Hazardous foot/cycle path: exposed and now closed!

steep-cycleway-link-pic

One of our members has asked us to publicise his correspondence with Glasgow City Council, Land & Environment Services.  This makes his views clear about the quality of design, or lack of supervision and oversight, of both design and construction of facilities to be used by people on bikes.  Here is his e-mail to us:

“To Members GoBike

From Pat Toms

Recently, GCC LES constructed a steep link path from Garrioch Drive G20 to join paths on the Kelvin Walkway (see attached photograph). After it was opened I informed LES it was hazardous. They replied it was constructed to the “best available profile”. Not long afterwards a commuting cyclist with child in a rear seat fell off the path. After the accident Andy Keba of Sustrans had the path inspected and stated it “is not suitable for all users at present” (Sustrans part-funded the path). LES had no alternative but to close the path. Letters and documents exchanged with LES are attached to this email.

This is an instance of inadequately designed cycle and pedestrian facilities in Glasgow. LES lacks the expertise to design quality facilities. An independent assessment of existing cycle and pedestrian facilities should be carried out and a strategy prepared to employ officers with appropriate expertise.

Pat Toms”

Here is his collection of correspondence, in chronological order, although his last attachment, numbered 7 is the one that summarises the current view: 0-5083a_works_and_site_information_for_tar-on-kelvin-walkway-and-garrioch 1-5749435-toms-civil_engineering_works_and_site_information_for_kelvin-walkway-botani-1           1-hazardous-pathway-hs-270516                                                                                              2-email-from-coun-m-razaq-about-cycleway-profile-130616                                                   3-hazardous-pathway-accident-200816

4-emails-from-and-to-sustrans-290816 

5-cycleway-foi-request-to-les-290816

6-5749435-toms-response

7-complaint-to-les-about-link-path-031016