[Closed] Improving signage along the canals and waterways for cyclists

If you think you could be of assistance, we would love to hear from you!!

Maybe put your company name, so we know who 'we' are?

Although, it's nice to see someone take so much pride in their industry that they capitalise it 8)

Signs asking for fisherists not to block the path with their poles/equipment

Signs asking walkers/runners to turn down their iPod/take one ear bud out so they can hear riders shouting "EXCUSE ME" right behind them.

Signs telling users who are approaching each other to keep left

Dog walkers not to obstruct the path with dog lead

Best thing we could do with street furniture is reduce it.

Rachel

Best thing we could do with street furniture is reduce it.

Agreed. The Government have used them for far too long to mess with our minds...

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There's a sign in King's Lynn actually telling people to be careful when they cross the road. Err - like it would make any difference to behaviour???

Err - like it would make any difference to behaviour???

Plus we need natural selection to work it's magic more than normal in the far reaches of East Anglia...

Hi lara,

I assume you've spoken to the good people at Sustrans who have a lot of experience in producing signs for cyclists along their National Cycle Network?

They actually have professional advice and consultancy available:
http://www.sustrans.org.uk/our-services/infrastructure/route-design-resources/advice-and-support

jamie, that guy must be aright nutter to be making videos like that!

As a regular user of a canal towpath I personally would find the following signs very useful.

1. All dogs to be kept on a tight lead at all times

2. Keep left

3. Ring twice, pass nice

I think this would solve nearly every dispute I've had on the towpath in the last few years.

The majority of issues arrise from people not willing to share the path with other users. Be that joggers, dog walkers or cyclists. Infact you could replace them all with one sign that says "dont be a dick" ?

I assume you've spoken to the good people at Sustrans who have a lot of experience in producing signs for cyclists along their National Cycle Network?

We have lots of 'Cyclists Dismount' and 'No Cylcling' signs along our local Sustrans route (I ride on it every day to work). Does make you wonder.....

I doubt they were put there by Sustrans footflaps

3. Ring twice, pass nice

I like that. You're hired!

How about a "Warning: Belligerent Anglers ahead." sign, the image used could be a bike bunny hopping fishing poles laid across the bank/towpath.

😉

I doubt they were put there by Sustrans footflaps

Possibly not, but maybe they should have picked a route you are allowed to cycle on as a Sustran route. Just a thought like....

S'funny isn't it... belligerent anglers are who make it unpleasant to canoe in British rivers as well, especially in the huntin' shootin' fishin' areas like the Ribble Valley.

Maybe it's not a cycling route? Not all Sustrans routes are for cyclists.

Or possibly it is a cycling route but there are still old "No Cycling" signs on it that Sustrans are trying to persuade the council to remove?

Councils aren't exactly quick - we're still waiting for them to get round to replacing a fallen signpost on my local route which we reported in August 2013.

I'd suggest you speak to your local Sustrans person - if you give me the route and location I can probably find out who you need to speak to.

"MULTI-USE TRACK, PLEASE BE COURTEOUS TO OTHERS" at every entry point, with pictures of cyclists, fisherists, dog-walkerists etc might not be a bad idea. Most common problem I've encountered is the attitudes of some people with a sense of entitlement over a different demographic to their own.

Well, actually that's the second biggest problem, the biggest is having to run the dogshit gauntlet every time you pass through the ironically named 'areas of civilisation'. But I doubt that more signs telling people to bag their crap and stop hanging it in trees for the dog poo fairy is going to make much difference to people who don't actually give a sod one way or the other in the first place.

+1 for "Don't be a dick"

If you have anything to do with the gates, those awful cycle gates that are not quite wide enough to get your handlebars through so you have to do a little shimmy and fall through the other side, them, change them, they're awful.

EDIT: these ones:
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Warning - blokes ahead who hate their wives and like to drink 9% lager and wave 30ft long poles.

Horse riders - please don't tell me that your horse will kick me to death or ask me "are you in a bloody race?" when I'm tootling 25 yards behind you and your horse (this happened on my off-road commute last Friday.

Dog walkers - please reel your dog in from 16 feet as the lead represents a hazard to other tow path users.

those awful cycle gates that are not quite wide enough to get your handlebars through

Yep, always fun trying to get a double child trailer through them. Or a recumbent. Or an accessibility bike.

I doubt they were put there by Sustrans footflaps

NCN routes should be very easy to follow and no maps needed IMHO. For routes crossing metalled roads would [url= ]paint trails[/url] make sense?

Please no more street furniture there is far too much every where these days.

😈

those awful cycle gates that are not quite wide enough to get your handlebars through

Besides that's not a proper A frame gate, proper A frames - like the ones near us - have "cut throughs" around the side for the rogue MXers (who presumably these are supposed to stop)

So they don't stop illegal offroading and they are a PITA for legit cyclists, please get rid of them.

D0NK: speak to your local Sustrans folk about it - they always welcome feedback on routes as signage can be tricky to get right.

Better still, volunteer and help do something about it yourself 😀

http://www.sustrans.org.uk/volunteer

For routes crossing metalled roads would paint trails make sense?

Yep! But Sustrans don't own the road (and mostly don't even own the cycle routes) so they'd need to persuade the local authority to add non-standard unapproved road markings to a public road - which is a tall order.

I never knew there was so much hatred and stereotyping of fisherman. I love this cretinous place.
Do you need a sign on a canal tow path? As long as you know where each direction takes you what more can you need to know?

Going to go out on a limb, and guess Pik n Mix is a keen angler.

How ever did you deduce that? 😉

Possibly not, but maybe they should have picked a route you are allowed to cycle on as a Sustran route. Just a thought like...

Never really had any problems with fishermen on the canals near me, TBF. They seem to largely ignore anything that isn't fishy. Occasionally you'll get one who's laid all their equipment across the path I suppose, but they're few and far between and it's no great hardship to give them a moment to shift it.

Always struck me as an odd hobby, sitting staring silently into space for hours on end on the offchance that you might get to kill a fish at some point, but each to their own I suppose.

Killing fish? Are you polish?

Again, get rid of these things. They can totally nause up a good ride. Is the problem of kids on motorbikes that great/heinous that it requires such drastic/expensive solution?

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Again, get rid of these things. They can totally nause up a good ride. Is the problem of kids on motorbikes that great/heinous that it requires such drastic/expensive solution?

Hampton represent!

They can totally nause up a good ride

Really?? You have a great ride on a dull wide track and having to stop every so often ruins it for you 😯

I must be very lucky living where I do if thats your idea of a good ride.

Id like to know of one where you aren't, Sustrans means [b]Sus[/b]tainable [b]Trans[/b]port after all.

Yep and Sustainable Transport includes walking.

The National [i]Cycle[/i] Network is obviously for bikes, but Sustrans also do work with providing safe walking routes to schools etc.

http://www.sustrans.org.uk/change-your-travel/children-and-families/walking-kids

I think we may need to get some Consultants in to determine the quantity of sand in FunkyDunc's vagina.

Notification about approaching the more "cultural" parts would be nice, ie warning: chibbings possible on summer weekends! 😆

You could do with a 'Caution! Scrotes Loitering with Intent' for every canal towpath around Manchester. With an illustration of a Nike Air-clad hoody carrying a can of Fosters

Really?? You have a great ride on a dull wide track and having to stop every so often ruins it for you

I must be very lucky living where I do if thats your idea of a good ride.

Hey, we're not all totally awesome downhill MTB'ers. For me it's about the distance/getting lost etc...

Thanks Graham, I was vaguely aware of those, I've just not been made aware of one anywhere locally, all the emphasis is getting kids out of cars, and safely onto bikes, as the pedestrian side of things is more than adequate.
It's stopping the kids on my route to work from just stepping off the footpath into the cycle lane that runs alongside the main road that's proving tricky...

'don't fall on the wet side'

Killing fish? Are you polish?

I'm vegetarian, so the whys and wherefores of fishing isn't a great area of expertise for me. I assumed, evidently naively, that the whole raison d'etre of dragging fish out of the water was to have something fishy for tea. If that's not the case then feel free to mentally amend "killing fish" to read "maiming fish" instead in my previous post.

"Caution: Geese With No Sense of Personal Space"

Would be useful for the bit by shipley where a goose jumped up on my mate's pack and "humped" his head.

If Lara doesn't make a sign for that then Jamie has to.

Come on photoshop monkey dance for me 😡