Before we get stuck into this one, some context...
This is the popular road that runs along the western shore of Thirlmere reservoir in the Lake District. It is a "key part" of the National Cycling Network and, in Cycling UK's campaign on the matter, is described as "one of the only safe road cycling routes" towards Keswick. If this route were to disappear then vulnerable road users would be forced to use a busy A-road "hemmed in by walls with fast flowing traffic and heavy goods vehicles" as the "only alternative".
Unfortunately the quiet and picturesque waterside route was closed, at first temporarily, for two years due to storm damage. However, in the autumn, Cumberland Council proposed a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) to close the road to all traffic, including cyclists and pedestrians.
Despite calls from many, including Cycling UK and the more than 1,000 cyclists and walkers who ignored the closure to protest the proposed closure, it was approved in November, which leaves us here today. Introducing your new Thirlmere reservoir barriers and signage...
Yes, this is the route now closed to cyclists and pedestrians, but where horse riding is allowed, hence the barrier design.
Needless to say there has been a fair bit of reaction to this...
Richard Brown: "I don't understand why all traffic apart from horse riding. Surely the risk is even greater being on a horse than being in a vehicle if there is falling debris."
Simon Douglas: "Peak UK nonsense. There will be nothing that a weekend of work won't fix and they'll spend more adding barriers over the years to stop people walking along the road than they would on just fixing it."
Merton Cycling Campaign: "The insanity (for cyclists) is the alternative route — the A591 — is FAR more dangerous. As a cyclist you cannot leave decisions about risk to organisations who don't understand or care about cycling."
Paul: "An absolutely bizarre option."
Duncan O'Sullivan: "Just fix the damn road already."
Neil Evans: "What in the hellscape is this nonsense?"
During the campaign, road.cc reader Dave got in touch to say he had cautiously avoided the previous construction site-style barriers to ride through during a summer bikepacking trip and took the picture below...
In fairness, a quite considerable amount of damage, as noted in his report, however: "There was an obvious route through and evidence of plenty of use [...] It seemed clear to me, and the other cyclist I met, that: there has been a totally unnecessary delay on dealing with this route. If it had been important for motorised traffic it would have been done very quickly."
The official line was there is a risk of falling rocks, however as Cycling UK pointed out, that while public safety is most important and falling rocks are an "obvious hazard" there "are plenty of roads around the country where falling rocks remain a risk without resulting in the extreme solution of permanent closure", not least on... the A591 on the opposite shore...
A glimmer of hope?
The road is owned by United Utilities, Cycling UK calling upon the water company to make the necessary repairs and that it should be fined if it failed to do so, and that such works could be carried out under a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TRO).
It is the company's responsibility, as local historian Ian Hall pointed out during the campaign, the 1879 Manchester Corporation Waterworks Act entitled the corporation to dam the lake at Thirlmere, thus creating a reservoir to pump water to Manchester. But crucially, under the act the company would be required to build and maintain a road for public use, a route that "shall be maintained by and at the cost of the corporation forever" (not until some trees fall down and you can't be bothered).
A United Utilities statement released on January 12 said:
A section of the West Road at Thirlmere is currently closed beneath Rough Crag for safety reasons. We’re currently working on a project to make the Crag safe so that the road can be reopened again as soon as possible.
A glimmer of hope? I'm sure many will want to see action before believing words...
The number of hit-and-run collisions in London has hit a record high, with a London Assembly member who carried out research on the issue concluding that the offence has been "almost normalised".
Caroline Russell was speaking to Ross Lydall of the Evening Standard, her research looking into the fact that there were 7,708 hit-and-run incidents recorded in 2021, the most on record for a year where data is available.
That is up 14 per cent on the 7,079 recorded in 2020, with 761 people seriously injured and 12 killed in hit-and-runs in 2021. This compared with 682 serious injuries and 14 fatalities in 2020. And while the shorter-term year-to-year statistics may also be impacted by Covid lockdowns, Russell explained that in the long-term the number of casualties in hit-and-runs in London had doubled since 2009.
The number of cyclists injured in London by hit-and-run drivers in 2021 was 1,859, with 1,327 pedestrians injured in incidents too.
"This apparent increase in irresponsible and dangerous driving on our roads is worrying," she said. "In 2021 there were nearly two-and-a-half times as many hit-and-run casualties on London's roads as there were in 2009. Not stopping after a collision seems to be almost normalised and the people that do it appear not to care about their victims or to fear any legal consequences."
The campaigner and Green Party London Assembly member has called on the city's mayor Sadiq Khan to establish an action plan to reduce such offences as part of the wider Vision Zero project.
"How to cycle to work - without becoming a cyclist". 🤦♂️
This just goes to show why we need to adopt the Dutch term fiets/fietser. Clearly the right wing have made a name for someone who rides toxic and now they're realising the issue with that...https://t.co/4fhVuqBWjU
— Cargo Bike Ben (@cargobikeben) January 17, 2024
Interestingly this was promptly changed to... 'How to start cycling to work – without completely hating it'.
If you missed our story on the Public Accounts Committee's report on the Department for Transport's work on active travel here's your bullet point summary:
- Not on track to meet its active travel targets by 2025
- Not ensured active travel schemes are sufficiently joined-up with wider transport infrastructure
- Failed to communicate effectively with the public to help tackle perceptions that active travel is unsafe or to encourage more people to take part
- Is holding back local authorities from delivering on projects due to "considerable uncertainty" in funding
Yep, not the most positive appraisal...
With 1km to go Isaac del Toro makes a final attack, and takes out the Men’s efex Stage 2 for UAE Team Emirates 🥇@efex_IT | @Santosltd | #TourDownUnder
📺 Stream the race now on 7plus: https://t.co/k2Exq3FDwlpic.twitter.com/LwZYq1NCcS
— Santos Tour Down Under 🚴🚴♀️ (@tourdownunder) January 17, 2024
UAE Team Emirates might just have another special young talent on their hands. Clearly Tadej Pogačar and Juan Ayuso are getting on a bit, so step up Isaac Del Toro from Mexico. Date of birth? Are you ready for this? Brace yourselves? 27 November... 2003!?
The 20-year-old won Tour de l'Avenir, including the Col de la Loze stage, the race that is essentially the 'baby Tour de France' and that has been won by riders such as teammate Pogačar, Egan Bernal, Miguel Ángel López, David Gaudu, Cian Uijtdebroeks and other notable names in recent times. In short, win that and you're more than on the right track...
Well, now he's arrived in the big leagues, winning the second stage of the Tour Down Under with a monstrous attack with a kilometre to go to hold off the rest of the bunch and take his first professional win (on only his third day in the peloton). Isaac Del Toro. Remember the name.