Q-Net

Avoid the Queues of cars and take the Quiet net.

This is a network of routes that have tolerable levels of motorised traffic.   It works by linking residential roads together using existing paths.   The technical name for this is filtered permeability, since such routes are impermeable to large vehicles, but permeable to cyclists and pedestrians.   Since the routes are not greatly useful to motorists, they are relatively car free.

In cyclophobic Britain, many of the routes here are forbidden to cyclists, but the inspiration from this came from cycling in Germany, where every path is shared use unless there's a really good reason for it not to be.   Contrary to what you might expect from the letters pages in certain British newspapers, pedestrians are not being killed and injured by reckless cyclists using footpaths, but what this arrangement does achieve is making cycling feel acceptably safe to a significant proportion of the population.   It also makes cycling practical, because there's a network of routes.   Of course Germany does have far more than this, but making a network like this legal would represent an easy start for the city council.   The Dutch also link residential roads with paths, but they never expect pedestrians and cyclists to share the same path.

The Q-Net map is being transferred from Google Maps to the mapping system on this website.

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Stirchley 1

Although this includes a short, narrow section of Bournville Lane, which is pretty unpleasant, it does provide an otherwise quiet link through to the Stirchley Co-Op and a number of residential streets.

Bournville 14

At this point Bournville Lane is a wide dual carriageway, with additional space for parking.   As ever there is no space for cycling.   Isn't it time for some remodelling?   In the meantime, cyclists heading towards Bournville should make use of the zebra crossing.   However, be warned that the road is so wide here that motorists often don't notice someone just starting to cross the road on the far side.

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