Well done to the cooncilers of Fort Bill

Centurian_Oooyabass said:

http://www.scottishstandard.com/new.asp

UK OUTDOOR CAPITAL BANS CYCLING
A CYCLING ban is to be enforced in a Highland town just weeks after it was
given a six-figure sum to market itself as the outdoor capital of the UK.

In the High Street which is a pedestian zone. A good idea if you ask
me.

--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

Phil Cook said:

Centurian_Oooyabass said:

http://www.scottishstandard.com/new.asp

UK OUTDOOR CAPITAL BANS CYCLING
A CYCLING ban is to be enforced in a Highland town just weeks after
it was given a six-figure sum to market itself as the outdoor
capital of the UK.

In the High Street which is a pedestian zone. A good idea if you ask
me.

Yep, mixing peds & cyclists is a seriously *bad* idea, as peds tend to move
in a generally totally *random* fashion.

"Centurian_Oooyabass" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

http://www.scottishstandard.com/new.asp

UK OUTDOOR CAPITAL BANS CYCLING
A CYCLING ban is to be enforced in a Highland town just weeks after it was
given a six-figure sum to market itself as the outdoor capital of the UK.

A cycling ban in one street/road hardly constitutes a newsworthy story.
Banning cyclists from a pedestrianised zone is probably a good idea
and will not cause too much inconvenience to the hoardes of mountain bikers
who descend on Fortwilliam for the Mountain Bike World Cup.

Full story below.....

A CYCLING ban is to be enforced in a Highland town just weeks after it was
given a six-figure sum to market itself as the outdoor capital of the UK.
Fort William High Street is to become a no-go zone for cyclists months
before the town welcomes thousands of enthusiasts to the Mountain Bike World
Cup.
The town has been one of the world's favourite spots for cycling in recent
years.
The International Cycle Union named Fort William as the best Downhill and
4-Cross Mountain Bike World Cup venue for the third time running this year
and cyclists across the globe love coming to the Highlands.
However, the Lochaber Committee of the Highland Council voted to enforce the
ban in a bid to make the High Street area safer for pedestrians.

vernon levy said:

A cycling ban in one street/road hardly constitutes a newsworthy
story. Banning cyclists from a pedestrianised zone is probably a
good idea and will not cause too much inconvenience to the hoardes
of mountain bikers who descend on Fortwilliam for the Mountain Bike
World Cup.

I frequently ride through the pedestrianised area of Kingston town
centre. It's no problem for me, and I don't cause a problem for peds,
but I pick a careful line, ride at an appropriate speed, and sometimes
have to stop completely. I accept that peds have absolute priority and
are entitled to change direction suddenly and without warning.

However, I don't like the way some people ride through it, and I don't
just mean kids on trials bikes. If they closed it to cyclists I would
be neither surprised nor unduly concerned. I could either go round it
or walk the bike through. If they were to paint a magic lane through
it, however, my bike and I would stay well away from it.

--
Dave...

On Wed, 9 Mar 2005 22:53:51 -0000 someone who may be "Adrian
Boliston" <[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

Yep, mixing peds & cyclists is a seriously *bad* idea, as peds tend to move
in a generally totally *random* fashion.

The Road Research Laboratory have studied this in some detail and
their conclusion is that there is no problem.

Still, they are only road researchers, party politicians know far
more than the experts.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me by using the RIP Act 2000.

in message <[email hidden]>, vernon levy

(') said:

"Centurian_Oooyabass" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

http://www.scottishstandard.com/new.asp

UK OUTDOOR CAPITAL BANS CYCLING
A CYCLING ban is to be enforced in a Highland town just weeks after
it was given a six-figure sum to market itself as the outdoor capital
of the UK.

A cycling ban in one street/road hardly constitutes a newsworthy
story. Banning cyclists from a pedestrianised zone is probably a good
idea and will not cause too much inconvenience to the hoardes of
mountain bikers who descend on Fortwilliam for the Mountain Bike World
Cup.

Further more, I can well believe that there could be specific problems
in Fort William with hordes of alcohol, adrenaline and testosterone
fueled adolescents with downhill bikes doing 'stunts' in the pedestrian
area at night. It may be a reasonable local solution to a problem which
towns which aren't immediately at the bottom of the world's best
special-purpose downhill cycle track don't have.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

[ Disclaimer:  This is a work displacement exercise.  Please feel free ]
[ to reply either on or off group.  Expect lengthy replies until the ]
[ deadline has passed.  Thank-you for your cooperation. ]

Phil Cook said:

In the High Street which is a pedestian zone. A good idea if you ask
me.

If I remember rightly, Fort William high street is not only a
pedestrian zone but a very busy one, so it has to be a doubly good idea
to ban cycling there.

d.

Adrian Boliston said:

Phil Cook said:

Centurian_Oooyabass said:

http://www.scottishstandard.com/new.asp

UK OUTDOOR CAPITAL BANS CYCLING

<snip>.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

In the High Street which is a pedestian zone. A good idea if you

ask

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

me.

Yep, mixing peds & cyclists is a seriously *bad* idea, as peds tend

to move

Quoted message said:

in a generally totally *random* fashion.

not according to TAL 09/93* "Cycling in Pedestrian Areas" it's not,
which is not to say that the decision was necessarily wrong

*
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_roads/documents/page/dft_roads_504728.hcsp

best wishes
james

David Hansen said:

On Wed, 9 Mar 2005 22:53:51 -0000 someone who may be "Adrian
Boliston" <[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

Yep, mixing peds & cyclists is a seriously *bad* idea, as peds tend to move
in a generally totally *random* fashion.

The Road Research Laboratory have studied this in some detail and
their conclusion is that there is no problem.

Still, they are only road researchers, party politicians know far
more than the experts.

Try walking through Farehams ped precinct during half term, there the
local yoof game is to get as close as possible to frighten people into
dropping their shopping...

On 10 Mar 2005 06:33:13 -0800 someone who may be
"[email hidden]" <[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Yep, mixing peds & cyclists is a seriously *bad* idea, as peds tend
to move in a generally totally *random* fashion.

not according to TAL 09/93* "Cycling in Pedestrian Areas" it's not,
which is not to say that the decision was necessarily wrong

http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_roads/documents/page/dft_roads_504728.hcsp

Of which the most critical thing is:

"This drew local authorities' attention to the need to ensure that
pedestrianisation measures do not result in unsafe or inconvenient
conditions for cyclists, eg. by forcing them to use busy distributor
roads. The advice then was that exemptions for cyclists should be
considered if satisfactory routes for them around a proposed
pedestrian zone did not exist and could not be created."

Of course councils in general don't give two hoots about cyclists so
have tended to ignore these words.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me by using the RIP Act 2000.

Adrian Boliston said:

Phil Cook said:

Centurian_Oooyabass said:

http://www.scottishstandard.com/new.asp
UK OUTDOOR CAPITAL BANS CYCLING
A CYCLING ban is to be enforced in a Highland town just weeks

after

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

it was given a six-figure sum to market itself as the outdoor
capital of the UK.

In the High Street which is a pedestian zone. A good idea if you

ask

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

me.

Yep, mixing peds & cyclists is a seriously *bad* idea, as peds tend

to move

Quoted message said:

in a generally totally *random* fashion.

Not according to TAL 09/93 it isn't
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_roads/documents/page/dft_roads_504728.hcsp

Having said that it is perfectly possible that the town nearest to a
MTB hotspot might not be entirely typical so it is quite possible that
the ban has some justification.

Perhaps you meant "expecting to cycle through a pedstrianised area in
the same way as you would cycle on an open road is a seriously *bad*
idea"?

best wishes
james

dkahn400 said:

I frequently ride through the pedestrianised area of Kingston town
centre. It's no problem for me, and I don't cause a problem for peds,
but I pick a careful line, ride at an appropriate speed, and sometimes
have to stop completely. I accept that peds have absolute priority and
are entitled to change direction suddenly and without warning.

The trouble is, where there are signs saying 'no cycling' and a policy
in place, even if you "don't cause a problem", you're still giving the
law-abiding minority - or is it a majority, sometimes it is hard to tell
🙁 - a bad name.

As a, I hope, conscientiously law-abiding cyclist, when I'm a pedestrian
I will happily get in the way - deliberately - of cyclists on pavements
or pedestrianised areas. I don't care how safe you think you are. As you
say, I am "entitled to change direction suddenly and without warning"
and I will do so purely to cause an obstruction.

But as only a part time reader/contributer to URC I don't know if this
kind of observation is feeding the troll or not.

David Hansen said:

Of course councils in general don't give two hoots about cyclists

[snip]

Are you *sure* the usual attitude is so positive?

--
Joe * If I cannot be free I'll be cheap

vernon levy said:

"Centurian_Oooyabass" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

http://www.scottishstandard.com/new.asp

UK OUTDOOR CAPITAL BANS CYCLING
A CYCLING ban is to be enforced in a Highland town just weeks after it was
given a six-figure sum to market itself as the outdoor capital of the UK.

A cycling ban in one street/road hardly constitutes a newsworthy story.
Banning cyclists from a pedestrianised zone is probably a good idea
and will not cause too much inconvenience to the hoardes of mountain bikers
who descend on Fortwilliam for the Mountain Bike World Cup.

Full story below.....

A CYCLING ban is to be enforced in a Highland town just weeks after it was
given a six-figure sum to market itself as the outdoor capital of the UK.
Fort William High Street is to become a no-go zone for cyclists months
before the town welcomes thousands of enthusiasts to the Mountain Bike World
Cup.
The town has been one of the world's favourite spots for cycling in recent
years.
The International Cycle Union named Fort William as the best Downhill and
4-Cross Mountain Bike World Cup venue for the third time running this year
and cyclists across the globe love coming to the Highlands.
However, the Lochaber Committee of the Highland Council voted to enforce the
ban in a bid to make the High Street area safer for pedestrians.

I was in Whistler this summer. There is, of course, a similar cycling
ban in the pedestrian precinct there. Doesn't seem to stop it being the
MTB capital of the world!!

druidh

njfbadger said:

David Hansen said:

On Wed, 9 Mar 2005 22:53:51 -0000 someone who may be "Adrian
Boliston" <[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

Yep, mixing peds & cyclists is a seriously *bad* idea, as peds tend
to move in a generally totally *random* fashion.

The Road Research Laboratory have studied this in some detail and
their conclusion is that there is no problem.

Still, they are only road researchers, party politicians know far
more than the experts.

Try walking through Farehams ped precinct during half term, there the
local yoof game is to get as close as possible to frighten people into
dropping their shopping...

Cyclists are banned. I'll be the only one you see getting off and pushing.

On Thu, 10 Mar 2005 18:58:28 +0000, Not Responding <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

njfbadger said:

Quoted message said:

Try walking through Farehams ped precinct during half term, there the
local yoof game is to get as close as possible to frighten people into
dropping their shopping...

Cyclists are banned. I'll be the only one you see getting off and pushing.

Yebbut you need to set an example. Otherwise the democratic process
will punish you.

How about a ban in shopping hours only? Not that I go that way much
these days.

On Thu, 10 Mar 2005 17:24:15 +0000 someone who may be JLB
<[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Of course councils in general don't give two hoots about cyclists

[snip]

Are you *sure* the usual attitude is so positive?

I was being generous to the poor dears.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me by using the RIP Act 2000.

On Thu, 10 Mar 2005 12:53:24 +0000 someone who may be Simon Brooke
<[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

Further more, I can well believe that there could be specific problems
in Fort William with hordes of alcohol, adrenaline and testosterone
fueled adolescents with downhill bikes doing 'stunts' in the pedestrian
area at night.

They tend to do such 'stunts' in cars. I can't comment on Fort
William, but I do know "pedestrian streets" that are full of cars
any time of the day and night.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me by using the RIP Act 2000.

chris harrison said:

dkahn400 said:

I frequently ride through the pedestrianised area of Kingston town
centre. It's no problem for me, and I don't cause a problem for peds,
but I pick a careful line, ride at an appropriate speed, and sometimes
have to stop completely. I accept that peds have absolute priority and
are entitled to change direction suddenly and without warning.

The trouble is, where there are signs saying 'no cycling' and a policy
in place, even if you "don't cause a problem", you're still giving the
law-abiding minority - or is it a majority, sometimes it is hard to tell
🙁 - a bad name.

If you'd taken the trouble to read a bit further down my post you would
have come across the following words.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

If they closed it to cyclists I would be neither surprised
nor unduly concerned. I could either go round it or walk the
bike through.

As that implies, there are no signs saying 'no cycling' and there is not
a no cycling policy in place. As I stated very clearly, I would not
cycle through it if there were. I'm not breaking the law when I cycle
there. I await your apology.

--
Dave...

Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the
future of the human race. - H. G. Wells