To me, it’s a no-brainer: as a society we need to get more people cycling. Please contribute to this survey which will help to make the case for developing a cycle path to join Ruthin and Denbigh up to the main National Cycle Route. Click here to fill in the survey
As a regular cyclist, I have a vested interest in this going ahead. Mainly from a self preservation viewpoint. It can be quite terrifying cycling to work on roads that are a bit too narrow to allow trucks and buses to give me enough space when they want to overtake. Even more scary when I’m on a roundabout, and despite all my high-vis gear and flashing lights, the dozy git on her mobile phone doesn’t see me as she approaches and fails to give way. This has happened twice in the past 3 weeks and whilst any collision might have scratched their car, it would have scratched my very existence. Yeah, sorry mate, didn’t see you. Try explaining that to my sobbing 6 year old.
So apart from my rather personal interest in not wanting to be killed by incompetent, unobservant or inconsiderate motorists, why else should anyone contribute to this survey?
Well, it’s in everyone’s interests to develop these cycle paths/walkways. Even if you think you’d never use them, other people would – and that means fewer cars on the roads – less congestion, less pollution. Oh, and more people getting exercise – less obesity, reduced preventable demand on health services, more money for other services (or slightly less harsh cuts perhaps, it’s all relative).
It’s also about giving young people the opportunity to grow up thinking that ‘being active’ is just normal. Parents need safe places to walk or ride with their kids, and as they get older, we should let them become “free range kids”. To promote that kind of behaviour, we need the right kind of environment.
Or would you prefer it if we carried on breeding the next generation of battery farmed, X-box playing, X-factor watching, brain dead, clinically obese kids; a generation of kids with lower life expectancy than their parents. Hmm, progress?
To me, it’s a no brainer: as a society we need to get more people cycling.
People of Denbigh and surrounding areas, it starts here – have your say and support this project. Click here to fill in the survey
If you love cycling already, support the scheme to enjoy safer cycling.
If you hate cyclists, support the scheme and there’ll be fewer cyclists on the roads!
Everyone’s a winner.
Click here to fill in the survey
North Wales Cycle Routes.
(Click to enlarge)
Here’s a map of the existing National Cycle Route. Notice the lovely green section (traffic free) running across most of the North Wales coast. The pale blue dotted line is the proposed route to link up Denbigh and Ruthin. It’s been on the cards for ages, it seems, but hopefully we’re getting close to it becoming a reality.
You can help – Click here to fill in the survey.
absolutely fantastic and been a very long time coming, denbigh has so much to offer and a decent cycling route is a good start.
Brilliant idea! I live in Denbigh and work in Ruthin – i’d love to be able to cycle to work! Far too dangerous to go on those roads.
Any idea’s if this cycle path is close to happing?
Hello Kate, yes I believe it will be going ahead. The plan is to use the old railway line route, which is much better because it’s a way from the road, not just a token strip of tarmac inches away from traffic. The railway line route will be amazing because it’ll be safe for kids, so you can imagine families using it at the weekends too.
There was a consultation in 2013 about this, and I have a copy of the response/summary from Denbighshire County Council, if you’d like to see it.
You may recall that a few weeks ago, there were objections raised by people who live near the cemetery on Ystrad road, as the new path will go that way. For some reason, people there don’t seem to want bikes going past. Perhaps they’d be too noisy… Or pollute the air too much…. Hmm!