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Canal Visit Numbers Doubled


Mick and Maggie

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In an amazing turn of fortune - possibly linked to Robin Evans getting on his bike. The number of visitors to the canals has been doubled overnight. Forget the old 10 million visitors a year figure. A figure which like a fashion contest, is so last year.

 

The CaRT website reports. http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/see-and-do/cycling

 

Our canals and rivers attract over 21 million visits from cyclists each year and with thousands of miles of towpaths, which by their nature tend to be fairly level, it’s easy to see why. Where else can you take in such a diverse range of wildlife and the country’s finest heritage structures while you’re out on your bike?

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the Great British Bike Off is going to pi$$ a lot of people off who want to walk there or thought they could spend a stress free day on the towpath. the only way to make it safe for adults, children, and pets is to make two lanes...one for the walkers and one for bikers. I bike, but I am probably overly forgiving. I never ride fast past anyone or come up behind someone on a horse or walking their dog unless they know I am there. I won't even ask anyone to get out of my way so I can stay on the path...that is just plain ludicrous. (which I seem to do anyway when I am the one walking to keep the dogs from getting in front of them and being run over) To promote bikes on towpaths is to promote the end of those walkers who enjoy the peace of nature. Sorry bikers, but when you get an inch you will tend to take a mile. Not all (I repeat...Not All), but those that do, spoil it for everyone. Took a car ride in the country to walk the Lancaster canal at Galgate over the weekend and the bikers were out in full force. They were riding the back country roads 4 abreast and 6 deep. There was a line behind them. How long before one impatient individual decides enough is enough and passes them while pushing them off the road with their car? Laws have to be in place and enforced on a regular basis. Otherwise, over time, things will just get worse until there is nothing you can do the fix the problem.

 

If you must ride the towpath, then be prepared to go around anyone walking on it (which could mean into the canal, grass, or bushes...hopefully nettles) or get off your bike and walk until you pass the people. I like bikes but not those who abuse them.

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In an amazing turn of fortune - possibly linked to Robin Evans getting on his bike. The number of visitors to the canals has been doubled overnight. Forget the old 10 million visitors a year figure. A figure which like a fashion contest, is so last year.

 

The CaRT website reports. http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/see-and-do/cycling

 

Our canals and rivers attract over 21 million visits from cyclists each year and with thousands of miles of towpaths, which by their nature tend to be fairly level, it’s easy to see why. Where else can you take in such a diverse range of wildlife and the country’s finest heritage structures while you’re out on your bike?

 

Visits <> Visitors.

 

The stats are 260 million visits by 10 million visitors

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What about a license fee for biking on the towpath

 

Draft new byelaw No.57: “Pedal cycles – ( a ) No one shall use a pedal cycle (including a cycle with supplementary power assistance) on a towpath without the consent of BW . . .”

 

In respect of which – byelaw No.7(2) Where any of these byelaws prohibits the doing of anything except in accordance with the consent of BW, then, unless provision to the contrary is made, that consent –

 

( a ) shall be in writing; and

 

( b ) may be given subject to such reasonable conditions (including conditions requiring the applicant for or holder of the consent to make payments to BW) as BW may determine.

 

Now if CART could find a way of imposing charges of a couple of quid per visit, then on the stats most quoted here, Cyclists would become more important than boaters, based on their commercial contributions.

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Visits <> Visitors.

 

The stats are 260 million visits by 10 million visitors

BW and now CaRT seem to pluck, often contradictory, visit/visitor numbers out of thin air. The basis of the telephone survey which is carried out is "have you visited a waterway in the last two weeks?". BW/CaRT uses a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) which gives average visitors (not visits) per two week period on BW/CaRT waterways.

 

Using this measure, it was part of BW's 2012 vision to double visitor numbers from 3.6m (2002/3) to 7.2m in 2012/13. Indeed so important were visitor numbers to BW (they are used as a proxy for showing the delivery of public benefit) that Robin Evans was set yearly targets to record progress. The second column shows the targets set and the third achievement against target taken from annual reports.

 

2003/4 3.6 3.2

2004/5 3.7 2.85

2005/6 4.0 2.85

2006/7 4.5 Not published

2007/8 5.0 Not published

2008/9 5.7 3.4

2009/10 6.5 4.3

2010/11 6.9 3.8

2011/12 7.2 3.6

 

CaRT's first annual report says visitor numbers are down to 3.2m. Some research suggests that the 'loss' of Scottish Waterways does not account for the 0.4m difference and suggests that visitor numbers are still falling.

 

In short, despite an intention to double visitor numbers they are now less than in 2002/3.

 

Narrowboatworld article on Robin Evans achievements

 

 

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I hate politics. It ruins so many good things. Why is one group more important than another? Why are boaters down the list of importance while non-boaters who use the towpath are at the top? If it wasn't for the fact that boats were needed to transport goods in the early days, then the canal would not have been built and there would have been more roads and train tracks AND we wouldn't be discussing towpaths and who uses them most because there wouldn't be any.

 

I personally think that anyone using the towpath, other than a boater or angler who already buy a license, should pay a fee to do so. It shouldn't be the same fee for everyone and should depend on wheels vs. feet. Maybe the towpath should fall under a new department, one that is partly based on volunteers and full time personnel who are not paid a great deal but still want to do the job (maybe use a boater to police a few miles of path and allow them to stay for free in their own mooring). A small fee for usage, say £5 or £10 per year for walkers and £25 for cyclists would greatly benefit the towpath's upkeep. And if you don't have a towpath near you, then the money goes into a fund to take care of walking and/or bike paths that are already used or to be built in the future. Just my thoughts.

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