UK's Top Active Travel Route because:

Yesterday, Sunday 16 August, I cycled from home in Halesowen to Castlecroft on the S Staffs/Wolves border, before turning back.

Since discovering the route last decade, the Dudley section is the worst I have seen it but the S Staffs section, where it is tarmacked, is the best with the greatest number of users.

Apart from Chris Barnett with whom I have cycled his wonderful 'Chris Barnett Circular' a couple of times, there is STILL zero interest from a single officer or member of that council.  But last week I met Cllr Jon Mucklow - hope!

Dudley Council, from my experience, will not send out a single member of their staff to cut back vegetation on the Pensnett/Kingswinford Railway Walk.  I did a little some years ago but no longer!  It needs a wholesale restoration to keep the ASB brigade out who have wrecked the cycle-walkway, as here, with Dudley Council allowing them to do this destruction.

PROW = Public Right of Way. Means open to all to walk/ride over the adjacent landfill site with its cocktail of poisonous gases.  Dudley's fault - again!

In my opinion, the 25 Kms from Stourbridge ring road, via Fens Pool Avenue, Brierley Hill to NW Wolverhamton (and even on into deepest Staffordshire) is easily the Top UK cycle-walkway because:

1. It is in the heart of England in the West Midlands with its population of 2.8 million.
2. Its urban-rural-urban nature means it is vital for commuter, business and leisure use.
3. Climate problems make it essential for us car users to leave them at home more and to use our flat feet, two wheels - and the Andy Burnham BUS!
4. Making the full 25 Kms length fit for purpose is one of many urgent ways to do something about the Climate no 1 Emergency.
5. Yet, still no NCR number.  Shocking!
6. The two railway lines which make it up are now ideal for active travel, ONLY.  No more trams - the bane of my life for these past 40 years with two mainline railways destroyed for trams, the most expensive transport mode to construct, per Km, after the ongoing HS2 tragedy.  Midland Metro trams have taken over from national, regional and commuter trains but, so far, we got only 23 Kms of tramway in 45 years of expensive endeavour!