Overgrown cycle path

Zombie_donkey
Zombie_donkey Posts: 359
edited June 2010 in Commuting chat
Some of my route to work is become increasingly encroached upon by bushes and rambling weeds.

There is an underpass the avoids a busy road that is becoming impassable, bikers are having to put there head down to crash through the fresh growth on a bush!

I contacted the council last week but nothing has been done.

I'm thinking of taking some pruners with me tomorrow and cut the worst bits back on my way home. Anyone else resorted to similar acts of guerilla gardening?
Giant Escape M1....
Penny Farthing
Unicycle
The bike the Goodies rode
Pogo Stick
Donkey on Roller skates.......OK I'm lying, but I am down to one bike right now and I feel bad about it,

Comments

  • Mr_Cellophane
    Mr_Cellophane Posts: 690
    Don't forget to take a broom !
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    Can you name and shame? I want to know where this is.

    Don't do guerilla gardening, make the council do their job - don't pussyfoot; one email then if no response, email the chief exec.
  • Zombie_donkey
    Zombie_donkey Posts: 359
    Northampton Council. The path is right near the council offices too.

    I'll take a picture tomorrow.

    Oh yes along one bit of path a bush is overgrown on one side and on the other side of the path there is a pile of horse poo!

    So I need to take a Shovel, broom and pruners :lol:
    Giant Escape M1....
    Penny Farthing
    Unicycle
    The bike the Goodies rode
    Pogo Stick
    Donkey on Roller skates.......OK I'm lying, but I am down to one bike right now and I feel bad about it,
  • stickman
    stickman Posts: 791
    And by the NEC going towards Coventry there's a severely overgrown cycle path, with gorse (spikes), did a bit of pruning a few years ago but it would take hours to fix the path.
    Bikes, saddles and stuff

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/21720915@N03/
    More stuff:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/65587945@N00/

    Gears - Obscuring the goodness of singlespeed
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    Your councils are responsible, make them sort it - they have the resources just they are probably pruning some roses in an ornamental flower bed in the park.

    Do you have a local cycling campaign? Talk to them, and talk to the CTC, they will have a local "right to ride" rep.

    The horse poo could be usefully delivered to the CEO.
  • Zombie_donkey
    Zombie_donkey Posts: 359
    Well someone else where I work had a prang this morning.

    He slowed down to edge past the worst of it but another rider didn't see him or slow down. No one hurt but I told him to E-mail the council too.
    Giant Escape M1....
    Penny Farthing
    Unicycle
    The bike the Goodies rode
    Pogo Stick
    Donkey on Roller skates.......OK I'm lying, but I am down to one bike right now and I feel bad about it,
  • SimonLyons
    SimonLyons Posts: 203
    If its annoying be proactive. I would take some pruners along. and get rid of the worst.

    When there is alot of broken glass on my route to work I take a brush and sweep it up - otherwise it annoys me for weeks.
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 29,412
    SimonLyons wrote:
    If its annoying be proactive. I would take some pruners along. and get rid of the worst.

    When there is alot of broken glass on my route to work I take a brush and sweep it up - otherwise it annoys me for weeks.

    +1

    All part of the 'Big Society' thingy innit. Although the idea of cycling to work with a pair of shears sticking out of my courier bag would make me a bit nervous.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • SimonLyons
    SimonLyons Posts: 203
    Can you get hold of some secateurs? they are alot smaller than shears - about the same size as a pair of large scissors.
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 29,412
    SimonLyons wrote:
    Can you get hold of some secateurs? they are alot smaller than shears - about the same size as a pair of large scissors.

    Depends what amount of pruning we're talking about, but yes, that might be a whole lot easier. Better take a couple of traffic ones and some stripy tape with you as well - don't want the HSE after you now :wink: .

    EDIT: or that dozy guy riding into you + shears/secateurs; that could be bloody.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • itsbruce
    itsbruce Posts: 221
    Don't just prune the hedge, find somebody who is good at topiary and sculpt the hedge into a portrait of the council leader doing something obscene.
    Charge Mixer (2010)
    Schwinn Madison (2009)
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    itsbruce wrote:
    Don't just prune the hedge, find somebody who is good at topiary and sculpt the hedge into a portrait of the council leader doing something obscene.

    this!

    If you do decide to do it, do it at the weekend, take a petrol hedge trimmer, sweep up the mess and dump it in someone important at the council's parking space!
    Neeermad
    Carbon 456
    456 lefty
    Pompino
    White Inbred
  • spen666
    spen666 Posts: 17,709
    rjsterry wrote:
    SimonLyons wrote:
    Can you get hold of some secateurs? they are alot smaller than shears - about the same size as a pair of large scissors.

    Depends what amount of pruning we're talking about, but yes, that might be a whole lot easier. Better take a couple of traffic ones and some stripy tape with you as well - don't want the HSE after you now :wink: .

    EDIT: or that dozy guy riding into you + shears/secateurs; that could be bloody.

    Hmmm that Dozy guy would only ride into you once if you had the shears with you
    Want to know the Spen666 behind the posts?
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  • bearfraser
    bearfraser Posts: 435
    Spent 2-3 hours clearing a path(appx.400 mtr.) last summer it runs from a bus stop to an old section of an "A" road .The biggest problem appart from the 5 cm branches was clearing the mess, the council did eventually tidy up the mess
  • Zombie_donkey
    Zombie_donkey Posts: 359
    Had to take the car to work today (Boring) as I had to go to Corby but I will have a go at pruning tomorrow.
    Giant Escape M1....
    Penny Farthing
    Unicycle
    The bike the Goodies rode
    Pogo Stick
    Donkey on Roller skates.......OK I'm lying, but I am down to one bike right now and I feel bad about it,
  • arnosgrove
    arnosgrove Posts: 10
    Done a bit of bike lane pruning myself in Derby.

    No thanks proffered by anyone, just a child calling me a twat.

    To be fair, I couldn't really fault him....
  • rhann
    rhann Posts: 383
    rjsterry wrote:
    SimonLyons wrote:
    If its annoying be proactive. I would take some pruners along. and get rid of the worst.

    When there is alot of broken glass on my route to work I take a brush and sweep it up - otherwise it annoys me for weeks.

    +1

    All part of the 'Big Society' thingy innit. Although the idea of cycling to work with a pair of shears sticking out of my courier bag would make me a bit nervous.
    or arrested

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