General Discussion
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https://www.devonnewscentre.info/dawlish-businesses-to-benefit-as-cycle-trail-extends-into-town/
Uh-oh. I can already picture the disgruntled comments about this from certain posters! Non-councillor posters, I hasten to add.
Great news - looking forward to using it.
From the press release:
Funding for the project has come from:
£1.3 million from the Coastal Communities Fund
£89,000 (section 106) developer contributions from development in Dawlish
£10,000 from Dawlish Town Council
Land, from Teignbridge District Council.
Great, that will bring more visitors into Dawlish and the Warren, they could even take a breather and a picnic lunch at the nature reserve. Oh wait a minute...
The last I heard, there was still detailed work to be done on the technical plan for the final section connecting from Exeter Road to the town centre and railway station.
I have made a request for news about the progress on this, and will let you know what I find out.
As far as I know there are a couple of options in discussion for the last part of the route into, and out of, the town. This is great news for the town.
I have always thought the safest route is to widen if possible the path along Exeter Road then send the cycle path down through Lanherne where there is already a walkway. I haven't walked there for many years and remember some steps as you leave Lanherne the railway side, but this could be redesigned (dug out) and a path lowered and sloped to road level, which would be easier for disabled and cyclists alike. It will be interesting to see the designs in the future, as I feel it will be positive for Dawlish and meets the Sustrans idea of linking forms of transport, especially with talk of a station to be built at Marsh Barton.
A great article from last year in The Guardian about the Exe Trail:
http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2014/jun/14/cycling-devon-exe-estuary-trail
Yes a really good article.
But, ahem, OMG! Look what the writer's gone and done! She's only advertising the Dawlish Warren NNR and Exe Estuary RSPB reserves as places to visit.
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Whatever will TDC and East Devon District Councils have to say about that eh? And I wonder if the authorities in Brussels and Westminster are aware that people, yes, people!, are being encouraged to visit these sites. These being the very sites that the European Habitation Directive says should be protected from ......er......people.
Here's the 'offending ' bit.
"Opportunities for nature watching, however, are what sets the trail apart.
Traversing wildlife-rich lagoons at RSPB Exminster and Powderham Marshes, the route stretches to Dawlish Warren national nature reserve on the west side of the estuary. On the east side, the Clyst bridge that opened last November – a canny mix of bridge and viewing hide between Ebford and Topsham – opens up magnificent views across the previously inaccessible salt marsh of Goosemoor and vital habitat for black-tailed godwits at Bowling Green Marsh RSPB reserve."
Yes, I totally agree that it does seem to have taken a huge amount of time to get a cycle path all the way along this side of the estuary and then on and into Dawlish. Still, almost there now...
Glad you appreciate it JC.
A thought. And I am not being negative about the cycle link - far from it.
My thought is this, we are talking difficulties in getting a safe cycleway into Dawlish town centre right? Hmm........Well, right now the seawall pathway is being made all one level. Nice and flat all the way from Dawlish Warren. See where I am going on this?
I know there were 'No Cycling' signs along that wall and no doubt once all the repair work is done there will be 'No cycling' signs again. I just wonder, given that then new seawall path way will now be all one level, how effective those 'No cycling' signs will be.
Maybe before any more cycle paths are built we should have legislation making it illegal to cycle on a road when a cycle path is available. I have noticed on a daily basis cyclists on the pavement opposite the cycle path and cyclists on the road. I have asked cyclists who use the road rather than the designated cycle path why they prefer the road there normal answers are "I am not the sort of cyclist who uses cycle paths,The surface is not to a high enough standard for the speeds i do, And mind your f***** business. It seems strange that cyclists moan about drivers to close and how dangerous it is on the road and yet when we spend millions providing a safe alternative they dont use it.
If you remember, we had a cyclist on this forum who stated that he did not use the cycle path because it ruined his tyres. Would have thought that the path was safer than the roads with all the potholes about.
The pavements are flatter than most roads. You take your life in your hands at the moment as a cyclist on the roads. I do think if there's a cycle path you should have to use it and change your tyres to suit.
I will be interested to see the final route.
Just saw it on Spotlight (including the unfortunately captioned 'Breaking Wind'). Looked like the path splits into two at Lanherne, one strand running along High St to Costcutter. Be interested to see what they can do along that road other than install a green stripe.
If if the seawall is not going to be sympathetically restored to a Victorian seawall, in the long term maybe they could shore it up with a wider concrete concourse and split it between pedestrians and cyclists.
Might be a great opportunity to level off the stops to Beach Street for both cyclists and wheelchair users through Lanherne rather risking life and limb going out the main entrance and then past Leroys (as was).
Can't remember exactly where. Haven't been along there for almost a year now. But I know they were there because I remember noticing them and looking up what they meant as I didn't know if the sign meant cycling allowed or cycling not allowed. It was the latter.
Our experience of Network Rail is that they have always been risk adverse, and this has hardened since the events of last year.
I very much doubt that they will allow a permitted cycle trail to run along the sea wall adjacent to the railway track
Some may feel that a mix of cyclists en masse and family groups walking along the sea wall would not always a good idea, so a cycle route alternative along the Exeter Road and thence into town will be seen by many as preferable.
(Judith, there certainly were signs fixed at either end of King's Walk and I think there was one at the DW end of the seawall footpath)
We have encountered cyclists along the sea wall (when it was open end-to-end) and generally they sneak up silently and then expect to hug the 'safe' side, forcing you to the edge of the wall and the 5 metre drop to the beach. Suggestions that they should sound their bells fall on deaf ears. Notices are required on the grounds of safety to walkers that no cycling is allowed, and they can be directed to the cycle/bridleway that runs from the Warren along the top of the cliffs to emerge by Marine Garage. Too many cyclists are born anarchists. (That should start a rant going) I have been friendly towards one who sounded his trumpet so that my dog and I could stand to one side as a group rode past, but that was just one in twelve or more years.
you asked when we can see a plan of the route.
This is the reply I have had from the officer at Teignbridge heading up the local work.
Excellent news.
Well done to all involved in the project. Will enjoy this improvement very much.
Many thanks. 
After digesting the news item on BBC the same words where used over and over "A new cycle path will revitalize the town". Are they not the same words that where used when 1.7 million was spent on the Strand. There is one thing that will bring folk out for the day and thats low fuel prices with fuel set to dip bellow £1 a litre folk will jump in there cars and go out for the day, so if fuel prices are set to stay low maybe we should be increasing parking. At the end of the day we are not giving up our cars for a bicycle we are a nation of car lovers and that is not set to change. My last point is that you can't honestly tell me that by continuing the cycle path a few hundred yards it will revitalize the town by bringing in more cyclists and how many will that be?
Well, we shall indeed have to wait and see what impact the cycle path, once completed, does actually have on the Dawlish economy.
However, the cycle/walk way along the Camel estuary in Cornwall between Padstow and Wadebridge is phenomenally succesful. I've been to Wadebridge several times during the holiday season and it is just buzzing with people, cyclists, and cycling shops.
And here's some info on the impact of cycle paths on the local economies in the Peak District
Anything that improves access is a good thing but it will only revitalise the town if, once people get here, there's a reason to stay and spend money. Businesses can help themselves by making them better places to linger longer.
@leatash - do the car parks get so full in the summer that more is needed?
The proposed route for the cycle trail extension is now available as a link on the DCC website, please see below
The link is just above the quote from the Environment Minister
Further detailed design work needs to be done, so this is the initial outline
Is there any info on how the Exeter Road at Lanherne/Iddesleigh Terrace will be crossed?
Are we talking pedestrian/cycle bridge over the road? Or Pelican lights (can you just imagine the traffic chaos potential they might cause if sited on that particular bit of the A379?.)
I'm told that all such issues are part of the detailed design work to be done now the grant has been awarded.
Not only that look at the width of the pavement along the exeter road if you widen the pavement what happens to the cars parked along the A379.
If I'm reading it right, the plans provide an extension to the existing cycle path on Exeter Road , not changing what's there already. The new path covers the stretch from East Cliff Road into the town.
Just gone along the Exeter Road as a passenger in a car so took the opportunity to have a look.
It is the extension to the cyclepath on Exeter Road from where it presently finishes which may cause a problem. As Ken has pointed out if the pavement gets widened then it follows that the road is narrowed. Except that.........if the pavement were to be widened in a seaward direction then the width of Exeter Road wouldn't be affected at all, would it.
Mind you what I've just suggested would mean Devon County Council acquiring land that is presently in private ownership...........and what if the owners didn't want to sell?
The existing cycle path finishes before the 2nd set of residents parking bays along the Exeter Road, so as the pavement will need widening are the options
1 Take away the residents parkng along the Exeter Road.
2 Widen the path / cycle path retain the residents parking and narrow the Exeter Road.
I cannot see that the path can be widened seaward but then there is 1.3 million pounds to be spent somewhere. Just not on keeping Redrock open. Then again if the path is widened seaward maybe it will put extra stress on the cliff along the road and cause it to collapse onto the railway.