Written in 2021 re Black Country Cycle-Walk Mudway

You do not need to change anything, apart from possibly putting in the Toucan crossing at Chadbury Road. Even so, walkers have no need to cross Manor Way for the westbound bus into Halesowen because they can easily walk the short distance into the shops via residential roads. But the crossing would encourage users of the HACC to walk or cycle into the club. You need to save the money to upgrade the major, strategic 22 Kms Black Country Cycle-Walk Mudway to NW Wolverhampton via Wombourne. I have cycled into Brum for decades but have NEVER needed to use Manor Way because there are brilliant alternative cycling routes via pleasant residential roads. I cross the A456 at Carters Lane and then use the superby traffic free walking/cycling route for SIX MILES into Brum!

The most strange behaviour from the young professionals! And then we ancient elders get blamed for leaving the planet in such a mess for them to inherit! What a cheek!

14 May 2022

https://www.wmca.org.uk/news/latest-17m-boost-cements-region-s-cycling-and-walking-ambitions/

12 cycling schemes for £17 m (below) but the UK's major and only 22 Kms, traffic-free mudway, the Black Country Cycle-Walk Mudway is not included for upgrading.  This is quite disgraceful and shows, once again the weird and wonderful, indeed the eccentric priorities of the WMCA/TfWM.  The most peculiar priorities and incompetence are seen for over 40 years with highly expensive, grossly extravagant trams put on railway lines instead of trains and, now with £17 m, on top of the cycling £62 m awarded to Brum last decade given, for example, to the A4123 cycle and bus scheme instead of the 22 Kms, traffic-free, urban-rural-urban, Black Country Cycle-Walk Mudway, that still does not even have an NCR number.

Please buck your ideas up!

MUDWAY TO CYCLE-WALKWAY TRANSFORMED

 MAGNIFICENT MUDWAY TO WALKWAY TRANSFORMED because:

1. 22 Kms in length, made up of two unused railway lines with a funny kink in the middle where they don't quite meet!

2. Mentioned in our current 'Walk' magazine.  Can you find the mention?!

3. Connects one city and one town via the delightful village of Wombourne in South Staffordshire.

4. Well used in Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire by all kinds of walkers and even some horse riders and cyclists.

5. NOT well used in Dudley borough because, in places, it is overgrown and muddy and waterlogged.

6. An unrecognised, forgotten, unappreciated, unloved cycle-walkway.

7. But all of it could be a business, commuter and leisure route for cycle commuters deserting their cars to respond to the climate emergency.  Like I have, literally, for decades!

8. Three nature reserves, with two in Dudley borough.

9. Two refreshment halts in two old Victorian railway stations.

10. One nationally important long-distance footpath, the Monarch's Way, uses part of it.

11. One Woodland Trust property, with car park, called Himley Plantation is next to the cycle-walkway.

12. One SSSI at Pensnett, Dudley for its nationally famous Great Crested Newts.

13. Baggeridge Country Park is nearby.

14. Recognised by the Ordnance Survey on their Explorer map as a major "traffic-free cycle route".

15. HS2, Metro and Sprint extensions all prove money is in great abundance and grows on the trees that don't get felled for HS2!

Very best wishes for any writing you can do to impress on the authorities how desperately needed it is for it to be finished with a wide, all-weather, free-draining surface.  Exactly like the upgrade in Woodgate Valley Country Park in west Brum, now transformed after decades of patient, intermittent requests - by me!

Black Country Cycle-Walk Mudway

Dear Shaz

Clearing the undergrowth on Dudley's section of Black Country Cycle-Walk Mudway

Please, can you do more to make your/our section fit to use without wellies?

Please ask your workers to clear the undergrowth back from the path to allow the mud and puddles to dry out more quickly.

The Dudley section has two short public rights of way connecting it with the Crooked House, "Creative rustic cooking and local real ales served in quirky higgledy-piggledy old world pub."  (Google Maps)  It is off Himley Road and is well worth a visit for the mining subsidence that has caused it to be 'crooked'.  I've never seen anything like it for its visual illusions!

The whole 22 Kms Black Country Cycle-Walk Mudway is clearly marked on the OS Explorer map as "Traffic-free cycle route" (from the map Legend or Key).  It has brown circles on the full length on the map that stand out so well.  On the ground, in Dudley, it is a disgrace in the vicinity of the Crooked House pub through to Barrow Hill Nature Reserve.

Clear the undergrowth on Dudley's section of Black Country Cycle-Walk Mudway

Dear friend - please reply.  Please do more to make your/our section fit to use without wellies!

Can your workers clear the undergrowth to allow the mud to dry out more quickly?

None of the 22 Kms, Black Country Cycle-Walk Mudway (from Fens Pool Avenue to NW Wolverhampton) has a hard tarmac surface with good drainage.  However, different parts of the South Staffordshire and Wolverhampton section are called Kingswinford Railway Walk, Monarch's Way and Valley Parkway.  They are popular with walkers, cyclists and horse riders.  That section has a lovely Woodland Trust property, called Himley Plantation with a car park beside the cycle-walkway.  In Wolverhampton, there is the Valley Park nature reserve and two old railway stations are cafes that are well used when open.

The Dudley section has two short public rights of way connecting it with the Crooked House, "Creative rustic cooking and local real ales served in quirky higgledy-piggledy old world pub."  (Google Maps)  It is off Himley Road and is well worth a visit for the mining subsidence that has caused it to be 'crooked'.  I've never seen anything like it for its visual illusions!

The whole 22 Kms Black Country Cycle-Walk Mudway is clearly marked on the OS Explorer map as "Traffic-free cycle route" (from the map Legend or Key).  It has brown circles on the full length on the map that stand out so well.  On the ground, in Dudley, it is an utter disgrace in the vicinity of the Crooked House pub through to Barrow Hill Nature Reserve.

Tim Weller

THREE MAJOR CONCERNS

THREE MAJOR CONCERNS:

• Action is needed on highlighting the failure over the incompetent restoration of Dudley No 2 Canal in Leasowes Park, Halesowen in the 1990s.  Lapal Canal Trust says 1997.
• Action on highlighting the incompetence of destroying the only unofficial public open space at Merry Hill for a "bus on rails" tram that is also destroying the UK's very last, mothballed, principal, mainline railway that has every viaduct, bridge, tunnel, underpass and flyover built over its full 120 Kms length.

The MMA/TfWM brochure. See photo of Metro viaduct on page 3:
https://metroalliance.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/wbheleafletsep19v2small.pdf.pagespeed.ce.TMKJsuHpum.pdf

Official plan for the destruction of the public open space at Merry Hill is at the very foot of this email.

The double, standard gauge, railway tracks on the concrete viaduct goes along the line of these six trees.

 6 glorious white trees.jpg

• Action on highlighting the serious negligence over the 22 Kms Black Country Cycle-Walk Mudway that, once competently upgraded or finished, would complete the important Black Country Canal/Cycle Ring of over 60 Kms in distance.

Thanks!

SO-OO-OO IMPORTANT! The mighty, 22 Kms Black Country Cycle-Walk Mudway!

Dear Judith, Harry and Michael - and copied to my own, much under-appreciated MP, James Morris.

Thanks so much for writing.  Lovely to hear from all three of you.

No hard manual labour required - just a persistent, polite, irregular email/phoning of the addresses I've given you; plus your own MPs and councillors - PLEASE!!

MUDWAY TO WALKWAY TRANSFORMED because:

1. 22 Kms in length, made up of two unused railway lines with a funny kink in the middle where they don't quite meet!
2. Mentioned in our current 'Walk' magazine.  Can you find the mention?!
3. Connects one city and one town via the delightful village of Wombourne in South Staffordshire.
4. Well used in Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire by all kinds of walkers and even some horse riders and cyclists.
5. NOT well used in Dudley borough because, in places, it is overgrown and muddy and waterlogged.
6. An unrecognised, forgotten, unappreciated, unloved cycle-walkway.
7. But all of it could be a business, commuter and leisure route for cycle commuters deserting their cars to respond to the climate emergency.  Like I have, literally, for decades!
8. Three nature reserves, with two in Dudley borough.
9. Two refreshment halts in two old Victorian railway stations.
10. One nationally important long-distance footpath, the Monarch's Way, uses part of it.
11. One Woodland Trust property, with car park, called Himley Plantation is next to the cycle-walkway.
12. One SSSI at Pensnett, Dudley for its nationally famous Great Crested Newts.
13. Baggeridge Country Park is nearby.
14. Recognised by the Ordnance Survey on their Explorer map as a major "traffic-free cycle route".
15. HS2, Metro and Sprint extensions all prove money is in great abundance and grows on the trees that don't get felled for HS2!

Very best wishes for any writing you can do to impress on the authorities how desperately needed it is for it to be finished with a wide, all-weather, free-draining surface.  Exactly like the upgrade in Woodgate Valley Country Park in west Brum, now transformed after decades of patient, intermittent requests - by me!

DUDLEY CLLRS LOVE MISSION TO USE TRAMS TO RUN DUDLEY PEOPLE TO MERRY HILL

DUDLEY SHOPPERS TO TAKE TRAMS TO MERRY HILL

I'm so pleased for you that you have your long-awaited (from the 1980s) Metro trams at long last.  But, don't rest on your laurels; there is still very MUCH more to do, my friends!

I quite understand that you must continue the 60-year-old policy of destroying, this time, Dudley's very last and fifth railway, to relegate our town from having back the mainline Castle Hill Railway Station - to piddling little tram stop and test track.  Dudley's New Fame:- the largest town in the UK by population without a railway station.  Yet, the line was successful for 100 years until we all fell in love with cars.  And nearly 50 Kms, already built, are left with nothing!

What is your personal wish for the former mainline railway and existing freight line from Stourbridge Jct to Brierley Hill and, the mothballed, former passenger and freight railway from Wednesbury to Burton on Trent?  Nearly 50 Kms still wasted alongside or, near congested main roads and motorways.  It has every motorway, road and canal crossing already built but you good politicians forgot to finish the job - with, you know what!

What are you doing to respond to your own Council's Climate Emergency motion that you passed last year and passed over this year?

Why did you bring it forward when it does look, so far, as though you have every intention to change nothing?  You now lay yourselves open to the charge of hypocrisy, of course.

Have you ever considered reforming your actions to ones of retrenchment?  Retrenchment to minimise deadly greenhouse gas emissions and to maximise economic growth in insulation, Passivhaus standards in housing, solar PV on every E, W, S roof and small to medium-sized, highly energy-efficient homes for the homeless and badly housed?

Have you ever considered the carrot, the reward of regional Fare-Free Public Transport that old crocks like me have had for 13 years, so far?  This OAP and friends in Brum are championing the same perk for you youngsters!  Campaign with us over this iniquitous inequality and blatant discrimination against the young and middle-aged.  Co-operation and partnership working, please.

Remember, too the major 22 Kms, business and commuter route that is the fine, upstanding, disgraceful Black Country Cycle-Walk Mudway.

And a decent mosque for Dudley town Muslims.  Stop that discrimination and Islamaphobia.

And a cycle-walkway on the other side of Duncan Edwards Way from the tramline.

Am I allowed, please to observe your council Climate Emergency (up and at 'em) All Action Committee?

Direct Message to Adam Tranter

You are doing a brilliant job, Adam. Well done on the parklet and shame on the council. Please could you help us over in the far west is worst of the W Mids with our business, commuter and leisure route, 22 Kms of traffic-free, THE WONDERFUL the Black Country Cycle-Walk-Horse MUDWAY extraordinary. It runs between Brierley Hill and NW Wolverhampton. 3 nature reserves and 2 cafes in former railway stations on 2 disused railway lines.

Four scandals that our leaders are responsible for and complacent about

 The West Midlands four scandals - all mayoral candidates and seven leaders must act:

• After 46 yrs, there is still no justice for the 21 killed in the Brum pub bombings in 1974.  And, this after W Mids Police within hours, got the first six Irishmen they could find and pinned the blame on them.  There must be a public inquiry as Julie Hambleton is so insistent and the Home Secretary is prevaricating over - now, for five months.

• After 40 years of efforts to destroy the UK’s last principal mainline railway for a “bus on rails” on roads and railways, tram extension, main works are now starting.  So, on one side of Brum they destroy another mainline railway for a tramline, a test track and a proposed cycle-walkway and, on the other side, they build HS2.  It is still much cheaper to pay the cancellation fees and finish the Derby, Dudley, Devon railway with the trains they have forgotten up to now.  NOT DESTROY IT, AS THE COUNCIL LEADERS WANT!

• Our Mayor and the seven leaders have allowed one of their own number to be suspended as Leader of Sandwell Council for mild criticism of the Israeli government in 2017/18.  This is Cllr Yvonne Davies.  Mayor candidate, Liam Byrne said there is no place for antisemitism and racism in the Labour Party and supported the suspension.  I call on the Mayor and the council leaders to demand the immediate reinstatement of Cllr Davies as Leader - in a public statement.

• Last decade, £62 m was given to Brum for only Brum cycling infrastructure.  The similar size population in the four Black Country boroughs got nothing.  This, even when the Black Country has the region’s longest, continuous, 22 Kms Black Country Cycle-Walk Mudway from Brierley Hill to NW Wolverhampton, via Wombourne.  This is totally unacceptable.  I call on Brum and the seven leaders to finally finish this major business and commuter route, for cyclists so we can use it - WITHOUT THE MUD.

Tim Weller 20 March 2021

Europe's longest cycling bridge

 https://wordpress.com/read/blogs/33169195/posts/20428

The go-ahead, dynamic, go for it, Dutch.  800 m long, 3.5 m wide.

I'm still asking for our local, 22 Kms Black Country Cycle-Walk Mudway to be upgraded for human-powered use - and the 120 Kms railway would be a good idea, too for trains!  Burrowing under the Irish Sea will be done sooner.

Agenda items for proposed meeting with Kevin O'Keefe, CEO Dudley MBC

 

1. Black Country Cycle-Walk Mudway
2. Housing in line with you all declaring a climate emergency and then doing nothing.
3. Cycle-walkway on the opposite side of Duncan Edwards Way from the tramline.
4. Stourbridge Jct to Round Oak/Harts' Hill by ... ?
5. Why ultra-light rail, VLR, LR and HR all on one mainline HR railway?
6. Urgent repairs to most of Dudley's stiles out in our southern greenbelt/Golden Green Triangle bounded by M5, A456, A491.  I'm so ancient, I'm struggling to climb them even when they are not rickety!
7. West Midlands National Park progress
8. Nice, new Dudley Central Mosque for our Muslim brethren.
9. Dudley Leisure Centre site in Wellington Road
10. Regional Fare-Free Public Transport for all.
11. Is declaring a climate emergency consistent with spending billions of pounds of greenhouse gases on a multi-modal, mass rapid transit public transport system?  This, when it is heavily dependant on steel and cement that have high greenhouse gas emissions.

MY TRANSPORT CONCERNS

My bee in my bonnet, as you know, is no democratic debate, for and against, as regards spending £1.6 billion, now on Metro trams replacing buses and trains.  With a total of £15 billion on mainly tram extensions to 2040 that is Andy Street's intention.  It will almost certainly be taken on by Liam Byrne, if he is elected on 6 May.  Again, never a public debate in any of the seven council chambers as to whether this is wise/sensible expenditure of public money!

The money, instead, for trains/stations back on the remaining 97 Kms of railway lines that are mothballed or freight only and don't get trams or a test track; FFPT for all on bus priority roads; and, the major, commuter/leisure route of 22 Kms Black Country Cycle-Walk Mudway upgraded/transformed to encourage use!

My black biro circles mark the cycle-walk mudway:

 Disgraceful Dudley section of BC Cycle-Walkway ...

where I have written 'boundary' is the border between S Staffs and Dudley on the railway line that is now a cycle-walk mudway open to the public:

 Disgraceful Dudley section of BC Cycle-Walkway ...

3 Top Priorities for Dudley MBC

Councillors and officers must understand that the more they spend the more greenhouse gases (gg). Gg spending ONLY to cut them in the medium to long term. So cancel Metro extensions and use the money (billions!) to extend free public transport from my age group to yours.

Scrap Flood St leisure centre for small to modest-sized, highly insulated, solar-powered homes for rent and purchase in Dudley town centre.  Or, allow Dudley Muslim Association to buy the land for Dudley Central Mosque.

Deal with that major, strategic, 22 Kms Black Country Cycle/Walk Mudway to make it usable throughout and available for ALL fossil-fuel-free users. From Brierley Hill to NW Wolverhampton via Wombourne. Ideal for commuters to cut car use.

'Birmingham Greenways' map is brilliant for fossil fuel free travellers

Dear Paul and Mayor and Deborah

Roy Watson's and Heron Maps' excellent 'Birmingham Greenways' map (£5.99) gives "150 miles of traffic free walking and cycling paths around Birmingham, the Black Country and Solihull".

Some have been upgraded to an all weather surface and drainage, with good blue signs.  However, all need to be brought up to that high standard, please.  I cycled from Halesowen to see Ian Ward at Shard End last Wednesday evening for his surgery.  And he saw me - v decent of him!  I cycled using as many of Roy's/your traffic free cycle routes as possible.  However, some miles were adventure cycling that needed a mountain bike that I was on.  Especially parts of the Rive Cole Cycle-Walkway were very rough.  Made worse by very many absent blue signs, especially on the confusing Ackers Trust land.

Roy's quite superb 2015 map needs to be the basis of the WMCA improvement work and their/your own maps.  However, Roy's map also needs to be updated by Heron Maps, if only to delete the ITA to be replaced by WMCA, of course.  And, it must be extended westwards to include the 22 Kms major Black Country Cycle-Walk Mudway between DY5 Enterprise Zone at Brierley Hill and NW Wolverhampton.

Will you please ensure that you buy your own copy and ensure that the professionals use it to upgrade every mile of the 150 miles of cycle-walkways.  Including the major 22 Kms Black Country Cycle-Walk Mudway.

Buy it from:- maporders@heronmaps.com

Thanks and best wishes