RotR query - cycle lanes and bus stops

buffalo · 21-05-2014 11:16am #1

A question for the legal eagles. See image below. I'm trying to figure out if one can legally cycle across the coloured surface of the bus stop area.

There are no signs to indicate the cycle track has ended, and then begun again (like RUS009, from memory).

However. there is no marked lane. Can a sign like RUS009 be used to indicate the presence of a cycle lane without markings, or do both need to be present for it to be a bona fide cycle track?

hmmm · 21-05-2014 11:17am

That looks dangerous and stupid for all concerned. Where are those waiting for a bus supposed to stand? And what happens when a bus pulls up and people move forward or hop off.

rollingscone · 21-05-2014 11:20am

I don't think it's specified in the rotr (although my days of reading it for a living are behind me).

Most bus stops are visibly, often ridiculously diverted behind the bus stop and shelter or onto the road.

I'd treat it as effectively being a junction and approach it as such.

Chips Lovell · 21-05-2014 11:28am

According to the relevant legislation:

S.I. No. 332/2012 - Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2012.
14. (1) A cycle track shall be indicated by—

(a) traffic sign number RUS 009 (with-flow cycle track) provided in association with traffic sign number RRM 022 (continuous white line) or RRM 023 (broken white line) which latter signs may be marked on the right hand edge of the cycle track or on the right hand and left hand edges of the cycle track,

(b) traffic sign number RUS 059 (contra-flow cycle track) provided in association with traffic sign number RRM 022 (continuous white line) which may be marked on the right hand edge of the cycle track or on the left hand edge of the cycle track or on both sides, or

(c) traffic sign number RUS 058 (shared track for pedal cycles and pedestrians).

So if it's signed by RUS 009, then it has to have the accompanying road marking. If it's signed by RUS 058, it doesn't.

buffalo · 21-05-2014 11:35am

Vladimir Kurtains wrote: »

So if it's signed by RUS 009, then it has to have the accompanying road marking. If it's signed by RUS 058, it doesn't.

I'm not entirely sure when this one starts - seems to run out from the city centre.

Two different signs denoting the same cycle lane: http://goo.gl/maps/S3KZB
Last sign before the bus-stop: http://goo.gl/maps/Bea8A

Chips Lovell · 21-05-2014 11:40am

The most recent sign should supercede those which came before.

Either way, it's beside the point. You were entitled to cycle in the bus lane regardless of whether a cycle lane was present or what kind of cycle lane it was.

lennymc · 21-05-2014 11:53am

is that not a yield sign painted in the cycle lane?
edit - The broken white line and triangle in the cycle lane, meaning that you have to yield right of way to people in front of you? (in the coloured area) but you can go if the way is clear.
edit edit - re read your post, so dont mind me.

WillyFXP · 21-05-2014 11:55am

lennymc wrote: »

is that not a yield sign painted in the cycle lane?

Yup, same rules apply here as with any give way/yield rules.

NeedMoreGears · 21-05-2014 11:56am

It looks like the last sign is a RUS009. Given that there are no accompanying white lines (RRM 022/023) it does appear to this barrack room lawyer that the section across the bus stop is not a cycle track and therefore no one should cycle there. If I recall there's a section on the Clontarf cycle track where there is a yield symbol on the track but the track continues to be indicated by a somewhat faded white line (I don't remember if it's solid or broken). This suggests to me that the cycle track continues through the section after the yield sign, unlike the example in the OP.

Either way, in my view, it's a typically poor design and absent other considerations I would prefer to stick to the bus lane.

bambergbike · 21-05-2014 12:06pm

The painted-in white "yield" triangle suggests to me that cyclists can only proceed with the law firmly on their side if there is nobody at all at the stop that they could conceivably be expected to yield to?

So my question for the legal eagles is: does a painted white triangle actually mean anything much without an accompanying "real" yield sign?

This is totally irrelevant in the Irish context, but I discovered yesterday that cycling or driving through a bus stop in a way that hinders or endangers passengers is a penalty point offence in Germany. €15 fine for "speeding" through a bus stop, €60 and a point for causing hindrance to passengers and €70 and a point for endangering them. Technically the law applies to drivers and cyclists alike, but cyclists are obviously affected by it more because bus stops are often placed so people alight straight onto the cycle paths and more rarely have people alight in the middle of the road. Before yesterday I just thought I was being hyper-careful because people stepping abruptly from a height onto narrow cycle paths without looking are a bit, well, dangerous.

monument · 24-05-2014 11:17pm

There's lots of shared areas which do not have shared signs at the start and/or end of the area.

All exit points of the shared areas should be signed with the end of shared area sign.

Brian? · 24-05-2014 11:37pm

Don't use the bike lane, use the road. This is typical of the absolutely terrible designed bike lanes in Ireland.

RotR query - cycle lanes and bus stops

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