Cycle Lanes

t0mm

Can anyone tell me or tell me where to find out the legalities of cycle lanes. I just have a few questions that I can't find the answers to.

1) Where a cycle lane is present, does a cyclist HAVE to use it, or can they use the road as well (I know the lanes are safer, obviously, but is it law to stick to them?)

2) What is the status of cycle lanes compared to other traffic lanes? In a car on a multi lane section of road, a car in the outside lane must wait until there is room to their left before turning in. Yet many motorists simply imply the logic that if they are indicating, then no bike should come up inside them <i>along the cycle lane</i>. Do they have a right to do that or do they have to wait until the lane is clear, just as if they were waiting for a car, etc.


Please note that I am not trolling, just looking for answers to settle my own curiosity.

Morgan

t0mm wrote: »

1) Where a cycle lane is present, does a cyclist HAVE to use it

That's the rule.

t0mm wrote: »

or can they use the road as well

Supposedly if turning right.

t0mm wrote: »

I know the lanes are safer, obviously

Not necessarily

t0mm wrote: »

2) What is the status of cycle lanes compared to other traffic lanes? In a car on a multi lane section of road, a car in the outside lane must wait until there is room to their left before turning in. Yet many motorists simply imply the logic that if they are indicating, then no bike should come up inside them <i>along the cycle lane</i>. Do they have a right to do that or do they have to wait until the lane is clear, just as if they were waiting for a car, etc.

They have the same status as other traffic lanes, in that drivers should not cut across you. In practice they're often ignored.

cantalach

Morgan wrote: »

Supposedly if turning right.

The regulations permit deviating from the 'cycle track' in three cases:

1. When you are changing direction.

2. When a bus has stopped.

3. When a vehicle is loading/unloading.

Also, you can only do this if the lane is delimited by a broken line - if it has a continuous line you can't deviate from it at all in theory.

Full details in S.I. No. 274/1998!

Civilian_Target

t0mm wrote: »

(I know the lanes are safer, obviously, but is it law to stick to them?)

Actually, this is generally not true.

http://www.cyclecraft.co.uk/digest/research.html
http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/25000/25400/25439/DOT-HS-803-315.pdf
http://www.cyclecraft.co.uk/digest/2decades.html

The general conclusions is that cycleways are only safer when physically segregated from both cars and pedestrian traffic, are well designed, surfaced and maintained, and appropriate measures are taken at all intersections, that does not unduly delay cyclists or pedestrians.

A painted line down the left hand side of the road is almost never safer than just using the road.

BostonB

Civilian_Target wrote: »

...A painted line down the left hand side of the road is almost never safer than just using the road.

I can't understand that tbh. But ignoring that, while it might be not safer. But I think motorist are more likely to keep it clear then if the road is not marked. Most of the time (not all) I find cycling on roads with a cycle lane easier then those that are not.

Bunnyhopper

If it's actually a cycle track then you do have to use it. The question of what is and isn't actually a cycle track is a vexed one.

As with a few others already, I'd have my doubts about the tracks being safer. I see BostonB's point, but the problem with the current situation is that even if the cycle track is very obviously more dangerous (all the caveats that Civilian_Target mentions apply) you are still required to use it.

An on-road cycle track is a lane like any other and drivers should treat it as such. Being pragmatic about it, however, for my own safety I have to assume that they won't. An-off road cycle track running parallel to a road I would consider more dangerous and inconvenient because the cyclist has to cede priority at every intersection, driveway, etc. etc.

I posted a few links a while back that might be of interest:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=57778733&postcount=21

BostonB

Even me who doesn't cycle that much can see that mandatory use of a cycle lane where one exists isn't always safe. Junctions for example. Is anyone disagreeing with that?

If a car or especially a truck is turning left. DON'T undertake them in the cycle lane. Its suicidal. If someone is hovering along side, pull out in the main lane and block cars behind you till you pass the junction.

In heavy slow moving traffic having a cycle lane keeps a clear path for cyclist. Very useful. Where there isn't one, you get blocked and have to thread your way through, or move to the middle, which can leave you stranded if the traffic starts moving. Especially if theres more than one lane of traffc you a moving though. Cars are not expecting you to move across from the middle back to the left, if they didn't see you move out there.

DirkVoodoo

BostonB wrote: »

Is anyone disagreeing with that?

Nope! Foxrock church heading south on the N11 is my text book case. I hop onto the bus lane around Loretto or earlier because it means cars see me early, know I'm there and tend not to cut across me.

Contrast that with the cycle track where even though I have the right of way I pretty much always have to stop to let cars turn left down Kill ave. I nearly got run down by a range rover that assumed I was in the wrong. Beeped at me too. Terrifying because, as Ive mentioned before, its a stretch of road where cars generally go over the 60 km/hr limit due to the good road surface and steady decline. It's a terrible design because car drivers really have to stop to check a cyclist isn't racing down towards the junction and they of course never do. The only solution is to have the cycle lane join the bus lane from White's cross.

cyclopath2001

Bunnyhopper wrote: »

The question of what is and isn't actually a cycle track is a vexed one.

Legally, it's mostly clear what is a cycle track and what is not. Certain signs and certain road markings must be used. The regulations include diagrams and images.

It's just that the local authorities ignore these regulations and use unlawful signs and markings. (Or omit one or other.)

More importantly, they give no thought as to how their inventions can be used. For example, in Fairview outbound, they put a cycle track right next to car and truck parking bays with no safety margin for the door-opening zone. Indeed they put the lanes so close to the parking cars, the mirrors overhang the cycle tracks.

Also important is that there Gardai cannot police the abuse of cycle tracks because the wrong signs have been used.

Another Irish solution, I think.