IT’S A good week for North Oxford cyclists and walkers, a local part of the canal and one of my preferred off-road cycling routes has been lovingly resurfaced.

The Oxford Canal path between Aristotle Lane and Walton Well Road has been closed for some weeks while Tarmac and some special gritty covering to the cost of £158,000 was laid. I have to say it looks rather nice and it’s certainly easier to traverse.

My first trip along the reopened path was early one morning. I had the path all to myself, admittedly is was probably by mistake as the workmen had opened only one end but not advised the other was still closed.

All alone I shimmied around the last fence, wondering if the use of this path would increase once it was removed.

My next trip was a few days later, I was expecting a similar experience or at least the same amount of regular users as before the work, but to my amazement it felt busy, active and more alive than before.

Dog walkers, residents and families on bikes were making their way along the path. The scene was peaceful, pedestrians didn’t need to jump into the wilderness to avoid cyclists like before, and cyclists seemed to have more speed than usual as the surface was smooth unlike its predecessor which had potholes the size of swans and was as narrow as a duck.

Shared spaces can be a tricky subject, but personally I am a fan of them. I believe cyclists and pedestrians should be able to live in harmony with the emphasis on the cyclist giving priority to the pedestrian.

I think we can all agree the cyclist is the larger, faster and more dangerous mode of transport on any path but with a little respect they can coexist with other users.

Some people do feel threatened. I heard the mumble of discontent at the reopening of the path presumably the smoother the surface the faster those cycles will go. True, I have already seen this happening but I hope people will be polite enough on cycles to respect the other users on approach and slow down. After all ,this is a space shared with wildlife as well.

I do find it surprising this mentality hasn’t trickled down to roads, which are shared spaces as well.

Top of the food chain is the motorised vehicle, which doesn’t give way to cyclists or pedestrians unless forced to by traffic lights or a zebra crossing. If this kind of domination was seen on the shared paths there would be uproar.

I hope the resurfacing of the canal path from Aristotle Lane all the way to Wolvercote is next on the agenda. It’s wonderful to have welcoming paths along our waterways that encourage people to walk or cycle further than before.

For the council and developers the proof is in the pudding. I have already witnessed the larger numbers using the new path so they should be satisfied it’s money well spent.