehicles. There is no signage but if there was it would probably say "Cyclists Dismount".<br />
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The really crazy thing here is that cyclists travelling west, into the City, can assert priority by transferring briefly to the road!<br />
They then have a different problem: Avoiding the broken / missing drain covers. This has been an unfixed safety issue for some time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq88CjuI4J5mQBk67jVr6W3nGYCyEAE2cuL7OLlNRaFxCdjhevnksHn1iRa_5P2oUviT1sv-8JzvBPj4x4NOHPJV9QQuZ38nXy-zQy3Wz6iI3NAajEwU0M2SVxJOKfA9r2XHbTiO5vbQw/s1600/20_SAM_5669.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq88CjuI4J5mQBk67jVr6W3nGYCyEAE2cuL7OLlNRaFxCdjhevnksHn1iRa_5P2oUviT1sv-8JzvBPj4x4NOHPJV9QQuZ38nXy-zQy3Wz6iI3NAajEwU0M2SVxJOKfA9r2XHbTiO5vbQw/s1600/20_SAM_5669.png" height="160" width="320" /></a><br />
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The next short length of shared path ends at two well-spaced bollards. Cyclists continue on the quiet access road. (This road and the dual-carriageway are both called Millburn Road.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6tf-wzICdPG6yD7_x90PZ5k1nPoSz7Clt_LoTyUWpdWzq8teGnVpgHKLNfpu2pDndjXVuRRmpVjHI0PxIWbD3OQNgBpmksnZkUz-nK-9glEeIZEnEYWYy6EloQFRnz1tK3-s-3fDWBDw/s1600/22_SAM_5736.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6tf-wzICdPG6yD7_x90PZ5k1nPoSz7Clt_LoTyUWpdWzq8teGnVpgHKLNfpu2pDndjXVuRRmpVjHI0PxIWbD3OQNgBpmksnZkUz-nK-9glEeIZEnEYWYy6EloQFRnz1tK3-s-3fDWBDw/s1600/22_SAM_5736.png" height="160" width="320" /></a><br />
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Looking back, there's an unfortunate collection of necessary signs.<br />
<div>
The "Shared Use" sign looks a little lost among these.</div>
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It's only on the lamppost because it's convenient and as a result ends up being close to the roadway.</div>
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"Shared Use" Signs on the bollards might be better.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmi8kfzOUEq9nuC01QNBS7yTbY_jaCPabWxHJ-oqLO7R3xTo9ZdMAlYlmTpQ6THFhP_xi7ZuhOTmjlFfyY0BV89rfe4vjN9LG9AaYlX3Wa13w33Z3QtfR-JMlbDaQIup7238IVvWTVTk/s1600/26_SAM_5673.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmi8kfzOUEq9nuC01QNBS7yTbY_jaCPabWxHJ-oqLO7R3xTo9ZdMAlYlmTpQ6THFhP_xi7ZuhOTmjlFfyY0BV89rfe4vjN9LG9AaYlX3Wa13w33Z3QtfR-JMlbDaQIup7238IVvWTVTk/s1600/26_SAM_5673.png" height="160" width="320" /></a></div>
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The access road is usually fairly quiet. A large cycle sign is painted on the road at each end.<br />
This could be taken (by cyclists) to imply some kind of cycle priority.<br />
But the intended message is uncertain and may be differently received by drivers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOmTq9SFUYrMwSWXV2z04zJjttx2-nOXtNs0SzMBG9kIj-dBrfhIiyu6fje1lLy5RBc0CZzh2zhHgrCFc4vyS-HujAyvSvJoqdzFwRWjghiPHc9UkqjhlcR9Q-GbSQ96SC0hunabLovs/s1600/28_SAM_5685.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOmTq9SFUYrMwSWXV2z04zJjttx2-nOXtNs0SzMBG9kIj-dBrfhIiyu6fje1lLy5RBc0CZzh2zhHgrCFc4vyS-HujAyvSvJoqdzFwRWjghiPHc9UkqjhlcR9Q-GbSQ96SC0hunabLovs/s1600/28_SAM_5685.png" height="160" width="320" /></a><br />
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The junction at Diriebught Road includes a raised table. Its main effect is traffic calming.<br />
However it confers no priority to pedestrians or cyclists wanting to cross.<br />
Some drivers may stop out of consideration or ignorance. Currently there seems to be some uncertainty which may or may not be a good thing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ4QgXSZJWw6gruBfbIyZDafLF-7_lulAF5i4cZnVPSn65azqrcPxwVVxyhjgmKzDgPfvyVUgGZewy6vU7rhkwApLt9dUt6nMHLNpVKTvcWa5kZjBhEVe0adxJQwkO6pnxsdmaA34JIro/s1600/30_SAM_5738.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ4QgXSZJWw6gruBfbIyZDafLF-7_lulAF5i4cZnVPSn65azqrcPxwVVxyhjgmKzDgPfvyVUgGZewy6vU7rhkwApLt9dUt6nMHLNpVKTvcWa5kZjBhEVe0adxJQwkO6pnxsdmaA34JIro/s1600/30_SAM_5738.png" height="160" width="320" /></a><br />
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It appears that a guiding principle was to gain the maximum benefit with the least change.<br />
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An unfortunate consequence has been that the newly-built raised table does not align with the cyclist / pedestrian "desire line".<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2V8BkVPBvpI7_2QO2O7g9QWmGlFmukImTV2-_ISgZyjDboW5J4-ElCYpfMlak32LHQwrp-ZfCqM8sH5oBSa2ZvxHT_2MpGJv_2-Av2PV8Y-HEwD7lP4aK_1CuBM6luDYUjFcBJpg2es/s1600/32_SAM_5686.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2V8BkVPBvpI7_2QO2O7g9QWmGlFmukImTV2-_ISgZyjDboW5J4-ElCYpfMlak32LHQwrp-ZfCqM8sH5oBSa2ZvxHT_2MpGJv_2-Av2PV8Y-HEwD7lP4aK_1CuBM6luDYUjFcBJpg2es/s1600/32_SAM_5686.png" height="160" width="320" /></a><br />
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Thus pedestrians and cyclists may avoid the raised table and make their own route.<br />
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Regardless of the planners and critics, it is the users who will ultimately decide the success of this route ...<br />
... and some have already decided.<br />
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It would be interesting to compare results from the cycle counter on the path with one on the carriageway.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-36JyfC4WtiBzb6waJiZ0RZrkcFjU5DOfVrvc7UpB1-SUyPPPhcPx0ZLPzbO8x-c1xY6QFTY1nBxtwVVSa6kp-OMT5TXB4JHaGKHyjl-UcwChnIqxnymtvcXE5yiim3b8paYkwQFBEXI/s1600/38_SAM_5745.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-36JyfC4WtiBzb6waJiZ0RZrkcFjU5DOfVrvc7UpB1-SUyPPPhcPx0ZLPzbO8x-c1xY6QFTY1nBxtwVVSa6kp-OMT5TXB4JHaGKHyjl-UcwChnIqxnymtvcXE5yiim3b8paYkwQFBEXI/s1600/38_SAM_5745.png" height="160" width="320" /></a><br />
As it approaches Millburn Roundabout, the path goes round a tight corner where the available path width reduces to 2m.<br />
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There appears to be enough space for this to have been alleviated by moving the end of the wall.<br />
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Once again, it is likely that some cyclists will choose to avoid conflict by using the road instead.<br />
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The Millburn Road cycle path may be the best that could be achieved in the circumstances.<br />
As is often the case, the path itself is generally a great improvement to cycling on the carriageway.<br />
There are some minor problems but the big problems are at junctions.<br />
An ideal cycle route consists of relatively straight (and hopefully level) paths with safe junctions<br />
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If cyclists feel that even one junction is unsafe they will not be comfortable using the route and may not cycle at all.<br />
Millburn Road is better than it was but will still not be seen as safe by some potential cyclists.<br />
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So how does the Millburn Road section match up with <i>Cycling By Design</i>'s <a href="http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/report/j185500-02.htm#coredesignprinciples">Core Design Principles</a>?<br />
- <b>Safety</b> - Perceived risk (the key barrier to cycling), specifically at junctions, has been reduced but not minimised. There are some instances of ambiguity.<br />
- <b>Coherence</b> - The location of the west end (start) of the route is not clear and navigation is uncertain at Diriebught Road. But the build quality is good. More cycling network is needed. Currently there isn't much else for this route to be coherent with.<br />
- <b>Directness</b> - The route is fairly direct but interrupted at junctions. This may be a strong deterrent for some current or potential cyclists.<br />
- <b>Comfort</b> - The surface is smooth, level and suitable for all forms of everyday cycling, including tandems, trailers, ... The path is shared but this is acceptable to most users as the width is mainly 3m.<br />
- <b>Attractiveness</b> - Much of the route is along the foot of a wooded bank with another main section along a quiet road. It blends in well with the area and scores well here. Let down by the bins.<br />
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<i><b><span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="color: blue;">Your comments are welcome.</span></span></b></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637606419924977484.post-12148952561937088492013-12-19T02:08:00.000+00:002013-12-19T10:00:21.699+00:00Be Careful What You Ask from Santa<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQhE253w7u9a5oZnwBAFdBel1CUS5A1F_7luHEPTd5isc81YUcvY5owimQ8DJW9t5w-S6MQpY7hjkgH1n-zwEhxIk5j-v78F5J9lPO5_acHfAoXbKSqi7jADd6W4rf-8osyOlFRMRGkQs/s1600/PC180021.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQhE253w7u9a5oZnwBAFdBel1CUS5A1F_7luHEPTd5isc81YUcvY5owimQ8DJW9t5w-S6MQpY7hjkgH1n-zwEhxIk5j-v78F5J9lPO5_acHfAoXbKSqi7jADd6W4rf-8osyOlFRMRGkQs/s320/PC180021.png" width="320" /></a><br />
At this time of year attention may turn to the accumulating pile of parcels under the tree (or hanging from the ceiling).<br />
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There's the excitement of trying to guess what's in the parcels.<br />
But some things may not always be what you imagine.<br />
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[Thanks to <a href="http://velocitylove.co.uk/">Velocity </a><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="es"><span class="hps"><a href="http://velocitylove.co.uk/">café and bicycle workshop</a>, Inverness for permission to take the photo.]</span></span><br />
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I was prompted to write this after reading Kezia Dugdale's recent blog: <a href="http://www.keziadugdale.com/2013/12/16/cycling-on-easter-road/">Cycling on Easter Road</a><br />
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Kezia's blog relates to her contribution to a debate in the Scottish Parliament and the response from Keith Brown, the Minister for Transport and Veterans. <br />
The debate on 29 Oct 2013 was on a motion raised by Alison Johnstone about Strict Liability.<br />
<a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28862.aspx?r=8582">Scottish Parliament 29 Oct 2013</a> - (Final item on agenda) <br />
My blog does not concern Strict Liability directly but a safety issue that arose out of the debate.<br />
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In his concluding remarks to the debate (18:07), Keith stated that he was supportive of most of the statements in the motion but was held back by the lack of robust evidence.<br />
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Earlier (17:29), Kezia said that it was people like herself who needed to be persuaded that cycling is a safe activity. She felt that too many people find themselves at risk when trying to cycle to their work because our roads just are not safe.<br />
She said that she cycles fairly regularly on two
routes. But there was no way she would cycle to work, because that would
involve cycling up Easter Road in the morning at peak times; which she
considered just too dangerous.<br />
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In his contribution. Keith referred to Kezia's comments about Easter Road.<br />
He said that one of the officials from Transport Scotland (who was present) regularly cycles up and down Easter Road and feels that it is a safe road to cycle. He (Keith) recognised that these things are subjective, depending on people's experience and perception of the environment around them.<br />
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A blog by David Hembrow identifies <a href="http://www.aviewfromthecyclepath.com/2008/09/three-types-of-safety.html">Three types of safety</a>. They are <b>perceived</b> safety, <b>actual</b> safety and <b>social</b> safety.<br />
As you might expect, any particular case will often include multiple elements of safety and the three categories will affect each other. For example, a cyclist jumping a red light may feel quite safe (perceived safety) but still puts themself in danger (actual safety) and possibly others (social safety).<br />
Actual and social safety can be quantified and supported with statistics of injuries and deaths.<br />
But perceived safety is intrinsically subjective. It depends on the cyclist's emotional reaction.<br />
<br />
What Kezia and Keith were debating in parliament was perceived safety.<br />
Kezia was concerned with perceived safety although the evidence in her letter to Keith was actual safety.<br />
In his reply to this letter, Keith acknowledges that different people / cyclists may hold different views about the (perceived) safety of the same road.<br />
<br />
There's a problem here. Keith wants to make policy based on robust evidence.<br />
But the natural evidence for perceived safety is personal opinion.<br />
How much opinion from cyclists would constitute robust evidence?<br />
Indeed, would Keith accept any subjective evidence as robust or reject it as merely anecdotal.<br />
<br />
The question is, what would robust evidence for perceived safety look like?<br />
<br />
Keith also referred to the evaluation of Cycling Scotland's <a href="http://zenbikermaniac.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/nice-way-code.html">Nice Way Code</a> campaign. [I've added emphasis.]<br />
Preliminary results <span id="scrolltoCid_1558331"><i>suggest</i> that it has been useful in <i>
shifting public perceptions</i> in favour of giving cyclists more space and
respect on the road, particularly at junctions, and in leading to an
increase in the number of cyclists who <i>say that they feel comfortable</i>
cycling on the roads. </span><span id="scrolltoCid_1558331"><span id="scrolltoCid_1558331">There has also been an increase in driver <i>awareness</i> of pedestrians.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span id="scrolltoCid_1558331">This clearly has a strong flavour of perceived safety only.</span><span id="scrolltoCid_1558331"> And, if justified, it would be good because </span>it's the perceived lack of safety that prevents many people from cycling. However, politicians want to base their decisions on evidence of actual safety.<br />
<span id="scrolltoCid_1558331">I have not seen any official evaluation but will be interested to see how these perceptions are justified with robust evidence. I'll also be interested in Keith's reaction to it.</span><br />
<br />
I wish you safe cycling (perceived, actual and social):<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1hLNVuEW2P5Re36txxOSy3tT0nwcBij1G48u1ufUlDXfQJ86bNXHKJ5aq1IjHpt4BlK1KyAQcdMqRuIjaJ9fss4UP8AEyq4lw-dEzxHy2hoCYfsAQFlEVDE-Vf1p1r46LnMetbR1h7s/s1600/pair.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1hLNVuEW2P5Re36txxOSy3tT0nwcBij1G48u1ufUlDXfQJ86bNXHKJ5aq1IjHpt4BlK1KyAQcdMqRuIjaJ9fss4UP8AEyq4lw-dEzxHy2hoCYfsAQFlEVDE-Vf1p1r46LnMetbR1h7s/s640/pair.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i><b><span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="color: blue;">Your comments are welcome.</span></span></b></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637606419924977484.post-71716735894936276392013-12-05T00:32:00.000+00:002013-12-05T00:32:32.777+00:00Wrong Way along King Street <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMumMKROFVMiPv_prvi88nrQ_XD9jBduNzkC1VEFhVowl-s-FU5Rr9jdC51KNUn_FIwdBXtidEfQ-4Z8BmLPh5KdgfYvOOK2FyyBU49sbK1zRLTXtE2vH-YIe17w_Uw429cXMaONqaLis/s1600/greig+st+06.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMumMKROFVMiPv_prvi88nrQ_XD9jBduNzkC1VEFhVowl-s-FU5Rr9jdC51KNUn_FIwdBXtidEfQ-4Z8BmLPh5KdgfYvOOK2FyyBU49sbK1zRLTXtE2vH-YIe17w_Uw429cXMaONqaLis/s320/greig+st+06.png" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
The arrows show traffic directions earlier this year.<br />
<br />
Looking along Greig Street, you can see the<br />
Greig Street Bridge across the River Ness,<br />
<br />
Greig Street is two-way but King Street that<br />
crosses it is one-way.<br />
<br />
A No Entry sign can be seen on the far side.<br />
<br />
There is also a One Way arrow leaving the<br />
junction but it is not in the photo. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ8hV4pQknkBGoIeNzp32uPvYE2voxpEyjVkBlilF6GQfOOnZesJcKLwVLWIGNAbhk-_Kbi15Dbm66WLb4KT1MeUjHdbZO6dlmN6VNdJ51jRtotE0WWKV_ipmNy3vq42rwBReKCRQXLLc/s1600/greig+st+04.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ8hV4pQknkBGoIeNzp32uPvYE2voxpEyjVkBlilF6GQfOOnZesJcKLwVLWIGNAbhk-_Kbi15Dbm66WLb4KT1MeUjHdbZO6dlmN6VNdJ51jRtotE0WWKV_ipmNy3vq42rwBReKCRQXLLc/s320/greig+st+04.png" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
The view looking in the opposite direction<br />
from the other side of the junction.<br />
<br />
The second No Entry sign can now be seen.<br />
In the previous view it was obscured by the<br />
angled frontage of the shop.<br />
<br />
One of the One Way signs is also visible.<br />
<br />
[These two photos are from Google Maps 2008]<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
There are primary schools in both direction along King Street and a secondary school in the distance.<br />
Inverness Police have recently issued a general warning to drivers telling them to conform to the One Way system.<br />
<br />
I believe the offenders are mainly drivers coming from the Greig Street Bridge direction<br />
and turning left against the No Entry sign into King Street. But why is this?<br />
<br />
On 16 September there were changes to the City's one-way system in connection with work<br />
on the <a href="http://zenbikermaniac.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/flood-alleviation-work-on-bank-street.html">River Ness Flood Alleviation Scheme</a>. In particular Greig Street became one-way from<br />
the Greig Street Bridge to this junction with King Street.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsU3SWR9_1-8ImDP5e2kAFT2WJt36Xy5VxCh27wKYq3E98bBwIHtTx-O31Uy3wrQvIryoLO3QnGAODW1OLZV4ifSVHXlPn_9RQdH_ouhS1SF_BYFeP_yskSRk06jE4An-CpgXskJ3t07c/s1600/PC040005.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsU3SWR9_1-8ImDP5e2kAFT2WJt36Xy5VxCh27wKYq3E98bBwIHtTx-O31Uy3wrQvIryoLO3QnGAODW1OLZV4ifSVHXlPn_9RQdH_ouhS1SF_BYFeP_yskSRk06jE4An-CpgXskJ3t07c/s320/PC040005.png" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
A mobile information display has been parked at the junction.<br />
Drivers approaching the junction from the two-way section of<br />
Greig Street would appear to have no excuse for turning right<br />
into King Street.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPU_qoSxC17xQEvtYHNxivs5DE9sRfWlO2YFNzx6gGlFxl-bU6XigIypyl8Kn955Xo3G96Jh9jw7AqEDEP-TK9BD2yJrU-rHNBR02KIGPMUq6KiOW19nS6ESvy_iMad_AiUA-xa7bRzv8/s1600/PC040003.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPU_qoSxC17xQEvtYHNxivs5DE9sRfWlO2YFNzx6gGlFxl-bU6XigIypyl8Kn955Xo3G96Jh9jw7AqEDEP-TK9BD2yJrU-rHNBR02KIGPMUq6KiOW19nS6ESvy_iMad_AiUA-xa7bRzv8/s320/PC040003.png" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
But here is the view from the other side,<br />
<br />
There is no sign, apart from road markings, to tell a driver that<br />
they are leaving the one-way section of Greig Street and entering<br />
the two-way section.<br />
<br />
Approaching the junction, the angle of the No Entry signs means<br />
that only the furthest away sign is readable.<br />
It is possible that some drivers do not notice the sign because of the distraction of the mobile display and associated traffic cones.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMyQ0iVLDd_hDLyT1QiZOJWCuhXxCU3SY9qQU0Jd2358jIIK59CIJbS-F37gWEsYee3VuBB5T67Ii-uelRaTkU-kMyCOywJw0u_aevCg0a_MJGHfpqNOQ7Zb4xR6g1z_0Ngxxpb8VAdM8/s1600/PC040009.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMyQ0iVLDd_hDLyT1QiZOJWCuhXxCU3SY9qQU0Jd2358jIIK59CIJbS-F37gWEsYee3VuBB5T67Ii-uelRaTkU-kMyCOywJw0u_aevCg0a_MJGHfpqNOQ7Zb4xR6g1z_0Ngxxpb8VAdM8/s320/PC040009.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Nearer to the junction the first No Entry sign disappears behind the mobile display.<br />
The second No Entry sign starts to be readable by is no longer in the driver's direct field of view.<br />
<br />
Before blaming drivers or taking up Police time, it might be worth reviewing the traffic signs.<br />
<br />
At the very least, a No Left Turn sign might be appropriate here.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637606419924977484.post-82911095105855956552013-10-21T01:51:00.000+01:002013-10-21T01:51:22.062+01:00Flood Alleviation Work on Bank Street<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQ4dD6dzkNQFcF5Whi0XDWBWMiB-S_thEclG4SO_U1-EQQTsXnO4_Sy-nC0PsaHfJ2Cd1BRAj1IUVj_GXtoSBOp37K_LwwFP7FTpUvVNzjrs6caWITs2-HURdnPgHHtvAmgp1RhU3iMQ/s1600/01+PA150023_tiny.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQ4dD6dzkNQFcF5Whi0XDWBWMiB-S_thEclG4SO_U1-EQQTsXnO4_Sy-nC0PsaHfJ2Cd1BRAj1IUVj_GXtoSBOp37K_LwwFP7FTpUvVNzjrs6caWITs2-HURdnPgHHtvAmgp1RhU3iMQ/s1600/01+PA150023_tiny.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
The church spires along the East side of the River Ness have recently been joined by the tall jib of a crane. This is just one of the many construction vehicles and plant working on Phase 1 of the <a href="http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourenvironment/flooding/06aRiverNessFloodAlleviationSheme.htm">River Ness Flood Alleviation Scheme</a>.<br />
<br />
This view is looking upstream from near the tidal opening to the sea.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMCPoBtoCZmvRlUKd_ESgU_E1uX05N4eNoWeCGZD2kNOgDvEfiJmkjw893OzLOpIW4r74CXV3mJC2NMz-4M8XjDDNR8tE6SScHBCP0BWrTZ2xibbWPB2PAhaQQvZqhApEkFacuFWmU80/s1600/00+flood_ness_sign_tiny.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMCPoBtoCZmvRlUKd_ESgU_E1uX05N4eNoWeCGZD2kNOgDvEfiJmkjw893OzLOpIW4r74CXV3mJC2NMz-4M8XjDDNR8tE6SScHBCP0BWrTZ2xibbWPB2PAhaQQvZqhApEkFacuFWmU80/s1600/00+flood_ness_sign_tiny.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
The plan is to re-build and reinforce the banks on both sides of the River.<br />
Much preparatory work was done earlier this year.<br />
This construction phase started about a month ago.<br />
The current work is on and around <a href="http://www.highland.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/0A1E70AE-94CF-4E5B-9687-9E32F293EACC/0/FloodAlleviation.jpg">Bank Street</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjISx9136q__YPob5aENW9uMCdDxg2Jyl40kZwmdyOJSn-0n73lw1MoM-VYjHsaRzVL7B2ZzbzFKHZ1Xl0vYTakz0z9CKnGqjMsUXBuWAazfmC6Jp-hqiJv7WdsQ6N0Eucjcc9h_BfRic/s1600/02+PA200007_tiny.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjISx9136q__YPob5aENW9uMCdDxg2Jyl40kZwmdyOJSn-0n73lw1MoM-VYjHsaRzVL7B2ZzbzFKHZ1Xl0vYTakz0z9CKnGqjMsUXBuWAazfmC6Jp-hqiJv7WdsQ6N0Eucjcc9h_BfRic/s1600/02+PA200007_tiny.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
<br />
My particular interest is the effect on cycling is. <br />
So I took a trip going upstream starting from Douglas Row.<br />
This is part of the <a href="http://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map/route/route-1">NCN Route 1</a> going South and is normally one-way, access only and so has quite light traffic. It's also used by touring cyclists mainly in Summer.<br />
The significance of the new "ROAD CLOSED" sign is simply that there is no exit for motor vehicles at the other end.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-z82NCTCBS-TnQ-dZylCSvExX5tZ_L0y2GBvQ2y6uBBKnoPZ7g-I2KVpuzWeXrop2L1CLa7eRX6PblmV4u1mEBy2gpyjs8YazSRPzdYXXWNUncvevMlkWrNXDGtNCzgw4UILbgcC02eg/s1600/03+PA200012_tiny.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-z82NCTCBS-TnQ-dZylCSvExX5tZ_L0y2GBvQ2y6uBBKnoPZ7g-I2KVpuzWeXrop2L1CLa7eRX6PblmV4u1mEBy2gpyjs8YazSRPzdYXXWNUncvevMlkWrNXDGtNCzgw4UILbgcC02eg/s1600/03+PA200012_tiny.png" height="150" width="200" /> </a><br />
<br />
I rounded the corner into Douglas Row.<br />
It's never that busy but it was noticeably more noisy with the work going on.<br />
The river level is low just now but this street can be submerged when the river in spate meets back-flow from a high tide. The houses get flooded too, either directly through the doors or by water penetration through the floors from below.<br />
One purpose of the scheme is to avoid such damage in the future.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLStPR9hrWRCfhCDSyuLAe6zrp2b7vJzUieLsw4Xj7bYBMMk4kZkFtkfWg-bjcdBXWgWPsHxRtoZiI_86CverRgcRHL6w6P_eWG8QCnKXUOqWDSDDwfBqY9g_F6AH9odDnwkq-SZRe9Ck/s1600/04+PA170004_tiny.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLStPR9hrWRCfhCDSyuLAe6zrp2b7vJzUieLsw4Xj7bYBMMk4kZkFtkfWg-bjcdBXWgWPsHxRtoZiI_86CverRgcRHL6w6P_eWG8QCnKXUOqWDSDDwfBqY9g_F6AH9odDnwkq-SZRe9Ck/s1600/04+PA170004_tiny.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
<br />
The road at the end of Douglas Row is fenced off leaving only the pavement.<br />
When I visited, the signs shown here were obscured behind a van.<br />
In truth, the route is obvious so there is no real harm. <br />
The construction site is very cramped.<br />
Arrangements may not always be perfect but safety is maintained.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDL4hyphenhyphenE9E_1vpc4bOtSjZE0LlZwhR3BnJ2GZME_RyctExDL5OAZWuJoGGSbnUpWUcegkq7a4XeFkUC5kVTQjBALHC5bnvyAVzJKdq7i1iGlOxXnQGjNQBp_5VqODd1GSAAXAPjqPU64LA/s1600/05+SAM_0680_tiny.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDL4hyphenhyphenE9E_1vpc4bOtSjZE0LlZwhR3BnJ2GZME_RyctExDL5OAZWuJoGGSbnUpWUcegkq7a4XeFkUC5kVTQjBALHC5bnvyAVzJKdq7i1iGlOxXnQGjNQBp_5VqODd1GSAAXAPjqPU64LA/s1600/05+SAM_0680_tiny.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
<br />
All three roads are fenced off at the junction with Friars Lane and Bank Street.<br />
The pavement route goes around the corner from Douglas Row into Friars Lane then doubles back on the other side to the beginning of Bank Street.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid338WZ1kI82USJ_CK1Oj3kHs5dcM3K4ecHTcKaRoKT16msdnYYxHcFxRvWhwvPszJtuOZR061R2eWntzFmp35akmZupfTs0THACnWFFbPNXEsIwAUNbw66ZdH1HDMGeFezDDJhL6YbZA/s1600/06+PA170010_tiny.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid338WZ1kI82USJ_CK1Oj3kHs5dcM3K4ecHTcKaRoKT16msdnYYxHcFxRvWhwvPszJtuOZR061R2eWntzFmp35akmZupfTs0THACnWFFbPNXEsIwAUNbw66ZdH1HDMGeFezDDJhL6YbZA/s1600/06+PA170010_tiny.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
<br />
The pavement route up Friars Lane narrows to less than a metre.<br />
But none of this is of any great problem or concern to local cyclists.<br />
The road to the left here is Friars Street which is open to one-way traffic.<br />
This is also the North heading branch of <a href="http://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map/route/route-1">NCN Route 1</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCWh9exRvz7C3pCBAPLAP9Gy5dFOLierNixYzmD4CEVxn3gyHx3nH4QH-nL-e9xelkUucUjObZWaFXSnIsWmy4Ua6XI1GTBChQs57HWfgYyRcJNEqOPAU-h7ay5C7oRCrRP_fwbCwFTbM/s1600/07+PA170006_tiny.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCWh9exRvz7C3pCBAPLAP9Gy5dFOLierNixYzmD4CEVxn3gyHx3nH4QH-nL-e9xelkUucUjObZWaFXSnIsWmy4Ua6XI1GTBChQs57HWfgYyRcJNEqOPAU-h7ay5C7oRCrRP_fwbCwFTbM/s1600/07+PA170006_tiny.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
<br />
Doubling back down Friars Lane.<br />
This carries NCN Route 1 in both directions.<br />
Usually cycling, in either direction, would be on the road.<br />
With a single pavement being the only route, all users have to be considerate.<br />
And that seems to be what's happening.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVNHjuoNEKThfjzqKWkjf0dXwSWUOFC9UiiVst3CqzGVa13fIXBo85QtNPOnHkfPsTWHOh_ZjiO3O7IYFKrFrFNnexe0RMiLQukYVg5L0jWcAn4yOtDHGpoPhadm38-Si7RlhhHc42hE/s1600/08+PA170014_tiny.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVNHjuoNEKThfjzqKWkjf0dXwSWUOFC9UiiVst3CqzGVa13fIXBo85QtNPOnHkfPsTWHOh_ZjiO3O7IYFKrFrFNnexe0RMiLQukYVg5L0jWcAn4yOtDHGpoPhadm38-Si7RlhhHc42hE/s1600/08+PA170014_tiny.png" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Round the corner into Bank Street and the serious work begins.<br />
Watching diggers and trucks is always an attraction.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJTVkqZ4QUUwwBJr7EF6dpwe2QbNlqfl3ehxgdqOGX9BkyKcRNGu9in1WVQeoDrsTUgtNTFYmLGCn-TQ7MaHZcADKyFRTARunmaO1c6ryQ7nxlDcs_o9dKRy1eT81wNciBWIU5lD_6qS4/s1600/09+PA170038_tiny.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJTVkqZ4QUUwwBJr7EF6dpwe2QbNlqfl3ehxgdqOGX9BkyKcRNGu9in1WVQeoDrsTUgtNTFYmLGCn-TQ7MaHZcADKyFRTARunmaO1c6ryQ7nxlDcs_o9dKRy1eT81wNciBWIU5lD_6qS4/s1600/09+PA170038_tiny.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
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This is roughly the same view from a higher view point.<br />
The construction work had finished and was being reviewed by engineers.<br />
Lots of Hi-Viz jackets in evidence at all times.<br />
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The Greig Street Bridge is a popular route across the River for pedestrian and cyclists.<br />
The construction work seems to be having little or no effect on travellers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19bNrU_M8EAKC83QK2ROaYP2L4brx7qZ-Px0rRK4VDILGfIlzXW8yWFHQeEXuAY0J45n1hHly5Lex8MzK3zMqfZ7BR3Zga92U2voupnROVTyRM_dBz6o1TvA6hqLm_UG8eXeycR-EhXs/s1600/10+SAM_0679_tiny.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19bNrU_M8EAKC83QK2ROaYP2L4brx7qZ-Px0rRK4VDILGfIlzXW8yWFHQeEXuAY0J45n1hHly5Lex8MzK3zMqfZ7BR3Zga92U2voupnROVTyRM_dBz6o1TvA6hqLm_UG8eXeycR-EhXs/s1600/10+SAM_0679_tiny.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkiygG29HEne4DXiXST-BhCWsJNgvkNhZs5FBfZGjglTs1Lj-DIXDDtZwLWiuCYcArg4beHH0DaMDuOep127SgCquZLp2LVXnc-ONgnu1XXV_qBSqQKA80j4oP8sK8MdURStHnVwaKkY/s1600/11+PA180022_tiny.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkiygG29HEne4DXiXST-BhCWsJNgvkNhZs5FBfZGjglTs1Lj-DIXDDtZwLWiuCYcArg4beHH0DaMDuOep127SgCquZLp2LVXnc-ONgnu1XXV_qBSqQKA80j4oP8sK8MdURStHnVwaKkY/s1600/11+PA180022_tiny.png" height="150" width="200" /></a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9yGCvH7sX24TF9myFQ8Ump5eTAx709Px-pHU7mqskASWHgz5nUn7N2jvhxuJpVRPdIVJJ50mhSLcD2741trCk4Q6vvxcUA7T6ysut6ZkHWzHX8HZ_JAli1Bx5Ltih1hNdN0QHP7xzAk/s1600/12+SAM_0689_tiny.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9yGCvH7sX24TF9myFQ8Ump5eTAx709Px-pHU7mqskASWHgz5nUn7N2jvhxuJpVRPdIVJJ50mhSLcD2741trCk4Q6vvxcUA7T6ysut6ZkHWzHX8HZ_JAli1Bx5Ltih1hNdN0QHP7xzAk/s1600/12+SAM_0689_tiny.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
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Pedestrians and cyclists share the Bridge at a leisurely rate.<br />
Cyclists are concerned with safety but dress for warmth.<br />
Woolly bonnets are more common than cycling helmets. <br />
Some pedestrians make a special effort with their appearance. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4Ta50CoZNozS1rhhER-_LIPcl0gSTiZamSRO4rSNBqoMOJOxNMX1EXtvovMCowYbMOTQ8_p7qq_V9uLNng7WJzIwq28Xa2fMWDkrjAeuD6Nd5DE8zZxIkd2ZXQfPrv49-XPyhS4yW9M/s1600/13+SAM_0686_tiny.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4Ta50CoZNozS1rhhER-_LIPcl0gSTiZamSRO4rSNBqoMOJOxNMX1EXtvovMCowYbMOTQ8_p7qq_V9uLNng7WJzIwq28Xa2fMWDkrjAeuD6Nd5DE8zZxIkd2ZXQfPrv49-XPyhS4yW9M/s1600/13+SAM_0686_tiny.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
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There was more work going on upstream of the Bridge.<br />
The bank is being extended slightly at this point for a seating area.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHr1NrbxVwBhRGnr9W5GSbqjGKNCqM4xG0dfU_Vbpt1mQqvZ3MWabt2cAEnOZ7_XqCiEbB3HVyjpSDR6E6vUgSSVMl0-DMJM6SDWxlCF72zPpBmzBI3Py5OTG-v5aqyJLrmxVmqy7GjA/s1600/14+PA170017_tiny.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHr1NrbxVwBhRGnr9W5GSbqjGKNCqM4xG0dfU_Vbpt1mQqvZ3MWabt2cAEnOZ7_XqCiEbB3HVyjpSDR6E6vUgSSVMl0-DMJM6SDWxlCF72zPpBmzBI3Py5OTG-v5aqyJLrmxVmqy7GjA/s1600/14+PA170017_tiny.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
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The <a href="http://www.rivercafeandrestaurant.com/">River Cafe and Restaurant</a> is open as normal and even offers tables and chairs outside (for very hardy customers).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgMh5PmJF3NLybao_xz7COXdfkxrNhoun2YB_gHBkNh-icuiYYEG_1nh3c2nfY6DuuIU9kls5_CKJOSUdwByLkDKdTbiFnAZmvtnoiV6sIGVoZN75UTb0cfWnpmbhU4HEBpUgKW81dKc/s1600/15+PA170020_tiny.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgMh5PmJF3NLybao_xz7COXdfkxrNhoun2YB_gHBkNh-icuiYYEG_1nh3c2nfY6DuuIU9kls5_CKJOSUdwByLkDKdTbiFnAZmvtnoiV6sIGVoZN75UTb0cfWnpmbhU4HEBpUgKW81dKc/s1600/15+PA170020_tiny.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.highlandprintstudio.co.uk/">Highland Print Studio</a> remains open for its usual classes and members.<br />
Anybody is welcome to browse the prints they have on offer.<br />
Print makers come here from all over the Highlands, Scotland and abroad.<br />
One recent visitor was <a href="http://northings.com/2011/04/05/mike-inglis-cathedral/">Mike Inglis</a> whose output includes the mural near Eastgate. <br />
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The construction phase is under way but in among the noise and disturbance it's business as usual on Bank Street.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqPr3J3LzwU2JwjvLCeqQQgnqXwK6GVQA05YM7NPgrMV8ITdxZEoZchyxZmX5ZNRmhrhqU0SpTDO8oIb3x_aBlNd_QXWnh5sCJa4ocNRDHkXcZJU3DnziJTvKetqlffaDj5J7nhAXXo0/s1600/16+PA180017_tiny.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqPr3J3LzwU2JwjvLCeqQQgnqXwK6GVQA05YM7NPgrMV8ITdxZEoZchyxZmX5ZNRmhrhqU0SpTDO8oIb3x_aBlNd_QXWnh5sCJa4ocNRDHkXcZJU3DnziJTvKetqlffaDj5J7nhAXXo0/s1600/16+PA180017_tiny.png" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><b><span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="color: blue;">Your comments are welcome.</span></span></b></i>
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A few days ago I cycled to Dochgarroch which is about 5 miles (8 km) South West of Inverness.<br />
This blog follows the tow-path on the South side of the Caledonian Canal back to Inveness.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzCYRNoaE31aO5pQN028mcVOGNjGqxwQbEljJspQSNAP12Zo9jTW3GNRZl3QIpcCCP9bus-ZiEpWhENk9aSPEWfQT-bkgbhecPcbz7CVmt8Db-yCZqmsnJT8Hr6P6mT3KYZ9TovnCbMik/s1600/01.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzCYRNoaE31aO5pQN028mcVOGNjGqxwQbEljJspQSNAP12Zo9jTW3GNRZl3QIpcCCP9bus-ZiEpWhENk9aSPEWfQT-bkgbhecPcbz7CVmt8Db-yCZqmsnJT8Hr6P6mT3KYZ9TovnCbMik/s1600/01.png" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
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Dochgarroch is a small, scattered settlement<br />
whose main livelihood comes from tourist trade<br />
from users of the Caledonian Canal.<br />
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This house doubles as a souvenir shop.<br />
On display are potted plants, home baking and<br />
these decorated Loch Ness Stones for £1 each.<br />
Payment is by an honesty box - very relaxed.<br />
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Some people live in Dochgarroch but commute to work<br />
in Inverness. Some also commute the other way.<br />
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Dochgarroch exists mainly because of its two lock gates on the Caledonian Canal.<br />
A short distance further SW is the point where the Canal opens into Loch Dochfour which in turn opens into Loch Ness.<br />
The overflow over the weir from Loch Dochfour is the main source of the River Ness.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemhEYVlWjNu7RCqINR6FtXdUrisnIRTC0pzhGvxB4kPxTyi9JKNqiCoJQU45put2SKYkXIeU3yrhTcbxeue-Zx1jk7ITNfNV5qzEwrjXGlCevONo7Degxim8-gmbDApL5_3q8ahADqMM/s1600/03.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemhEYVlWjNu7RCqINR6FtXdUrisnIRTC0pzhGvxB4kPxTyi9JKNqiCoJQU45put2SKYkXIeU3yrhTcbxeue-Zx1jk7ITNfNV5qzEwrjXGlCevONo7Degxim8-gmbDApL5_3q8ahADqMM/s1600/03.png" height="240" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvjf7z6_wsMKurFEBqOHXGUTJl8hHuLXkGFQ3c2FHJ_pEjnEV0HKgsk4N_PZRrrNKCqZmXlSu1CNOdwiMF2_mpYnkm2_ZmfTMyMXMk21CKabDcoSP4IuwSV_haBVZ1a9rKnok6K4enS1s/s1600/02.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvjf7z6_wsMKurFEBqOHXGUTJl8hHuLXkGFQ3c2FHJ_pEjnEV0HKgsk4N_PZRrrNKCqZmXlSu1CNOdwiMF2_mpYnkm2_ZmfTMyMXMk21CKabDcoSP4IuwSV_haBVZ1a9rKnok6K4enS1s/s1600/02.png" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
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The two lock gates are normally closed and only opened, one at a time, to allow boats through.<br />
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So there is always access for walkers or cyclists by at least one route.<br />
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(These views are both of the lock gate on the Inverness side.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCizryBEySYwxAefR7vlRl4Yix6kU9KtxFejS5whF4GPVoClpV-HqgYzhxq95KuAeAe6pVPtUtFt2vOJJgANrwQYi7q4iQ_paI4lEQtGiP0c1OrgS-UO1gjAvKmmOSOGqGi2LPLmm4zS0/s1600/05.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCizryBEySYwxAefR7vlRl4Yix6kU9KtxFejS5whF4GPVoClpV-HqgYzhxq95KuAeAe6pVPtUtFt2vOJJgANrwQYi7q4iQ_paI4lEQtGiP0c1OrgS-UO1gjAvKmmOSOGqGi2LPLmm4zS0/s1600/05.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJrB4Ae0hpSeyXmI00Chfq6lo5fqCQ9gPctO4iN0kL93w3Cm5366yCTb6CiIav6FL5WWAJ9toHOageXG_AJRFaQPiHjfGDKvk7Sj8o4TkPdzf-Cgi9EYlT-k_vWzZX4xMwyB_HahOm0M/s1600/04.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJrB4Ae0hpSeyXmI00Chfq6lo5fqCQ9gPctO4iN0kL93w3Cm5366yCTb6CiIav6FL5WWAJ9toHOageXG_AJRFaQPiHjfGDKvk7Sj8o4TkPdzf-Cgi9EYlT-k_vWzZX4xMwyB_HahOm0M/s1600/04.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
It's not unusual to find somebody rummaging in the bushes.<br />
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But it's nothing strange or sinister ...<br />
... it's simply the bramble season.<br />
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Warning - The branches are extremely jabby! <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3CRW_Bkj26okapVml68Teq0xh-ZSGlB13XvHr88c33acvoE_5ZEAJ5uxUh9ICANmuVkphyphenhyphenZB0gw6JYdS8kq6H1AQeF5N53Wpn_MWolzNjivVoNGMcB6Hzhz4uR7NLwQVN04gJ5oVg0k/s1600/06.png" height="150" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caledonian Canal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfiaA5eFhYc_7PsrpiggeU_eSYEL3uCz0SdiA1d-S8M3ob7z9bAAwqXBb5LA-UbuSqXTo2nH2JriwLeYvNhzhgn5DF_ab7MjuIs5995sJHx565zQFVTEEF8O1QCMnJ0nwNyVNwi09prU/s1600/07.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfiaA5eFhYc_7PsrpiggeU_eSYEL3uCz0SdiA1d-S8M3ob7z9bAAwqXBb5LA-UbuSqXTo2nH2JriwLeYvNhzhgn5DF_ab7MjuIs5995sJHx565zQFVTEEF8O1QCMnJ0nwNyVNwi09prU/s1600/07.png" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bikes and boats</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyircF10cB4eixihEc0mVL8Y6gziWZv4hY2xm-Ov3LDkLaF7Y034-LHqu8RvOa4tGrwrLu5Me9TsJT5FlEU00PHHTvmFojErhPO2Qlg4k-eugxjRRW4cNSS4XQGAp7K6XvhPWutrDRhBc/s1600/07b.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyircF10cB4eixihEc0mVL8Y6gziWZv4hY2xm-Ov3LDkLaF7Y034-LHqu8RvOa4tGrwrLu5Me9TsJT5FlEU00PHHTvmFojErhPO2Qlg4k-eugxjRRW4cNSS4XQGAp7K6XvhPWutrDRhBc/s1600/07b.png" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bikes on boats</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Dochgarroch has more boats than houses.<br />
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Many chooses to commute by bike along the canal tow-path.<br />
Also popular with walkers with or without dogs.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs1iiME-803uflsn8G4152zaoMW-hWsj27XxqcqiX0laMupeZHQFCRQoTDo1c2qdJ_ZJ3Z9HDogxqfHm315W9r3t3odOnT7ych00Cf8uO38lJuO5KVhgTjJb9STRcaLilCHKqSEmuqH00/s1600/07c.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs1iiME-803uflsn8G4152zaoMW-hWsj27XxqcqiX0laMupeZHQFCRQoTDo1c2qdJ_ZJ3Z9HDogxqfHm315W9r3t3odOnT7ych00Cf8uO38lJuO5KVhgTjJb9STRcaLilCHKqSEmuqH00/s1600/07c.png" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(No bikes) just birds</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The damp, woody environment at this time of year suits a variety of mushrooms ... and brambles.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4kfSXsSAMpZb3ZvhfBMzwbB5dpq1DfNyxsK-aSegli40s8Hg2NgTI17-uuqo1n9FXWeUB7Z9lynpkk8rJ_vlUnWc_2Iah3SIKQnGrVq_3eA3NK8egu88op_sI2lbD1ple64umGgZ410Q/s1600/07d.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4kfSXsSAMpZb3ZvhfBMzwbB5dpq1DfNyxsK-aSegli40s8Hg2NgTI17-uuqo1n9FXWeUB7Z9lynpkk8rJ_vlUnWc_2Iah3SIKQnGrVq_3eA3NK8egu88op_sI2lbD1ple64umGgZ410Q/s1600/07d.png" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mushroom and bike</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW37NTiEKfnk_-KLD05BBx8ixl6bIbTI37DugPtd7Rio78JtiNVA31eRRbBj0bRTC54kbCNrivKyptrIzDK7L69S32UyhdoCw5MMr6QaDo_64kejOWOj5iikYui_O56hnbiJ6ovuEM9WM/s1600/09.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW37NTiEKfnk_-KLD05BBx8ixl6bIbTI37DugPtd7Rio78JtiNVA31eRRbBj0bRTC54kbCNrivKyptrIzDK7L69S32UyhdoCw5MMr6QaDo_64kejOWOj5iikYui_O56hnbiJ6ovuEM9WM/s1600/09.png" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mushroom clump</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOceqmiu-PdDdWRZJ7pkRtv2JUmzzDJOdS3Im_E_2yBrYfbY9VyYnJYmc1DSJaFLjjTFGINPNEFKaJQm7cM6YqZFL4yaCGVwaP7UXG4aHObrfgGzWQC_taTPumddfiNppA8ypk4WQvTs/s1600/08.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOceqmiu-PdDdWRZJ7pkRtv2JUmzzDJOdS3Im_E_2yBrYfbY9VyYnJYmc1DSJaFLjjTFGINPNEFKaJQm7cM6YqZFL4yaCGVwaP7UXG4aHObrfgGzWQC_taTPumddfiNppA8ypk4WQvTs/s1600/08.png" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mushroom 'ghost'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbRxOYpEFLcALG3Z7mpymdRkgsvQchlT_atohuRtjS5bSEKEz82Qh3t9mdQqd_7vGxHcXDRhlpXsaOZAWY5wT0FVDwsNHD5ZVCOZPIRbw_uAJ67ji4ER5uZ5N4ZCEJqJN8a5inwmMkU8U/s1600/11.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbRxOYpEFLcALG3Z7mpymdRkgsvQchlT_atohuRtjS5bSEKEz82Qh3t9mdQqd_7vGxHcXDRhlpXsaOZAWY5wT0FVDwsNHD5ZVCOZPIRbw_uAJ67ji4ER5uZ5N4ZCEJqJN8a5inwmMkU8U/s1600/11.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5tTg2ESwAuzi3ZuBIjvZSfMuHQU21opn1T4p0mMH75-sr6ENhLGaQ-IUDiWhDlRkXRy2-eiJfTQ41ycHDt99MS5GHM-EBaAcbvoRFjlfwNTPlRABxIHfsO7M0LFjnfk_7or_3U9KSNQ/s1600/10.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5tTg2ESwAuzi3ZuBIjvZSfMuHQU21opn1T4p0mMH75-sr6ENhLGaQ-IUDiWhDlRkXRy2-eiJfTQ41ycHDt99MS5GHM-EBaAcbvoRFjlfwNTPlRABxIHfsO7M0LFjnfk_7or_3U9KSNQ/s1600/10.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
The middle stretch of the trip has a strong natural wilderness feel about it.<br />
<br />
The quiet is occasionally disturbed by a convoy of boats making their way along the canal.<br />
<br />
Exchanging friendly waves is quite common. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeoszyfi6YtzGewmSv_JP6cHiiEtWeiDto6w_rpOj3QlRf7W-VWAhz5BZWAQcqvdf0S3rzkizcqJFzht2-YUByt0yRZPSEaydyCV54nXzvZ3gG7Duu1o1xg_DvsRXgCm3C3yyOdq-dJHg/s1600/13.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeoszyfi6YtzGewmSv_JP6cHiiEtWeiDto6w_rpOj3QlRf7W-VWAhz5BZWAQcqvdf0S3rzkizcqJFzht2-YUByt0yRZPSEaydyCV54nXzvZ3gG7Duu1o1xg_DvsRXgCm3C3yyOdq-dJHg/s1600/13.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbB5imbbI7q4oEOD6t6M_m8ny-JZPu9MLZiQ72OjTor4Lii6Ti7mlqsb7uV-6SaJYkC-RK7W5gOWPZA73bs9Qz26LW9XSPLlOdSd3D3x2-HbHDW7rDxtA0hlEqcbb0FL3h06Z3koxpn8/s1600/12.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbB5imbbI7q4oEOD6t6M_m8ny-JZPu9MLZiQ72OjTor4Lii6Ti7mlqsb7uV-6SaJYkC-RK7W5gOWPZA73bs9Qz26LW9XSPLlOdSd3D3x2-HbHDW7rDxtA0hlEqcbb0FL3h06Z3koxpn8/s1600/12.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
The path is a bit rough but well-maintained and suitable for tour cycling.<br />
<br />
Hi-viz seems a bit out of place here although bike bells are appreciated, particularly by people walking their dogs.<br />
<br />
Houses are rare but can be quite grand.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5_i3SLfU8nO_-JvivPYRRon63GMg9ytTxO83mfs61a6VETPA4cZi6C2nQ5E6PnyiIohVirsbkwFMWET2Gqw5K3rI_ahhedFzSiLhxG2lFHr69Lq1utkxFNqbaxTaC9nNNhPYtQwoHro/s1600/15.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5_i3SLfU8nO_-JvivPYRRon63GMg9ytTxO83mfs61a6VETPA4cZi6C2nQ5E6PnyiIohVirsbkwFMWET2Gqw5K3rI_ahhedFzSiLhxG2lFHr69Lq1utkxFNqbaxTaC9nNNhPYtQwoHro/s1600/15.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-981NLYMpnwSM0k3SefUfafeRM2qR_Xgv2XW0FShFxT-XZAZDOx8GadnixIV0PYXYzUKYZ4AqoPeoG60V2oUlPoWxPDTmVe4-TF-yFk2roX8-57CykDr1IYTbKRrDdcbCB1lmooTH0Uk/s1600/14.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-981NLYMpnwSM0k3SefUfafeRM2qR_Xgv2XW0FShFxT-XZAZDOx8GadnixIV0PYXYzUKYZ4AqoPeoG60V2oUlPoWxPDTmVe4-TF-yFk2roX8-57CykDr1IYTbKRrDdcbCB1lmooTH0Uk/s1600/14.png" height="150" width="200" /></a>The bank widens to give a clear view of both the Caledonian Canal and the River Ness.<br />
<br />
By this point the River is at a much lower level than the Canal. - No brambles here.<br />
<br />
A little further to Tomnahurich Swing Bridge<br />
(or Millerton as it is also known and easier to say)<br />
and we've arrived at the A82 into Inverness.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcd-PwpSi5ui4GVmtpHfF5LLp5zNhmmD4GO-kaVIoo_bvrcb1L2QFkE9DoecedQtW30hb4xRbZnP8q3-0_8hVfnR2sbMkAFXx-DVyQ1CiQdqMWqt3_L7fhFCUzQDx7JFMRtHIA9g3CE8c/s1600/16.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcd-PwpSi5ui4GVmtpHfF5LLp5zNhmmD4GO-kaVIoo_bvrcb1L2QFkE9DoecedQtW30hb4xRbZnP8q3-0_8hVfnR2sbMkAFXx-DVyQ1CiQdqMWqt3_L7fhFCUzQDx7JFMRtHIA9g3CE8c/s1600/16.png" height="240" width="320" /></a> So I'd made a round trip of 10 miles on a lovely day,<br />
met some interesting people<br />
and returned with a large bowl of fresh brambles<br />
that I'll be having with my breakfast over the next few days.<br />
<br />
I would be nice if everybody who cycles to work<br />
could enjoy a similarly pleasant daily commute.<br />
<br />
But I understand other experiences are available!<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><b><span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="color: blue;">Your comments are welcome.</span></span></b></i> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSG0Ih6EKShQO8KtswtgnsXrP4Aw-hx9iJyoWWGV0xeYAlADkSsgyQE7Mfl3HYpCZSpK4dowIDY4fpBHDwgKrnw6gYjZwnAF_Lhdqf7X8Ju0kHJhOtTW1mqG8oTMeMHZAOITTZnBL2hA/s1600/PA050020.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSG0Ih6EKShQO8KtswtgnsXrP4Aw-hx9iJyoWWGV0xeYAlADkSsgyQE7Mfl3HYpCZSpK4dowIDY4fpBHDwgKrnw6gYjZwnAF_Lhdqf7X8Ju0kHJhOtTW1mqG8oTMeMHZAOITTZnBL2hA/s1600/PA050020.png" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
This weekend the <b>Scottish Greens</b> met for their <a href="http://www.scottishgreens.org.uk/conference-2013/">2013 Conference</a> at Eden Court, Inverness. <a href="http://alisonjohnstonemsp.com/">Alison Johnstone MSP</a> was attending and kindly took time out to meet some members of the <b>Highland Cycle Campaign</b> (<a href="http://www.highlandcyclecampaign.com/">HCC</a>).<br />
<br />
The Highlands cover a large area but there were HCC representatives from all over.<br />
<br />
Alison was keen to learn about some of the many issues concerning HCC.<br />
<br />
[Pictured: Tess, Alison, <span style="font-size: xx-small;">ZenBike</span>, Brian, Anne]<br />
<br />
<br /><h4>
Dr Gus Jones (Strathspey)</h4>
<ul>
<li><b>New Housing Development</b>. A local <a href="http://www.strathspey-herald.co.uk/News/Controversial-Cairngorms-housing-plans-lodged-25042013.htm">issue</a> with national consequences where the interests of a small rural community are up against large business and the likely loser is the environment.</li>
</ul>
<h4>
Brian MacKenzie (Inverness)</h4>
<ul>
<li><b>Flood Alleviation Scheme</b>. The Highland Council has spent a lot of time preparing for this.The construction phase is just beginning.</li>
<li><b>The Golden Bridge</b>. The one-piece 84 metre span of the bridge was lowered into position in April 2013. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU0W-ydZd8Q">Video</a> (jump to 4:55). Opening date still unknown. Work continues on the end ramps and steps.</li>
<li><b>Prince Charlie Way</b>. Part of this is planned to provide a cycle route connecting the City Centre to the Golden Bridge. Some ideas from HCC <a href="http://www.zenbike.co.uk/cycling/issues/millburn_road/mbr/index.html">here</a>.</li>
</ul>
<h4>
Anne Thomas and Gerard Church (Black Isle)</h4>
<ul>
<li><b>Transition Black Isle</b>. The <a href="http://www.transitionblackisle.org/million-miles-project.asp">Million Miles project</a> focuses on safer, greener, more sociable travel. And <a href="http://www.transitionblackisle.org/cycling.asp">cycling </a>continues to be a particular success.</li>
<li><b>The Kessock Bridge Upgrade</b>. Early in <a href="http://zenbikermaniac.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/kessock-bridge-upgrade-phase-1-recycled.html">Phase 1</a> of the project, HCC provided detailed <a href="http://zenbikermaniac.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/shore-street-to-kessock-bridge.html">feedback</a> of problems. The signage for cyclists (and pedestrians) was particularly misleading. Transport Scotland seemed to adopt a superior attitude and failed to engage in any genuine
support of cycling policy. Touring cyclists were still getting lost as late as <a href="http://zenbikermaniac.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/approach-to-kessock-bridge-from-longman.html">July 2013</a>. It is hoped that Phase 2 will be better. </li>
</ul>
<h4>
In addition, HCC is also active at a national level:</h4>
<ul>
<li><b>Cycling needs more realistic funding</b>. The current cycling funding for the whole of Scotland is only 5% of a single project, dualling the A9. Whereas cycling should be 10% of the Transport budget.</li>
<li><b>Transport Scotland needs a dedicated team for cycling</b>. This would include engineers with a
professional understanding of quality cycle provision. The goal being real priority to
encourage and increase all forms of cycling. </li>
<li><span><b>Stronger backing from Government to advance cycling</b>. </span>Government needs to get tough with landowners who stand in the way of
cycle schemes for no good reason.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsW_o26zfnNlBnHebrKF3AgMDOqfd6Nr4Cx8Th0Oz43ytixfwYBwqHQ5IszUsjE7u1TXCAqGZY-2eKTsVi3zYBUsiM2pxJmwehrgHPQ8zzm02vndqa6NVk_uFjsC2SGy2_kBWhUof-xKw/s1600/PA060026_tn.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsW_o26zfnNlBnHebrKF3AgMDOqfd6Nr4Cx8Th0Oz43ytixfwYBwqHQ5IszUsjE7u1TXCAqGZY-2eKTsVi3zYBUsiM2pxJmwehrgHPQ8zzm02vndqa6NVk_uFjsC2SGy2_kBWhUof-xKw/s1600/PA060026_tn.png" /></a></div>
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<i><b><span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="color: blue;">Your comments are welcome.</span></span></b></i><br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637606419924977484.post-16008439193645844912013-09-09T01:31:00.001+01:002013-09-09T01:31:51.183+01:00A Potentially Minor Confrontation Averted<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UjNsTIQxGmwbVm6RfqSfrSTBhqA9PkWTe3oAzfKvNS2qrQn9zDOo2d9tAUkzlgAhhSSEepYUtY198xcZl8wmGiU3yOgdGr03o2JY9M4-VBM_kgMhu6nuMY-ZLicYBBDuYKbsuSppZaI/s1600/ZenBike+UK+0219.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UjNsTIQxGmwbVm6RfqSfrSTBhqA9PkWTe3oAzfKvNS2qrQn9zDOo2d9tAUkzlgAhhSSEepYUtY198xcZl8wmGiU3yOgdGr03o2JY9M4-VBM_kgMhu6nuMY-ZLicYBBDuYKbsuSppZaI/s1600/ZenBike+UK+0219.png" height="150" width="200" /></a>This is Bart, a Frenchman I met recently. In the past few weeks he has cycled through Wales, Ireland and Scotland. He's been up to John o'Groats and was passing through Inverness on his way South.<br />
<br />
As you can see, his bike is well-equipped, he has a map (and knows how to use it),<br />
and he's even wearing a helmet.<br />
<br />
He's clearly not just popping along to the shops nor is he a racer.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWF4r3N0fLbYWBR463l9O1ObOXYHAUvEJ78qEr9RYnsxBRXMCGyhAJoSI7mwxeCb_0LV-DDn2Es6NnX6kxzRePo5H4iIEploIW53FyKaAjuwYCZE3LhG4z9HDLN_XQVwf2GiIYmVwPblw/s1600/P9070016.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWF4r3N0fLbYWBR463l9O1ObOXYHAUvEJ78qEr9RYnsxBRXMCGyhAJoSI7mwxeCb_0LV-DDn2Es6NnX6kxzRePo5H4iIEploIW53FyKaAjuwYCZE3LhG4z9HDLN_XQVwf2GiIYmVwPblw/s1600/P9070016.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyqub6zjn2PbbHH6WTfkRKBkbBcqRVHVEi2Gn8_1-WYd44XvDGUMCjOR4QWMKHEwkQ8zVzDVDp3OlFIedGngHaNClssg5WG1TPSWPySbC4-fwwqx49U_xgzVP0AmjzxWLOuYdD8n9iFbw/s1600/P9070013.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyqub6zjn2PbbHH6WTfkRKBkbBcqRVHVEi2Gn8_1-WYd44XvDGUMCjOR4QWMKHEwkQ8zVzDVDp3OlFIedGngHaNClssg5WG1TPSWPySbC4-fwwqx49U_xgzVP0AmjzxWLOuYdD8n9iFbw/s1600/P9070013.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
I saw him as he was following Route 1 of the NCN (<i><a href="http://www.sustrans.org.uk/scotland/national-cycle-network">National Cycle Network</a></i>) along this road towards the T-junction where he intended to turn left.<br />
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I was cycling along on the main road (right to left).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUEEsNvsrWhLSuXjqKyrZRSgNERuK_sF-w5WtA67INwOgsh4EAZlJ4mpQpzLXyDu2RZkdBn4TNCA6har_zDpnJ0CTtPlBmNU5mZmnd-KMWE-soHRZl5rxWWao2vioJSdSYABOT8gtxsA/s1600/P9070018.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUEEsNvsrWhLSuXjqKyrZRSgNERuK_sF-w5WtA67INwOgsh4EAZlJ4mpQpzLXyDu2RZkdBn4TNCA6har_zDpnJ0CTtPlBmNU5mZmnd-KMWE-soHRZl5rxWWao2vioJSdSYABOT8gtxsA/s1600/P9070018.png" height="150" width="200" /></a>When he arrived at the traffic lights they were at red.<br />
He stopped in the box, behind the ASL (Advanced Stop Line).<br />
A car drew up and stopped behind him.<br />
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With the light still at red, Bart decided to cycle forward to the dropped kerb and onto the pavement on the left.<br />
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The driver behind sounded his/her horn a couple of times.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0e60DgiYMlRRFsokzHoQGstxZ71SnM__CD6wCLaMkW3hNay-pL7az1gBjo9zIZSOORXC0P8b84WHheuj3tH3qf06K9xZ4KlV0Q4ppnvNIzj1cIDw8ARCDbBNV-xCs9ropmr4Hi9w7hk/s1600/P9070019.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0e60DgiYMlRRFsokzHoQGstxZ71SnM__CD6wCLaMkW3hNay-pL7az1gBjo9zIZSOORXC0P8b84WHheuj3tH3qf06K9xZ4KlV0Q4ppnvNIzj1cIDw8ARCDbBNV-xCs9ropmr4Hi9w7hk/s1600/P9070019.png" height="150" width="200" /></a>In the eyes of the driver, Bart had broken two rules:<br />
jumped a red light and cycled on the pavement.<br />
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This bit of pavement is used regularly by cyclists for the usual reason<br />
- fear of cycling on the road.<br />
(The picture shows another cyclist at a different time.)<br />
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As far as I'm aware, pedestrians and cyclist co-exist here without problems.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikg1wmDzqtHS19a3pBFohyGiG-dUgcsyDAvkDn1lYerAv1X4oMkhAjL-_pOiIvfpvQkrhQNm9SEzGyI7vhhQKUugiZpzp7A8ZLkIUToIaZAw1KtTPPg2lGd993aW58edfYPRqoqUFid-4/s1600/P9070026.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikg1wmDzqtHS19a3pBFohyGiG-dUgcsyDAvkDn1lYerAv1X4oMkhAjL-_pOiIvfpvQkrhQNm9SEzGyI7vhhQKUugiZpzp7A8ZLkIUToIaZAw1KtTPPg2lGd993aW58edfYPRqoqUFid-4/s1600/P9070026.png" height="150" width="200" /></a>Round the corner, Bart went back onto the road and used the advisory cycle lane.<br />
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According to the NWC (<i><a href="http://nicewaycode.com/">Nice Way Code</a></i>):<br />
Bart shouldn't jump a red light and is old enough not to be cycling on the pavement.<br />
I believe he acted with due care.<br />
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On the other hand the driver broke a rule by sounding the horn.<br />
Sitting in a car doesn't give the right to pass judgement on others.<br />
Or had I discovered one of those rare drivers who has been affected by the NWC?<br />
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<i><b><span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="color: blue;">Your comments are welcome.</span></span></b></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637606419924977484.post-27564295739320898832013-08-19T12:01:00.001+01:002013-08-20T01:43:19.183+01:00Nice Way Code<br />
If you've not heard of the <a href="http://nicewaycode.com/" target="_blank"><b>Nice Way Code</b></a> (NWC) you might be better not reading any further.<br />
On the other hand, if you're a Scottish taxpayer then you might want to how £420, 000 has been spent.<br />
<br />
Despite the hype, most views I've seen are overwhelmingly against the campaign.<br />
The objective is fine but the approach taken is doing more harm than good.<br />
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I thought it was a good time to offer some constructive criticism of the Online Booklet<br />
not just for road users but for the benefit of graphic artists and historians.<br />
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<h4>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMkPluskCs1bdPciqZj1xTpZdMozWJ7p6gVwmhhyEbTCJS4u2XXndDcn1YjOtZKtpdjihKHXrBAVL3EKfBbwpTogGIpycG2GkXl_9Z4IEO_lMh46ix4uUda3p7-3ztx9kR_eMp1_3nK0/s1600/nwc_01.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMkPluskCs1bdPciqZj1xTpZdMozWJ7p6gVwmhhyEbTCJS4u2XXndDcn1YjOtZKtpdjihKHXrBAVL3EKfBbwpTogGIpycG2GkXl_9Z4IEO_lMh46ix4uUda3p7-3ztx9kR_eMp1_3nK0/s1600/nwc_01.png" height="140" width="200" /></a>1 - See Cyclist. Think Horse.</h4>
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Horse on a bike - guaranteed to annoy/confuse everybody.<br />
Someone commented that overtaking a horse wasn't very common in Scotland.<br />
NWC replied with the suggestion that Glasgow Police had a few horses.<br />
Bad example - police horses are trained not to be intimidated by close passes.<br />
But this is a serious matter and is re-visited in slide 7. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_Xao3_p1iqu3Ps2xPCBArVD3TU2yVmfCECN2kpmO05CX1B9CazX4q__Cdv27IShbGXZ8PXs1WxdiJ_Ktt2wdHyF2ar2lpD486I3c_Tt3KE4ckdcW7nMedaSRqpnz2QNc4y7sV41k4cY/s1600/nwc_02.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_Xao3_p1iqu3Ps2xPCBArVD3TU2yVmfCECN2kpmO05CX1B9CazX4q__Cdv27IShbGXZ8PXs1WxdiJ_Ktt2wdHyF2ar2lpD486I3c_Tt3KE4ckdcW7nMedaSRqpnz2QNc4y7sV41k4cY/s1600/nwc_02.png" height="141" width="200" /></a>2 - Running Reds. Just Don't Do It.</h4>
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Who's it aimed at? Looks like pedestrians.<br />
No. It's bad cyclists annoying drivers.<br />
It's actually a running snooker pun: red, rest, break, ...... not to mention the triangular frame in the diagram.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Z6drfn8_FjoPDUoqCZ1iHR1H5hDqo6DcadLWn9WW4MiZWui_6ZTMKYd1ZOeEsegK4_D5WXjfvffhN0pwV9VQ82zudbH40W14U07aEldpbxpvVU9JzKu7lzrYpGvnV3A4ga4lhDKdlNA/s1600/nwc_03.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Z6drfn8_FjoPDUoqCZ1iHR1H5hDqo6DcadLWn9WW4MiZWui_6ZTMKYd1ZOeEsegK4_D5WXjfvffhN0pwV9VQ82zudbH40W14U07aEldpbxpvVU9JzKu7lzrYpGvnV3A4ga4lhDKdlNA/s1600/nwc_03.png" height="141" width="200" /></a>3 - Keep a Lookout for Cyclists at Junctions. </h4>
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This one has a nautical flavour: lookout, high seas, perilous, sail, ...<br />
Be patient with cyclists but remember the ultimate aim is to overtake them.<br />
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<h4>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1J7AiylTsr7JLqDSA_dTJAR3Eo83m4dt03Wz4S3lqk9ARjFdKPhJdbsdBAgrUrLNITOg_ievQ7MUc_rnwameKRnirXe-eJZEbaR7Jbr9zoYdvv_nVUQHN1K3pXsaWGwuf4zQsgDjLSY/s1600/nwc_04.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1J7AiylTsr7JLqDSA_dTJAR3Eo83m4dt03Wz4S3lqk9ARjFdKPhJdbsdBAgrUrLNITOg_ievQ7MUc_rnwameKRnirXe-eJZEbaR7Jbr9zoYdvv_nVUQHN1K3pXsaWGwuf4zQsgDjLSY/s1600/nwc_04.png" height="141" width="200" /></a>4 - Drivers like it when you dress brightly.</h4>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWCHjyN3jUMJLXUrs5VmD6JQec3pn_ik_cjKVLcey3Dl8ajl4tCEK5MXdOPK-TuHkKsW8vib8l4_KISrRN5sUU0U2VitY__jKmJd2GpBN6dgpY2ZPdtM0XdIcSGMkd-YajFRfV2-zdsw/s1600/nwc_04_zen.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWCHjyN3jUMJLXUrs5VmD6JQec3pn_ik_cjKVLcey3Dl8ajl4tCEK5MXdOPK-TuHkKsW8vib8l4_KISrRN5sUU0U2VitY__jKmJd2GpBN6dgpY2ZPdtM0XdIcSGMkd-YajFRfV2-zdsw/s1600/nwc_04_zen.png" height="183" width="200" /></a>I think it's meant to hint at a carnival parade<br />
but it's a bit muddled.<br />
I've tried coming up with a different angle on this one.<br />
But I just can't shift my original impression:<br />
cyclist wearing a bra and cannabis.<br />
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<h4>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhSDm5EzkxD-468XmNiMPHsz5ArYLXyCo0EZSOOjjc8xlAGK-kAXn6eMRCgICSZBherehwZT92DxDaQEZlohclsDohte4ZebyAq2JpBaieRL3tswIrl8oU8zd-xJPYgPBhtm5iC79h7dI/s1600/nwc_05.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhSDm5EzkxD-468XmNiMPHsz5ArYLXyCo0EZSOOjjc8xlAGK-kAXn6eMRCgICSZBherehwZT92DxDaQEZlohclsDohte4ZebyAq2JpBaieRL3tswIrl8oU8zd-xJPYgPBhtm5iC79h7dI/s1600/nwc_05.png" height="141" width="200" /></a>5 - Don't let your phone distract you when you're crossing the road.</h4>
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Apart from being a bit wordy and dull, this one is not bad.<br />
It's not rude to anyone and only mentions cyclists at the end ...<br />
... which is nice. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__3OiDId_mdwSW2XdJMB2Ec-JB9EmabYGvruKAeRTK4j17Hn9LnkqITNSroey3oyNPPdOj4401CeZyfaU9Km7ZODGauSpIXGtTB74uCvaUvPvsi5wxd4UMyoUQg23VV155BLb7G5ijpY/s1600/nwc_06.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__3OiDId_mdwSW2XdJMB2Ec-JB9EmabYGvruKAeRTK4j17Hn9LnkqITNSroey3oyNPPdOj4401CeZyfaU9Km7ZODGauSpIXGtTB74uCvaUvPvsi5wxd4UMyoUQg23VV155BLb7G5ijpY/s1600/nwc_06.png" height="141" width="200" /></a>6 - If you drive in the square, you're a total rhombus.</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheWh3uwz-1bKTyawaSQswRXEcIVbwNRAnScAJKD14j4WFiypdXlE-c7xvD9tV-VUT_E3HljGSAWortORMn4ZVPbDJNsCiSoPNieHSg9pzMFrekhlB_MKuWYrLdV3IPc88vFKcIyBioer8/s1600/diamond_01.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheWh3uwz-1bKTyawaSQswRXEcIVbwNRAnScAJKD14j4WFiypdXlE-c7xvD9tV-VUT_E3HljGSAWortORMn4ZVPbDJNsCiSoPNieHSg9pzMFrekhlB_MKuWYrLdV3IPc88vFKcIyBioer8/s1600/diamond_01.png" height="125" width="200" /></a>As a mathematician, I'm aware that most people don't know (or care) what a rhombus is.<br />
The nearest many get is joking about a '<i>wrong bus</i>'.<br />
And an ASL patch is not typically a square.<br />
'<i>Only diamonds in the square</i>' might have worked ...<br />
... but probably not.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLaDCE3t4eoG9h-GulB_D6up045P-2R-7GYsBRuToByebS8aCZf3iqfCGROcEYZrgwUdBbkVw9-csxJVGU049U8xellSi9IRV2xS4wLosg4inOO3AEAmRSo5cDzMx6r86xRWQO1LtocnA/s1600/nwc_07_zen.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLaDCE3t4eoG9h-GulB_D6up045P-2R-7GYsBRuToByebS8aCZf3iqfCGROcEYZrgwUdBbkVw9-csxJVGU049U8xellSi9IRV2xS4wLosg4inOO3AEAmRSo5cDzMx6r86xRWQO1LtocnA/s1600/nwc_07_zen.png" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_xr78YvnPnY_sThQf74OqyyeLcNGfhvno23Z130ZQviCwLvaZqSITdmVCckV1liBHp1P1S2Jc9cvzAkRylcieAi4Mwp-FeCHg85lGgWQDtDjQVkMQbmn_zNtkoKDoMERTvXKwoRY71vc/s1600/nwc_07.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_xr78YvnPnY_sThQf74OqyyeLcNGfhvno23Z130ZQviCwLvaZqSITdmVCckV1liBHp1P1S2Jc9cvzAkRylcieAi4Mwp-FeCHg85lGgWQDtDjQVkMQbmn_zNtkoKDoMERTvXKwoRY71vc/s1600/nwc_07.png" height="141" width="200" /></a>7 - Give cyclists enough space.</h4>
<br />
This one deservedly got the most comments,<br />
by upsetting both cyclists and cats.<br />
My joking suggestion was to replace the cat<br />
with the horse from slide 1.<br />
It's fun but I still don't think the message gets through. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq2nd8XtDwryYXtoyKGTx-TmZVCTO9stiJu-NFtn7RHFvZxzYdku-7e3tfe8oGixAXs9KhocsyTpguJRpAl9vmm-0br82Kg9lZgoG7cKxATR4TcLzDH4WTN72p1iipGDxxiAW1icklYvE/s1600/specific+distance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq2nd8XtDwryYXtoyKGTx-TmZVCTO9stiJu-NFtn7RHFvZxzYdku-7e3tfe8oGixAXs9KhocsyTpguJRpAl9vmm-0br82Kg9lZgoG7cKxATR4TcLzDH4WTN72p1iipGDxxiAW1icklYvE/s1600/specific+distance.jpg" height="100" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2QsNdEoHCozSZFr-alDG99xM2_dPvXjCKn07s7UvZhyphenhyphenAhzUPrPGYqX1XVD4HM4iEMaIkIofb24GOg6NYJgFu-xB0zP2xyEEQMyDYfQw5YSQp66GtB0tDC2yv2g32Ida1ph7YMUyfBOzY/s1600/take+the+lane+extender.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2QsNdEoHCozSZFr-alDG99xM2_dPvXjCKn07s7UvZhyphenhyphenAhzUPrPGYqX1XVD4HM4iEMaIkIofb24GOg6NYJgFu-xB0zP2xyEEQMyDYfQw5YSQp66GtB0tDC2yv2g32Ida1ph7YMUyfBOzY/s1600/take+the+lane+extender.png" height="200" width="200" /></a>More seriously, '<i>as much space as you'd give a car</i>'<br />
is not helpful. It's too vague.<br />
Some drivers don't even give other cars enough space.<br />
What we need is clear advice, as in some other countries, to allow 1.5 m (about 5 feet).<br />
A '<i>Nice</i>' lolly might also do the trick. <br />
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<h4>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj43cm4qtVKSFfIaKSeQWU9wYOtoahhg8cteu85PYq6JHrBMq0cSuBdQOJ0eRNwpZ2w3CkZj6zN0RnMPQTqvDCi5ZOAyTJw3VKSfoMsS1NvmoyDZ7jm3ggPhPgU_XXhAGl49h0iDnjEWbU/s1600/nwc_08.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj43cm4qtVKSFfIaKSeQWU9wYOtoahhg8cteu85PYq6JHrBMq0cSuBdQOJ0eRNwpZ2w3CkZj6zN0RnMPQTqvDCi5ZOAyTJw3VKSfoMsS1NvmoyDZ7jm3ggPhPgU_XXhAGl49h0iDnjEWbU/s1600/nwc_08.png" height="141" width="200" /></a>8 - Always pass large vehicles on the right.</h4>
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On the face of it this one sounds sensible<br />
but ambiguous situations can arise.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQDJzwj14nVBntouzNc4TInfM0ulOjChd5Fxkk-1WMUR_pmh_A2e4lepjt4fhRHg_v_XjF3Dh3Djy0kjiOlZAj8DDBVprb2YwQnsPwpWNi67Yi-tqDdORwY-5p_rBzgO4o5JYhY7Rm4U/s1600/tw+St_Matthiesen_2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQDJzwj14nVBntouzNc4TInfM0ulOjChd5Fxkk-1WMUR_pmh_A2e4lepjt4fhRHg_v_XjF3Dh3Djy0kjiOlZAj8DDBVprb2YwQnsPwpWNi67Yi-tqDdORwY-5p_rBzgO4o5JYhY7Rm4U/s1600/tw+St_Matthiesen_2.png" height="153" width="200" /></a>And then a similar message appears on the back of a bus.<br />
Other people have pointed out the flaws in this.<br />
The main one being what if there's a cycle lane on the left?<br />
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Here, you can see the bus is stopped (brake-lights on).<br />
Slide 10 might have an answer :)<br />
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<h4>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4C3yE8aTya2_6da9O1cXY-BwrEQmO1hHJUyFKr8BBVjvlR2PpyHcuZ7KgEz_JbhkxPzT_QHTJzSSHv9J5USdXlw86wNNrl1Ia7_P8Gpd9poOSTpAqQKF5V-V1Tk8VgZHqXGwA4ewVIE/s1600/nwc_09.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4C3yE8aTya2_6da9O1cXY-BwrEQmO1hHJUyFKr8BBVjvlR2PpyHcuZ7KgEz_JbhkxPzT_QHTJzSSHv9J5USdXlw86wNNrl1Ia7_P8Gpd9poOSTpAqQKF5V-V1Tk8VgZHqXGwA4ewVIE/s1600/nwc_09.png" height="141" width="200" /></a>9 - Pedestrians are fragile. Look out for them.</h4>
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Similar to slide 3, except it's lookout for pedestrians this time instead of cyclists.<br />
Maybe everybody (but particularly motor vehicle drivers) should just lookout for others.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdp99NZSfNZaT5h89zAmRVs6-PKYIaCSSZo1xjxmyoYPeCoY8hxg3HdX604vLHw9ykaS9BlgiDLhHgKMt8cMWdzBVNbglJpP3Oh3D9GOZpartK6Z5SQPKCXxz9MQa7MFKbPWfr9CWPCLo/s1600/nwc_10_zen.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdp99NZSfNZaT5h89zAmRVs6-PKYIaCSSZo1xjxmyoYPeCoY8hxg3HdX604vLHw9ykaS9BlgiDLhHgKMt8cMWdzBVNbglJpP3Oh3D9GOZpartK6Z5SQPKCXxz9MQa7MFKbPWfr9CWPCLo/s1600/nwc_10_zen.png" height="200" width="178" /></a><br />
<h4>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2KsBTDSpfi5gOQDJvHYpMviMDNwjT9U81RZ3z4ACiE7__QSooJqZxhJ4ILU2oX69RFDA7i8nE98Y80T0ZLG3YNAuAFTOwBSDpvp1ar1VOEQ5ajhDiPZoazuKN1gym2PkARZGxnN6NkPQ/s1600/nwc_10.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2KsBTDSpfi5gOQDJvHYpMviMDNwjT9U81RZ3z4ACiE7__QSooJqZxhJ4ILU2oX69RFDA7i8nE98Y80T0ZLG3YNAuAFTOwBSDpvp1ar1VOEQ5ajhDiPZoazuKN1gym2PkARZGxnN6NkPQ/s1600/nwc_10.png" height="141" width="200" /></a>10 - Shouldn't you grow out of cycling on the pavement?</h4>
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People don't cycle on the pavement to be annoying.<br />
They do it because sometimes it's the safest place.<br />
As long as pavement cyclists look out for pedestrians<br />
they do no harm, young or old.<br />
My favourite. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXO9YWYxfahCqdLRUOji4Jv6uQ9MdXM_YVLrJ4ztaDzu6zjj1H4Ptp-Dwl4zvhJBo9GmkmYSaAtKzIQIuOI06jEJpGhU8d8YHpCQLU_8b6tK0-R3pQpcPy2FZGAo5eWVZRVJt7h9O4nUw/s1600/left+right+wrong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXO9YWYxfahCqdLRUOji4Jv6uQ9MdXM_YVLrJ4ztaDzu6zjj1H4Ptp-Dwl4zvhJBo9GmkmYSaAtKzIQIuOI06jEJpGhU8d8YHpCQLU_8b6tK0-R3pQpcPy2FZGAo5eWVZRVJt7h9O4nUw/s1600/left+right+wrong.jpg" height="200" width="197" /></a>Left - Right - Wrong.<br />
<br />
This one appeared in the press at the weekend.<br />
The inference is that cyclists should confine themselves<br />
to the approved hand signals and not anything obscene.<br />
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NWC crossed the decency boundary with this one.<br />
<b>Sara Dorman</b> sent <a href="http://deceasedcanine.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/ive-seen-enough-have-you.html" target="_blank">an open letter</a> to all her MSPs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1YwV0MPKW4StW8h2S24ImIGSyVhYt3_1_qXp46hl0VI5pjjPOGlBu-wa8kqIkhtwi4MYTwdTl587t2qCjHsWHVPtN09aGEcCGgutwplZRRQBKF-yEn3vBBStZeUz6S_ZvuDQATDGxKOM/s1600/nwc_00+abbey+road+zen+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1YwV0MPKW4StW8h2S24ImIGSyVhYt3_1_qXp46hl0VI5pjjPOGlBu-wa8kqIkhtwi4MYTwdTl587t2qCjHsWHVPtN09aGEcCGgutwplZRRQBKF-yEn3vBBStZeUz6S_ZvuDQATDGxKOM/s1600/nwc_00+abbey+road+zen+3.png" height="240" width="320" /></a>Cyclists have gone through various emotions during this campaign:<br />
expectation, disappointment, incredulity, bewilderment, ...<br />
But this latest offering is simply insulting - One sign too many!<br />
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There is a feeling that <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/People/14944/Scottish-Cabinet/keithbrownmsp" target="_blank"><b>Keith Brown MSP</b></a> may be a Minister too many<br />
and should be left to march out of the picture. <br />
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[Apologies to Abbey Road]<br />
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[Credit to all Scottish taxpayers for funding the artwork :)]<br />
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<i><b><span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="color: blue;">Your comments are welcome.</span></span></b></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637606419924977484.post-73329044475150320432013-07-25T21:50:00.001+01:002013-07-25T21:50:55.533+01:00Kessock Bridge Upgrade - Phase 1 - Recycled<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_o1UKl7lxDzEHWLIbbXl3i_u5aiNWwZEi6DG4VO-lzNL4NEc3JS5Aesur2o7pQ6apWx5Cm22r_Toxslg3gC0C7Xj_7IishM4b3Wr3liVhBSaPUCoaWeLncKL8__YDKwbotDeo-ObvvS0/s1600/01.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_o1UKl7lxDzEHWLIbbXl3i_u5aiNWwZEi6DG4VO-lzNL4NEc3JS5Aesur2o7pQ6apWx5Cm22r_Toxslg3gC0C7Xj_7IishM4b3Wr3liVhBSaPUCoaWeLncKL8__YDKwbotDeo-ObvvS0/s1600/01.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
The cycle path was opened 3 weeks after <a href="http://zenbikermaniac.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/kessock-bridge-upgrade-phase-1-complete.html">Phase 1 was announced as completed.</a><br />
So the diversion has been removed and normal cycle routes reinstated.<br />
I cycled the route to check it out a few days after it had been re-opened.<br />
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The start from Longman Roundabout was disappointing.<br />
The support for a fallen-down sign partly blocked the path.<br />
A line of 3 barriers closed off a previous cycle crossing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDceSR9DJ8O2oa6loOIC1xnPA1SNHtgJmUv1Wb5GmXt49PqXuvDrqCNpX0AAcfuQ3DWQdn5nibjZ1eyVsXXvAe2Zfrvkaq8gTVZYSM86p1XGvuYJKCLNzQafGKP4Q1zPgQ1pJbhDGaEk/s1600/02.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDceSR9DJ8O2oa6loOIC1xnPA1SNHtgJmUv1Wb5GmXt49PqXuvDrqCNpX0AAcfuQ3DWQdn5nibjZ1eyVsXXvAe2Zfrvkaq8gTVZYSM86p1XGvuYJKCLNzQafGKP4Q1zPgQ1pJbhDGaEk/s1600/02.png" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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I continued along the old cycle path towards the bridge.<br />
At the start of the bridge there was a notice warning of continued work.<br />
Workmen could clearly be seen towards the middle of the bridge. <br />
"CYCLISTS DISMOUNT" - here or at the obstruction?<br />
The road barriers cause a slight narrowing of the cycle path.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_x6jVCjbX86iSzIPy6cbNHTh0WhRmRPz36QLC-Et243siW3qy8wSbvHd_XH7V0FT4cJ2pLZzfwgQg2TfeOMM9YpuXmygzqukGLPpbtsopJ3OEl8TDOHyjAdPyAngywxCD5JEaMhRIsqQ/s1600/03.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_x6jVCjbX86iSzIPy6cbNHTh0WhRmRPz36QLC-Et243siW3qy8wSbvHd_XH7V0FT4cJ2pLZzfwgQg2TfeOMM9YpuXmygzqukGLPpbtsopJ3OEl8TDOHyjAdPyAngywxCD5JEaMhRIsqQ/s1600/03.png" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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At various points, tools and equipment were observed.<br />
But they had all been safely placed well to the side of the path.<br />
The workmen were friendly and passing them was no problem.<br />
I noticed occasional gaps in the white line.<br />
These are at apparently random distances apart and a bit of a mystery.<br />
It was suggested that this was 'to meet regulations'.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9zXi-r11AdbQJ_a8LI6QN7z9Yo98BgdIGzYO5-JbaXHAgEga3nrL5avn6d25uNIn3j8FrKXLsYpwa7F4iZsozXum3UzSvLBQKpD_-caFYlTcExGcxK8hOoJhtoxtXuk4shTqZNlMenfs/s1600/06.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9zXi-r11AdbQJ_a8LI6QN7z9Yo98BgdIGzYO5-JbaXHAgEga3nrL5avn6d25uNIn3j8FrKXLsYpwa7F4iZsozXum3UzSvLBQKpD_-caFYlTcExGcxK8hOoJhtoxtXuk4shTqZNlMenfs/s1600/06.png" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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The path width and barrier heights were measured and are shown here.<br />
The height of the original barrier has been extended by about 40 cm.<br />
This has been done without affecting the path width at any level.<br />
The path width is 1.55 m except at the two main pillars (1.35 m).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHHFgDeSziBIsK2mAUJasNyJlhI8Ugi_KmhdRGHOEr3JE2kCrSZbjwCfa4sz6Qig7UuL7yhXZuFD6mRP98eSbPM-6jYCT2QR7nzKsLckekJ-tvoJoJlVMtZk7U7GpmUsxvZ8ZUKJdKxc/s1600/04.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHHFgDeSziBIsK2mAUJasNyJlhI8Ugi_KmhdRGHOEr3JE2kCrSZbjwCfa4sz6Qig7UuL7yhXZuFD6mRP98eSbPM-6jYCT2QR7nzKsLckekJ-tvoJoJlVMtZk7U7GpmUsxvZ8ZUKJdKxc/s1600/04.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
The path surface was a surprise.<br />
The approach path surfaces at each end have not been changed.<br />
There is a short section of tar at each end of the bridge.<br />
This is smooth - very nice - like velodrome quality.<br />
A steel plate with safety tread separates the bridge from the land.<br />
But the surface on the bridge itself is extremely rough and unpleasant.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_EL4j1ZkJBI4H2PC_i5A6T8LB4AN0jBreQnFAZS5ZsnjUpbG7f4yJogp2WYuVsoHqdA-RtNORI8o3Sfsk-3-v4WBrColbbo-huiV-Ts-QqRGU5NmLEWSgyhgtt-WTdkCO4KSaTC3_D_Y/s1600/05.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_EL4j1ZkJBI4H2PC_i5A6T8LB4AN0jBreQnFAZS5ZsnjUpbG7f4yJogp2WYuVsoHqdA-RtNORI8o3Sfsk-3-v4WBrColbbo-huiV-Ts-QqRGU5NmLEWSgyhgtt-WTdkCO4KSaTC3_D_Y/s1600/05.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
I used a template gauge to get a representation of the unevenness.<br />
Small stones have been embedded in a layer of tar.<br />
The stones are sharp. Their tops are 3 mm above the surface.<br />
They have not been consolidated into a level surface.<br />
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If it's meant as a high traction surface then it's a total success.<br />
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Or is there some hope that cyclists will flatten the path over time?<br />
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<i><b><span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="color: blue;">Your comments are welcome.</span></span></b></i><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637606419924977484.post-31047152543754536082013-07-15T02:32:00.000+01:002013-07-15T02:36:34.912+01:00Diversion on North side of Kessock Bridge<br />
Phase 1 of the Kessock Bridge upgrade was completed at the end of June 2013.<br />
I decided to check out the route and headed North from Inverness.<br />
The biggest problems for cyclists are at each end of the Bridge.<br />
(The South end of the Bridge and the Bridge itself are discussed in other blogs.) <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGoX5X4S5fwW11_TnjZSvq-BGm_OuWQCF8aL_2LWHIQkqn3m4vgPn9nJ-TAIudiZW47LQVse_koNEVMGmlzDh0Gw1yQo6eG2iiNN02FSC7KvvMsaWJTnA7lqom0PV_mD7FtOLlKMBD6qA/s640/P6290126.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGoX5X4S5fwW11_TnjZSvq-BGm_OuWQCF8aL_2LWHIQkqn3m4vgPn9nJ-TAIudiZW47LQVse_koNEVMGmlzDh0Gw1yQo6eG2iiNN02FSC7KvvMsaWJTnA7lqom0PV_mD7FtOLlKMBD6qA/s640/P6290126.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
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I took the cycle path on the North East side of the Bridge.<br />
There was no choice as the upgraded path on the other side was still closed.<br />
(I contacted Transport Scotland who said the path would open during the week 08 Jul.)<br />
Immediately on leaving the Bridge at the North end, the cycle path stops abruptly.<br />
There is a choice: cross the road or follow a diversion. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdbQNTCK_D-lw5sVFAsX9b27xtTRmUlTATW4o48TR7V9KdYRcBEEnP8UIDfCyA_UrG9IkYOZKiDAhQS2Kxr56AETrHQhGmI7eee0X_GxP7MaQoRgJKorHThXOrpVLKE7Uo47Ar52iJgY/s640/P6290127_9.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdbQNTCK_D-lw5sVFAsX9b27xtTRmUlTATW4o48TR7V9KdYRcBEEnP8UIDfCyA_UrG9IkYOZKiDAhQS2Kxr56AETrHQhGmI7eee0X_GxP7MaQoRgJKorHThXOrpVLKE7Uo47Ar52iJgY/s640/P6290127_9.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
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There is a painted bicycle indicating a crossing to the central reservation.<br />
This matches a similar pattern on the opposite side of the road.<br />
Crossing is the favourite choice for the vast majority of cyclists.<br />
But it can involve a considerable wait for a break in the traffic.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSyelnInAQtzF05pvbP2WGpq1sN62HqVLtGJLQJt0n3F6ZFyPdcfCFx118vRgf2G816NWr_5924sRSCuKjwyvJeRpekMXoukq833RPBCmdZBmvDLbkhyc5ab2DNCdMHLkfcrRlNLncTo/s640/P6290117.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSyelnInAQtzF05pvbP2WGpq1sN62HqVLtGJLQJt0n3F6ZFyPdcfCFx118vRgf2G816NWr_5924sRSCuKjwyvJeRpekMXoukq833RPBCmdZBmvDLbkhyc5ab2DNCdMHLkfcrRlNLncTo/s640/P6290117.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
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Obviously, the more eyes the better.<br />
Even with lots of eyes, members of <a href="http://www.cityofinvernesscc.co.uk/home.php" target="_blank">City of Inverness Cycling Club</a> still took<br />
a minute to get across and even then they had to cross each half separately.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzl2y2U-HaFM4AZ88uVu6WvwJhoBuoAUSi3-7JPSaH0aVwszAxJl27X-A5_SwX9eZ_NFw8lM-rZL2l7CYWcov0_Kp_zp20vL9OS0RApcDuhJhCw4e7RGUdx0vS_6fOkPplkUMWm5ywKIA/s640/P6290126a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzl2y2U-HaFM4AZ88uVu6WvwJhoBuoAUSi3-7JPSaH0aVwszAxJl27X-A5_SwX9eZ_NFw8lM-rZL2l7CYWcov0_Kp_zp20vL9OS0RApcDuhJhCw4e7RGUdx0vS_6fOkPplkUMWm5ywKIA/s640/P6290126a.png" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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The blue NCR1 diversion sign is permanent, clear and suitably positioned.<br />
(Note: The abbreviation NCR should be NCN - <a href="http://www.sustrans.org.uk/scotland/national-cycle-network">sustrans.org.uk</a>)<br />
So why is there also a large yellow sign that is simply a useless distraction.<br />
I was tempted to say it's pointless until I noticed the arrow :)<br />
It could easily get blown over and become a hazard.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUripqUjY-l6ayUJRN8zuby44SsZ3-GCudEhiMsZRmT1HcydvH1XG3NzBv9061BYsqZQOae98pxY6nWnNphK1a5quBnteqFqWHW9K2Y8JAtFJdGphAvzEtq1flTBJ9LhDPQRUz83RD3aQ/s1600/P6290051.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUripqUjY-l6ayUJRN8zuby44SsZ3-GCudEhiMsZRmT1HcydvH1XG3NzBv9061BYsqZQOae98pxY6nWnNphK1a5quBnteqFqWHW9K2Y8JAtFJdGphAvzEtq1flTBJ9LhDPQRUz83RD3aQ/s1600/P6290051.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
The indicated diversion is a long detour through North Kessock.<br />
This involves a drop to sea-level and back to arrive at the other side of the road.<br />
It's not surprising that most cyclists ignore the diversion and cross the road directly.<br />
<br />
In an attempt to see the route the way a tourist might, I followed the diversion.<br />
Eventually arriving (almost) at the other side of the road I was met by<br />
a barrier consisting of ten cones and a FOOTPATH CLOSED sign.<br />
A blue sign gives directions toward the Bridge but none the other way.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdIVt4-Ip2Gu5_QrGXR0WL6dcTpqkpNwo_oSm8oE6fkvhN_W-lzFiB7_2Kd3rJZH_iXePOZWyjKniHWxo-pb7hBr1SCW9-00IGRwAV9Rhn7-dlxfqNXblI9kpVBXvE5Yn7Xoqwod10Zkk/s1600/P6290054.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdIVt4-Ip2Gu5_QrGXR0WL6dcTpqkpNwo_oSm8oE6fkvhN_W-lzFiB7_2Kd3rJZH_iXePOZWyjKniHWxo-pb7hBr1SCW9-00IGRwAV9Rhn7-dlxfqNXblI9kpVBXvE5Yn7Xoqwod10Zkk/s1600/P6290054.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
I went through the barrier to see what it looked like from the other side.<br />
Clearly, the cones still blocked the way but there was no CLOSED sign.<br />
None of this made any sense at all.<br />
<br />
Having waited a fortnight for the 'imminent' opening of the cycle path<br />
nothing has happened and the diversion is still in place.<br />
I continue to witness and hear reports of cyclists (local and foreign) being unable<br />
to understand what the diversion route is meant to be.<br />
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<br />
<i><b><span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="color: blue;">Your comments are welcome.</span></span></b></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637606419924977484.post-3501908347742769682013-07-06T00:48:00.000+01:002013-07-09T01:08:58.555+01:00A Visit to Highland Cycle Ability Centre<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_TuTvApjhdDOsLvl2ju88iS1B_DV33QYnIGBIy6vUc43ulqPb3wyBQ9oox8cPRplhfjnG5xE7v37gcuxBoc1DVDLs6FfVP9SB1c3y6rOstoSVkq-TVEa3r0cssC9Qvh2ZqF3tGFjsGV0/s1600/directions.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_TuTvApjhdDOsLvl2ju88iS1B_DV33QYnIGBIy6vUc43ulqPb3wyBQ9oox8cPRplhfjnG5xE7v37gcuxBoc1DVDLs6FfVP9SB1c3y6rOstoSVkq-TVEa3r0cssC9Qvh2ZqF3tGFjsGV0/s1600/directions.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
I'd heard about a newly opened cycle track not far from Dalcross.<br />
I headed out of Inverness on the B9006 through Culloden Moor.<br />
<br />
This photo shows the crossroads about a mile before Croy.<br />
I turned off down the Brae of Cantray.<br />
The route to the track was narrow and winding but well sign-posted.<br />
<br />
I soon arrived at the <span style="font-size: small;"><b>Highland Cycle Ability Centre.</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixo7jPmTJGDDnoHmWdJZexVWP02Ec7Xj3-ZTOvSEtOmYLewUMvA9xo96CyBCC55BBJn4QM4i-bE5bHHQDt7f3-0m0_TUfeGPO3szx5JcBWsjuaf6ngtsbjdW9sGI_zPi8PauegR21djdI/s1600/P7060022.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixo7jPmTJGDDnoHmWdJZexVWP02Ec7Xj3-ZTOvSEtOmYLewUMvA9xo96CyBCC55BBJn4QM4i-bE5bHHQDt7f3-0m0_TUfeGPO3szx5JcBWsjuaf6ngtsbjdW9sGI_zPi8PauegR21djdI/s1600/P7060022.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
The <span style="font-size: small;"><b>Highland Cycle Ability Centre</b></span> is situated near Croy<br />
(actually Cantray) about 10 miles East of Inverness.<br />
Visit the website for directions: <br />
<a href="http://highlandcycleability.co.uk/">http://highlandcycleability.co.uk/</a><br />
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It can also be followed on twitter as <b>Highland Cycle Track</b> at<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/CycleTrack">https://twitter.com/CycleTrack </a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZOVcHTYZlWCiZWMsH6mCdUK4633og_4tgzlajs4_qEUuXXs3IxtsQTGSPE4g-3C3tfo720ve5iFcHvjUOeuaJycStT3mPyyqSUwQc-JX2DOKRcSQY638RyYGTerEs4-9dgCeTIK_-rQw/s1600/SAM_0140.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZOVcHTYZlWCiZWMsH6mCdUK4633og_4tgzlajs4_qEUuXXs3IxtsQTGSPE4g-3C3tfo720ve5iFcHvjUOeuaJycStT3mPyyqSUwQc-JX2DOKRcSQY638RyYGTerEs4-9dgCeTIK_-rQw/s1600/SAM_0140.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
There are a few formalities before being allowed onto the track.<br />
This is to ensure the enjoyment and safety for everybody using the track.<br />
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A fully qualified instructor is on hand to check that bicycles are in good order.<br />
Bicycles can be hired but it's likely most riders will bring their own. <br />
A quick briefing on track etiquette and they're ready to get started.<br />
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An electronic tag can be fitted near the ankle or to the bicycle frame.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-rArhgtlGP8nN0mBw8UJ3uL_js5wcDtVAqMhdZBWMCRUltwsqtzZmYnPjRPilYHx51E5hjSksczRguiDq7XIQP-Qy20TyRGmjVRiBRg2ZD9WZ7BEBbD6WaYPoHxDhFR-5Q3soGaTRJw/s1600/P7060031.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-rArhgtlGP8nN0mBw8UJ3uL_js5wcDtVAqMhdZBWMCRUltwsqtzZmYnPjRPilYHx51E5hjSksczRguiDq7XIQP-Qy20TyRGmjVRiBRg2ZD9WZ7BEBbD6WaYPoHxDhFR-5Q3soGaTRJw/s1600/P7060031.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
The track itself has a smooth surface over an accurately measured 1 km loop.<br />
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It starts with a level straight. followed by a sustained 3% uphill gradient.<br />
The middle downhill section has a number of interesting turns.<br />
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Electronic equipment on the home straight senses the tag to record personal lap times.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4Yw303emIMC-kidYqTuKW4wWSYjo71NWRUixSDUErJ9HkJ7oTSvSCOP4EfhhBf7co7WO9ns7Z_aS2E6H3S4GoPjP22-XTxPvn8F082pNvP1Gy4O-KvtJIBvjPmLnTfIpaknh9_9o3I0/s1600/SAM_0150.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4Yw303emIMC-kidYqTuKW4wWSYjo71NWRUixSDUErJ9HkJ7oTSvSCOP4EfhhBf7co7WO9ns7Z_aS2E6H3S4GoPjP22-XTxPvn8F082pNvP1Gy4O-KvtJIBvjPmLnTfIpaknh9_9o3I0/s1600/SAM_0150.png" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7hwNzPyxod3WfhKGTNIeK53MDwaPDJQfasVwCrIxAYZyAgtaohdCsX6-Axnx17yiBFbwqAjqSUGf0TBWetgceiu65fFpNARBWsO7MkMBT3JBC8Jg7vaL2_ZjGeG8Xls4kMY5ty-0i6U/s1600/SAM_0151.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7hwNzPyxod3WfhKGTNIeK53MDwaPDJQfasVwCrIxAYZyAgtaohdCsX6-Axnx17yiBFbwqAjqSUGf0TBWetgceiu65fFpNARBWsO7MkMBT3JBC8Jg7vaL2_ZjGeG8Xls4kMY5ty-0i6U/s1600/SAM_0151.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
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The track is wide enough for a group of about six.<br />
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Alternatively, riders can opt for staggered starts<br />
to ride individually around the track.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBm2vOzcwiYTTzyWAYc9HM7hjPP_uyMFLOf70v2uiXJoTAiSb4QTwDsIuCJ-DZ5M07Z5wjtXThYMgIU8DY1l8V3r7yb9X1iX7LkAaVXJ5OcjXjqX9m7gnhjheGDRa5n4BedxoPrWhOpvc/s1600/SAM_0155.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBm2vOzcwiYTTzyWAYc9HM7hjPP_uyMFLOf70v2uiXJoTAiSb4QTwDsIuCJ-DZ5M07Z5wjtXThYMgIU8DY1l8V3r7yb9X1iX7LkAaVXJ5OcjXjqX9m7gnhjheGDRa5n4BedxoPrWhOpvc/s1600/SAM_0155.png" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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Today everybody had a good time. But who had the best time? That wasn't the point.<br />
They all had a personal best - one that they would work to improve on their next visit.<br />
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<i><b><span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="color: blue;">Your comments are welcome.</span></span></b></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637606419924977484.post-76393146930263288332013-07-05T15:14:00.000+01:002013-07-05T15:16:09.414+01:00Approach to Kessock Bridge from Longman Road<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfkoHauCrr11CuwY-JRSFjp7Syqja1MxZpA_9PXwlutLMODAGXNnvAIynmTvOlu5DwgYy-22Bo8JstDel5K0ppAfTV1pqjpt9UNDlAQ_Tdjq_XS4Ihx-Kkb_3iB8TLA_DhgVQZNRHtmG0/s1600/P7050008.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfkoHauCrr11CuwY-JRSFjp7Syqja1MxZpA_9PXwlutLMODAGXNnvAIynmTvOlu5DwgYy-22Bo8JstDel5K0ppAfTV1pqjpt9UNDlAQ_Tdjq_XS4Ihx-Kkb_3iB8TLA_DhgVQZNRHtmG0/s1600/P7050008.png" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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It's now a week since the completion of Phase 1 of the Kessock Bridge upgrade.<br />
This appears to be good news for motorists. Unfortunately, it is not so good for cyclists.<br />
At the South end of the Bridge the shared use pedestrian / cycle path remains blocked off.<br />
The sign says "Footpath Closed" so you could be forgiven for thinking it's OK for cyclists. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIsiZKgO_ziwy3pSOCW_4x-ZxfCqppKJjsp4q4xongcfqf3eba8ohQGcKRAAyGX8ZLbD4rjsIoB_6vKm55c1_GM9xsj2I8_WSCY0wBmt7Lc0f5NOX1lz4r7Iaro14gw8dwfHCE4SIZGaY/s1600/P7050015.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIsiZKgO_ziwy3pSOCW_4x-ZxfCqppKJjsp4q4xongcfqf3eba8ohQGcKRAAyGX8ZLbD4rjsIoB_6vKm55c1_GM9xsj2I8_WSCY0wBmt7Lc0f5NOX1lz4r7Iaro14gw8dwfHCE4SIZGaY/s1600/P7050015.png" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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A little further back there's a break in the barrier to allow pedestrians / cyclists to cross. Although there are traffic lights there is no lights or buttons for pedestrians / cyclists.<br />
The traffic on this side is a bit tricky but there is a frequent gap of about 10 seconds.<br />
On the far side it is regularly stopped for about a minute giving plenty time to get across. A signal would be so much more useful and friendly than the sign:<br />
"High Speed Dual Carriageway CROSS WITH CARE".<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBY3Ax1Bsud9axQUNp1ZgOBLCBU-WOsWwwVIApBMj-6Vt7p6w9TQDIcijonMaFgavoXsjdteJZeBgMZKA21wHl5ayyFSRNpfOPBQizo1gTLtULiGKiB2d58NU7kFpZIUbCgL-9RC9aJVs/s1600/P7050020.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBY3Ax1Bsud9axQUNp1ZgOBLCBU-WOsWwwVIApBMj-6Vt7p6w9TQDIcijonMaFgavoXsjdteJZeBgMZKA21wHl5ayyFSRNpfOPBQizo1gTLtULiGKiB2d58NU7kFpZIUbCgL-9RC9aJVs/s1600/P7050020.png" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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Further back, round the corner on Longman Road, we are presented with three objects:<br />
A Diversion sign, an open barrier, and another Footpath Closed sign.<br />
Again, what is a cyclist meant to understand from this?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJv3vJHRhts-XAcypstPmBWupheoVsKPpaFMQREirXO-r5e9sxxpRQB2JZLK_KJjn6-o8ZWtQzXHPultHV74U4l9oC39kd7WqMNnXF2BN7SzeevbpVfJzQQle24bxNMknJy3psJyfBfW4/s1600/P7050022.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJv3vJHRhts-XAcypstPmBWupheoVsKPpaFMQREirXO-r5e9sxxpRQB2JZLK_KJjn6-o8ZWtQzXHPultHV74U4l9oC39kd7WqMNnXF2BN7SzeevbpVfJzQQle24bxNMknJy3psJyfBfW4/s1600/P7050022.png" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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Inverness and the Highlands benefit a lot from tourists.<br />
Here's a couple from the Hague who'd hired bikes from <a href="http://happy-tours.biz/">Happy Go Bikes.</a><br />
They were heading North on a lovely day but were quite puzzled which route to take.<br />
Let me be clear. They had a map - it was the signs and barriers that confused them. <br />
I gave them directions to the Bridge and also what to expect on the other side.<br />
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<i><b><span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="color: blue;">Your comments are welcome.</span></span></b></i> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0