Bath Two Tunnels route -access partially blocked

[Stevek76]

Well, yes, it would be, so instead of starting across the road, they should reverse from parallel with the nearest kerbside and turn in hard on full lock, avoiding that problem.

I'd agree with that, but I'd imagine the tractor the house owner appears to use probably would struggle to turn around in the road. (S)he probably struggles to reverse out without 'borrowing' opposite pavement/driveway.

Perhaps some late night work with a saw may be of help...

[pwa]

That road is, for motor vehicles, a cul-de-sac without a turning area.

[Stevek76]

Well yes, it's a street that predates the existence of the motorvehicle, they're not exactly uncommon.

Surely something that should be taken into account before choosing to purchase/rent a house right up the end of it is how practical it is to access it with your ridiculous and unnecessary off road vehicle (that has almost certainly never seen any off road in its life so far).

(or taking account of where you live before buying a ridiculous vehicle, whichever went first)

My small city car will happily three point turn in that road width.

Doing those and then bugging the council to make changes to restrict a right of way to compensate for his/her own inadequate decision making seems rather entitled. Although it's an attitude that is rather prevalent amongst a section of Bath residents.

[pwa]

Well yes, it's a street that predates the existence of the motorvehicle, they're not exactly uncommon.

Surely something that should be taken into account before choosing to purchase/rent a house right up the end of it is how practical it is to access it with your ridiculous and unnecessary off road vehicle (that has almost certainly never seen any off road in its life so far).

(or taking account of where you live before buying a ridiculous vehicle, whichever went first)

My small city car will happily three point turn in that road width.

Doing those and then bugging the council to make changes to restrict a right of way to compensate for his/her own inadequate decision making seems rather entitled. Although it's an attitude that is rather prevalent amongst a section of Bath residents.

Serious question. As you know the site, how challenging or otherwise would it be to do a three point turn during peak time for cycle traffic? With a normal car. I'm thinking about how it might be if there is a constant flow of bikes, but maybe there isn't. Any thoughts?

I agree that combining a huge vehicle with inadequate parking facilities is daft.

[Bmblbzzz]

I presume we're talking about the house on the right, with a black metal gate? Or is it the one on the left, with a wooden gate?

Either way, the trickiest aspect of that entrance to the path IME is not width but the way the bollards are staggered. Makes it very difficult to turn in the tight area.

[recumbentpanda]

If one is facing the Two Tunnels Greenway access having come up Inverness Road, then the drive that appears to be the one in question will be to your right.

I agree, the bollards are staggering

[Bmblbzzz]

I agree, the bollards are staggering

Boom kerthunk!

[recumbentpanda]

Hah! Have just received a sharp lesson in the fallibility of memory, even of a place I pass weekly!
I can only think I got confused by looking at too many archive photos when researching the matter:

The 'Drive In Question' has a stout screen of Leylandii blocking the view of the parallel path!

I can see the owner's point of view - to some extent. It's an awkward junction that didn't used to be there when the path was a railway line, and the drive belongs to a house that was 'squeezed in' at some point post-war. The rest of that side of the street is 1910 terrace.

Nevertheless, I think narrowing the entrance is only to swap one hazard for another, and suggests that the proper duty of care on the user of the drive is being downplayed. After all, the majority of house drives open onto pedestrian pavements, some of them quite busy, so the situation is not actually all that unusual.

I also note that a new 'Concealed Entrance' advisory sign has been erected for users leaving the path to join Inverness Road.

[recumbentpanda]

Breaking News:

Sustrans are having a look at the situation . . .

[mjr]

I can see the owner's point of view - to some extent. It's an awkward junction that didn't used to be there when the path was a railway line, and the drive belongs to a house that was 'squeezed in' at some point post-war.

Wasn't that bit an unsurfaced footpath before being upgraded to an all-weather cycleway? So the junction was there, just less used and by things unlikely to scratch a car if hit.

[Bmblbzzz]

I think the footpath ended further up, the other side of the railway bridge (the bridge over the extant GWML, not the ex-railway bridge – which hasn't been there for many decades!).

[recumbentpanda]

Bmblbzz - confusing, but given my recent error I’m going to answer with caution!

Archive photos included in the original design proposal document for the Greenway do show a pedestrian access at that point, which linked Inverness Rd to Bellots Rd.

there are actually two bridges side by side, just to the south of the point under discussion: the GWR road over bridge taking Bellots road over the Bath Bristol line, and right next to it, the bridge carrying the former S&D line over the GWR. The latter bridge is now part of the Two Tunnels Greenway.

It is further south still, that the long demolished S&D bridge over Dartmouth Ave/Millmead Rd had to be replaced with a modern bridge when the Two Tunnels route was created.

B is certainly correct that the creation of the Greenway has much increased traffic, both foot and wheeled, at what was previously only a pedestrian ‘snicket’.

I am old enough to remember trains working the line - one which had gradients and curves more commonly found on mountain narrow gauge railways than a normal main line, with consequently, a lot of noise and pollution. Happily, an extreme gradient for a conventional adhesion steam locomotive is still only a moderate gradient for a cyclist!