Interesting article in the Guardian

[Richard Simpson]

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... t-87496566

...open to comments, too!

[Jak*]

I've added a comment, maybe if enough of us who ride green lanes do the same it will have an impact. I can but dream.
Cheers Jak

[Gavinskii]

So the TRF has circa 4000 paid up members who are getting peed off with the reduced number of legal rights of way we can use.

However it is now recognised that the majority of the massive "bobble" fraternity, prefer to walk on national footpaths or worse still object to cyclists on footpaths and motorcyclists on legal rights of way. As they don't have the resources to maintain much of the massive network of footpaths that they are allowed to use exclusively.

Imagine that just 10% of these overgrown footpaths were "given" as an experiment to the TRF for say 24 months to maintain and use.....

Perhaps those first 10% could be given a 2 year colour coding on the signage indicating that they are given temporary byway status until say 1st Jan 2019.

2 years later another 10% gets handed over for a 2 year period (and the first lot go back to being classified footpaths) .......

Anyway, you get the idea.

It just amazes me how much of the french greenlane system there is, and because there is so much, you don't get problems with anti's (bobbles or berets ), you don't get problems with overuse (like we get in UK) and you don't generally get problems with their routes being blocked by overgrown vegetation.

[bowber]

A good idea Gav, unfortunately it has about as much chance of happening as I have of winning the lottery (I don't buy lottery tickets) :S

Steve

[PaulinBont]

So the TRF has circa 4000 paid up members who are getting peed off with the reduced number of legal rights of way we can use.

However it is now recognised that the majority of the massive "bobble" fraternity, prefer to walk on national footpaths or worse still object to cyclists on footpaths and motorcyclists on legal rights of way. As they don't have the resources to maintain much of the massive network of footpaths that they are allowed to use exclusively.

Imagine that just 10% of these overgrown footpaths were "given" as an experiment to the TRF for say 24 months to maintain and use.....

Perhaps those first 10% could be given a 2 year colour coding on the signage indicating that they are given temporary byway status until say 1st Jan 2019.

2 years later another 10% gets handed over for a 2 year period (and the first lot go back to being classified footpaths) .......

Anyway, you get the idea.

It just amazes me how much of the french greenlane system there is, and because there is so much, you don't get problems with anti's (bobbles or berets ), you don't get problems with overuse (like we get in UK) and you don't generally get problems with their routes being blocked by overgrown vegetation.

Gav,

An excellent idea, one of the best innovative ideas I've heard in a long while....now how do you think you can get your idea considered by the powers that be? May be write a letter to the TRF member's magazine?

[Gavinskii]

So the TRF has circa 4000 paid up members who are getting peed off with the reduced number of legal rights of way we can use.

However it is now recognised that the majority of the massive "bobble" fraternity, prefer to walk on national footpaths or worse still object to cyclists on footpaths and motorcyclists on legal rights of way. As they don't have the resources to maintain much of the massive network of footpaths that they are allowed to use exclusively.

Imagine that just 10% of these overgrown footpaths were "given" as an experiment to the TRF for say 24 months to maintain and use.....

Perhaps those first 10% could be given a 2 year colour coding on the signage indicating that they are given temporary byway status until say 1st Jan 2019.

2 years later another 10% gets handed over for a 2 year period (and the first lot go back to being classified footpaths) .......

Anyway, you get the idea.

It just amazes me how much of the french greenlane system there is, and because there is so much, you don't get problems with anti's (bobbles or berets ), you don't get problems with overuse (like we get in UK) and you don't generally get problems with their routes being blocked by overgrown vegetation.

Gav,

An excellent idea, one of the best innovative ideas I've heard in a long while....now how do you think you can get your idea considered by the powers that be? May be write a letter to the TRF member's magazine?

Thanks gents - perhaps Richard Simpson or others who are connected with the higher echelons of the TRF could see if there is any buy in at the "pre - AGM" coming up?

If there is then there are some wise sages amongst the old guard + some great skills amongst the new - like Greg Villabos, who might be able to make a video showing the concept and then see if it can go viral.
It might then encourage some of the disaffected to join/rejoin the TRF if they see that they really are a pressure group to be reckoned with....who as well as preserving the network we have, are also coming up with a way to significantly increase the legal countryside access for riders.