Cycle Lanes..(no consideration given to actually cycling on them)

Harpz

Here are a few pics of some cycle lanes in Cork, obviously incompetent/lazy planning. Who are these incompetent people. Can anyone find out? Can I bring one of the designers/planners on a cycle along this 200 m stretch of cycle lane and see if they can see any kind of problems with them....anyone?

oobydooby

Those pics should go into the humour section.

I notice there's no reflective paint or anything on the poles. Not funny.

Ghost Rider

If whoever oversees these cycle paths wanted to work for Dublin City Council, he'd walk into a job. These pictures would make a perfect portfolio, in fact.

FrankGrimes

Schweet - free obstacle course! The 4th one would make a pretty good chicane.

Great point though, there's a clear trend of county/city councils throwing down cycle paths just to say they've done their bit, with little consideration given to the safety of the cyclist.

In Templeogue there's a pub called The Morgue cos the tram used to pass literally right outside the door and it ended a few people and they used store the bodies downstairs till the really morgue lads came to collect it. That was 70-80 years ago. The council then decided in their wisdom to relive this old tradition by having the cycle path pass right outside the door - I nearly got taken out of it a few times by punters falling out of the pub before I gave it up and went back to cyclying on the actual road instead (which has plenty of room for a cycle path).

Then there's the one where the cycle path is up on the kerb but at every junction into a housing estate etc. the cyclist is expected to yield to veer in 10 yards to a ramp in off the main road and yield to traffic coming in and out of the estate - why can't the cyclist (who has to manually accelerate after each stop) not stay along with the main road and keep right of way over traffic coming/going left?

Mr. Bones

:rolleyes:.. aspiring sprinters could use this cycle path as a training route, you know, like the weaving route some sprinters take in the last few 100 yards of a sprint finish, maybe it's a collaboration between Cycling Ireland and Cork CoCo to find the next Sean Kelly...

Harpz

I think the problem is that planners don't really consider cycling as a realistic viable transport option, because of this they are confused about the role of cycle lanes.
Cycle lanes should be like roads for bicycles. They should not have to yield right of way every 10 metres, have poles sticking up in the middle of the road, jump up and down off kerbs etc.

I think cycle lanes should be down on the road, putting them back off the road with the footpath means that at every intersection, you lose right of way and are in danger from emerging and turning cars. Furthermore because you have to slow down/stop you lose all your momentum prolonging the journey.

The argument for putting the lanes up off the road is percieved safety...but I think it is percieved safer by non-cyclist who do not understand the actual dangers of using an off road cycle lane.
Small kids should use the footpath as is the case anyway even where cycle lanes are provided as shown by photo below.
(also see cyclist in the distance also on the footpath because there is a pole on the cycle lane )

markpb

Harpz wrote: »

I think the problem is that planners don't really consider cycling as a realistic viable transport option, because of this they are confused about the role of cycle lanes.

I think you've hit the nail on the head there. I have a feeling that for road engineers, the priority is: vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists in that order. That's probably fair enough considering the numbers in each group. The trick for cyclists is to get them to get into a habit of doing a few cycle lanes properly instead of lots of cycle lanes haphazardly.

The problem is that from a management and political point of view, more cycle lanes are better. QBN in Dublin are only recently getting out of that mindset for bus lanes and have started to concentrate on building a few good bus lanes instead of lots of crap ones. We need to do the same for cycle lanes and I think it's going to take political pressure to achieve that.

Wishbone Ash

Harpz wrote: »

Who are these incompetent people?

Probably the same type of people who post sideway pictures giving us all a pain in the neck trying to view them!

Bicyclegadabout

Some of that is quite amazing. There’s a similar catalogue somewhere in the internets of everything that’s wrong with cycling facilities between UCI Coolock and Amiens street (That’s more than a six mile stretch for the non-Dubliners). I can't find it now. The pics are about 5 years old at this stage, but the problems are almost the same now as they were then.

But yeah, what everyone said about the cycling facilities is spot on. It's one of those things you really need to write to your local politician about.*

Also, that pic of the gasún on the bike was



*I say that, but I never have written to my local politician. I should do but.....

Johnnio13

I watched a video on the web before of a guy cycling from Terenure to town. He stuck the camera to his helmet (cycle helmet ).

It was rush hour and it showed the complete stupidity of drivers, buses, pedestrians etc.

I used to cycle from Blanch to Dun L. every morning and there are some right gombeens out there!! An Unbroken White Line on a cycle lane means "do not cross" But you have taxi's pulling into it, cars using it as a second lane, and cars parking in it....that is my biggest gripe, they just don't give a sh** and the Gardai don't care about us lowly cyclists.

The biggest gombeens being those "engineers" who design cycle lanes that go no where, finish at a busy junction, just disappear, wrap around poles, etc....I will post a photo of one later, one of the best I have seen. A cycle lane that finished at a six foot locked gate!!

daymobrew

Bicyclegadabout wrote: »

Some of that is quite amazing. There’s a similar catalogue somewhere in the internets of everything that’s wrong with cycling facilities between UCI Coolock and Amiens street (That’s more than a six mile stretch for the non-Dubliners). I can't find it now. The pics are about 5 years old at this stage, but the problems are almost the same now as they were then.

http://273k.net/cyclegallery/ - maintained by robfitz, a contributor to this forum.

Bicyclegadabout

daymobrew wrote: »

http://273k.net/cyclegallery/ - maintained by robfitz, a contributor to this forum.

Dunno if that's the same one. It was a geocities thing iirc.
BUT, there's certainly enough there for us all to be looking at. The collision stats are interesting.

Danbo!

FrankGrimes wrote: »

Then there's the one where the cycle path is up on the kerb but at every junction into a housing estate etc. the cyclist is expected to yield to veer in 10 yards to a ramp in off the main road...

Cypress Grove Road? absolute bastard to deal with, especially on bin day. I've also noticed that residents leave the bins off the cycle track and the bin men put them back on the cycle track. I doubt a call to the council would make any difference

Harpz wrote: »

I think cycle lanes should be down on the road

+1 If the tracks up on the path, ill use the road. can be a little more dangerous but too much hassle/broken glass/ junctions on the track.

Johnnio13 wrote: »

I watched a video on the web before of a guy cycling from Terenure to town.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6622988120159554144&q=terenure+cycle&total=2&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=1

This is by any chance? saw it myself a few years ago. the further into the city, the more idiotic people become...

tampopo

Thanks for this. I've saved it to my favourites. I had seen it before but didn't save it. Then I couldn't find it when I went back to look for it.

regards,
t

daymobrew wrote: »

http://273k.net/cyclegallery/ - maintained by robfitz, a contributor to this forum.

Bunnyhopper

This might be the one you have in mind:

http://www.geocities.com/cyclopath2001/Page1.htm

(Good ole Cyclopath.)

Ryder

The cyclelanes are verging on ridiculous. I do use the ones on the road, but are often covered in glass dirt etc. Never use ones on a kerb. On my commute from clontarf to the city, there is part of a lane on the footpath in fairview. full of twists turns obstacles and pedestrians. prefer to take my chances with cars

Bicyclegadabout

Bunnyhopper wrote: »

This might be the one you have in mind:

http://www.geocities.com/cyclopath2001/Page1.htm

(Good ole Cyclopath.)

That's the one.

cyclopath2001

Ryder wrote: »

The cyclelanes are verging on ridiculous. I do use the ones on the road, but are often covered in glass dirt etc. Never use ones on a kerb. On my commute from clontarf to the city, there is part of a lane on the footpath in fairview. full of twists turns obstacles and pedestrians. prefer to take my chances with cars

It was closed yesterday.

One of these days, I'll have to re-photograph the entire route.

Grinderman

Harpz

I don't think these pics show any bad planning by cork coco.
They are an excellent example of how to manipulate figures so that they can get massive grants from the european union. Things like these are one reason that i no longer cycle as i am in fear of my life in my car, i certainly dont want to get abused on my bike.
I would honestly consider emailing these pictures to some department in the european union, whoever is responsible for providing grants for this sort of crap. I honestly wouldn't have believed these, only for seeing them.
Garry

Harpz wrote: »

Here are a few pics of some cycle lanes in Cork, obviously incompetent/lazy planning. Who are these incompetent people. Can anyone find out? Can I bring one of the designers/planners on a cycle along this 200 m stretch of cycle lane and see if they can see any kind of problems with them....anyone?

minidazzler

Hey harpz.

I am from Mahon, and I used to cycle that route every now and then at night before I hit the Pole in the path near the corner.

Got a nasty bruise from it too.

Rebeller

Grinderman wrote: »

They are an excellent example of how to manipulate figures so that they can get massive grants from the european union.

Exactly. Just take a look at Cork City Council's cycling strategy: clearly drafted to maximise potential EU funding. Anyone who cycles on a regular basis in the Cork City area will recognise that the above "strategy" is the greatest work of aspirational fiction since Joyce's Ulysses!

Bicyclegadabout

This afternoon I cycled round Bolton st/Capel st/all over the city centre.


I have discovered that contra flow cycle tracks are beyond the comprehension of the Dublin motorist. I suppose it'd be easier for them if they just put up a sign or something....

DirkVoodoo

I must get a photo in here of the cycle lane next foxrock church in Dublin. The cycle lane runs between a lamppost and a traffic light, the gap just about wide enough for a bike. Not to mention that there is a very sharp rise as you come up to it, so the bike tends to hop up a bit.....and its a downhill descent.

Anyone know what I'm on about?

Grinderman

No, i don't know what you are talking about, maybe after i am back from my cycle around Foxrock in my extra wide bicycle, we can look at your picture.
But i could then be busy in hospital writing up some legal documents to sue the rear end off someone.
Garry

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

I must get a photo in here of the cycle lane next foxrock church in Dublin. The cycle lane runs between a lamppost and a traffic light, the gap just about wide enough for a bike. Not to mention that there is a very sharp rise as you come up to it, so the bike tends to hop up a bit.....and its a downhill descent.

Anyone know what I'm on about?

John_C

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

I must get a photo in here of the cycle lane next foxrock church in Dublin. The cycle lane runs between a lamppost and a traffic light, the gap just about wide enough for a bike. Not to mention that there is a very sharp rise as you come up to it, so the bike tends to hop up a bit.....and its a downhill descent.

Anyone know what I'm on about?

I know the one. There used to be an even worse one across the road from it where a shed was built in the cycle lane but that's been fixed now.

robfitz

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

I must get a photo in here of the cycle lane next foxrock church in Dublin. Anyone know what I'm on about?

Yes here's a photo from a few years ago. http://273k.net/cyclegallery/2005-05-28/2005-05-28_135932_0093

The OP's photos from Cork are interesting, it's not just that they are un-cycleable but it would be illegal for cyclists to use them due to wrong signage and road markings.

SerialComplaint

Some hopes for the future!

I spotted plans on Dun Laoghaire Co Co website today for the new East Pier and the new QBC on Nutgrove Ave/Upr Churchtown Rd. In both cases, it looks like they have a fair degree of seperation between cyclists and pedestrians. At the east pier, it looks like the cycle path follows a different route to the pedestrian path. On Nutgrove Ave/Churchtown Road, the cycle path seems to be at a marginally lower level to the pavement. This seems to be fairly effective on the rest of Nutgrove Ave for keeping the pedestrians away, but it does suffer from rogue parking.

I'm going to try making a submission to get them to improve the markings at main Dundrum crossroads (at the Luas bridge) to keep cars turning from Churchtown Rd onto Dundrum Road out of the cycle lane while they are waiting for the traffic to move on.