Thursday 26 February 2015

Street Furniture obsession in Swansea - part two

My previous post started with a line of bollards; here's a line of benches


It's important to have seats but the reason for the alignment (beyond mirroring a decorative track) isn't clear to me - it's not a particularly social 'sit and chat with your mates' set up

 To the left of the benches in the top picture there are more benches, mirroring the track as it winds its way up the road

Here's the view coming the other way. The track has swerved away from the road to allow a waiting space for a car that has turned off the road.
The track then sweeps back towards the road, past the bollards protecting the flush kerb, before sweeping away again to avoid a loading bay. Note the on-road cycle lane.

At the bottom of the road the track sweeps to the left, swinging on the pavement blindly around the corner, and to the right crosses the side road

though without the priority the adjoining main road enjoys.
It isn't until the next road that I saw something to make it clear that cycling is allowed on the track
Enough about the track - I saw it being used and, while it's got some  flaws, it's way better than many I've seen.

Back to the benches - they've got lights in them

They're not svelte benches and I wonder how they'll age. Was the bench below considered stylish when installed?

Talking about dated stuff; how's this for an object lesson in how not to provide cycle parking?


 Along the coast at Mumbles, we found a bench with a view

Don't you love it when an urban realm composition comes together

Also in Mumbles, I was delighted, having just suggested a road train as a more cycle-friendly replacement to the RV1 bus along Belvedere Road and Upper Ground in London, to find an actual example (albeit summer only, sadly)

Back in Swansea, I spotted a prohibition sign I haven't seen before

Don't attempt horizontal climbing? Don't sleep across the protruding metal bits? Madonna not allowed? I'm flummoxed - can any readers help?


Finally, here are a few other photos that might also entice you to pay a visit to Swansea (and prove that I didn't spend all the time looking at street furniture).