Rules of the Road question

coldpaw · 15-07-2009 11:21AM #1

I was coming into town today about 10.15. At a junction a car was stopped behind the lights taking up all of the cycle lane. I very helpfully pointed out to him that he was not allowed to be in the cycle lane. He got out and said that as it was a broken white line he was entilted to take over the cycle lane.

Was he right? And if so what is the poitn of the cycle lane then.

Cheers

Lumen · 15-07-2009 11:27AM

coldpaw wrote: »

Was he right?

Yes.

coldpaw wrote: »

And if so what is the point of the cycle lane then.

Box-ticking.

**Timbuk2** · 15-07-2009 11:27AM

As far as I know, all a broken white line means is that cars can go into the cycle lane if they are letting passengers out or in and a bus can go into it if they are loading passengers.

I think the car was in the wrong.

**Timbuk2** · 15-07-2009 11:29AM

From the rules of the road book:

A non-mandatory cycle track has a broken white line on the right-hand side. The cyclist may leave this type of cycle track if:

they have already indicated they want to change direction
a bus is letting passengers on or off at a bus stop located beside the track, or
a vehicle is parked in the track while loading or unloading

kenmc · 15-07-2009 11:30AM

Lumen wrote: »

Yes.

Is it not for the sole purpose of loading or unloading, and even then limited to 30 mins?

ED E · 15-07-2009 11:35AM

Some evenings on my way home I feel so tempted to pick up a sharp stone as I cycle along and key every car parked in the cycle lane. Lucky I'm not that kinda person.

Chips Lovell · 15-07-2009 11:36AM

coldpaw wrote: »

Was he right? And if so what is the poitn of the cycle lane then.

As Lumen said, yes. What's the point? There isn't really, which is why the government has recently announced that it is scrapping mandatory use laws.

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

As far as I know, all a broken white line means is that cars can go into the cycle lane if they are letting passengers out or in and a bus can go into it if they are loading passengers.

No, these conditions only apply to a cyclist who wants to leave a broken white line cycle lane, i.e. you can leave if there's a bus stopping, if a vehicle is loading/unloading, or if you are changing direction. Cars can drive in them if they want.

**Timbuk2** · 15-07-2009 11:43AM

el tonto wrote: »

No, these conditions only apply to a cyclist who wants to leave a broken white line cycle lane, i.e. you can leave if there's a bus stopping, if a vehicle is loading/unloading, or if you are changing direction. Cars can drive in them if they want.

Oh I see. Thanks for clarifying that!

blorg · 15-07-2009 12:11PM

Cars can drive in them all they want. They can however only park in them for a maximum of 30 mins, while loading/unloading.

kenmc · 15-07-2009 12:32PM

It's extremely ambiguous.
"cycle track" means part of a road, including part of a footway or part of a roadway, which is reserved for the use of pedal cycles and from which all mechanically propelled vehicles, other than mechanically propelled wheelchairs, are prohibited from entering except for the purpose of access;
It mentions nothing about mandatory or non-mandatory ones. And yet somewhere else in the depths of the road traffic papers (what a mess of a website) I read that a non-mandatory one can be parked in for up to 30 mins for loading or unloading.

So from these 2 bits, it seems that a car can never drive in a cycle track, but can park in a non-mandatory one?!?!

Stupid bloody country we live in.

DirkVoodoo · 15-07-2009 12:35PM

Just use the bus lane.

I do take some amount of umbrage when people stop in the cycle "path/track" at traffic lights for no apparent reason. I know it's simply a matter of courtesy and not a requirement, but it really grinds my gears.

Chips Lovell · 15-07-2009 12:39PM

kenmc wrote: »

It's extremely ambiguous.
"cycle track" means part of a road, including part of a footway or part of a roadway, which is reserved for the use of pedal cycles and from which all mechanically propelled vehicles, other than mechanically propelled wheelchairs, are prohibited from entering except for the purpose of access;
It mentions nothing about mandatory or non-mandatory ones. And yet somewhere else in the depths of the road traffic papers (what a mess of a website) I read that a non-mandatory one can be parked in for up to 30 mins for loading or unloading.

So from these 2 bits, it seems that a car can never drive in a cycle track, but can park in a non-mandatory one?!?!

Stupid bloody country we live in.

Those regulations have been superseded by the 1998 ones, which state:

" 'cycle track' means part of a road, including part of a footway or part of a roadway, which is provided primarily for the use of pedal cycles ;",

petethedrummer · 15-07-2009 12:42PM

Lumen wrote: »

Box-ticking.

These broken line cycle lanes are part of the 200km of lovely cycle lanes in Dublin.

Anyone for a Dublin Cycle lane 200?

Nietzschean · 15-07-2009 12:45PM

from driving even the compulsory ones are rarely given enough space at lights, along the canal its especially laughable, a car can't fit in the lane beside the cycle track heading up to lights in a few places. I think its more of a safety risk having them there than not if you can't do them right...

kenmc · 15-07-2009 12:51PM

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

snip but it really grinds my gears.

You need some lube then. Apply liberally to the windscreen

buffalo · 15-07-2009 01:34PM

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Just use the bus lane.

I do take some amount of umbrage when people stop in the cycle "path/track" at traffic lights for no apparent reason. I know it's simply a matter of courtesy and not a requirement, but it really grinds my gears.

My thoughts exactly. A bit of consideration goes a long way in my book.

vektarman · 15-07-2009 01:41PM

On a similar topic I saw a van and a car clamped for parking in the mandatory cycle lane on Botanic avenue in Dublin this morning, not something I've seen too often.

Nietzschean · 15-07-2009 01:47PM

haha @ clamped, its kinda laughable that mandatory cycle lane doesn't imply clearway during hours of operation...but it doesn't...

blorg · 15-07-2009 01:47PM

petethedrummer wrote: »

These broken line cycle lanes are part of the 200km of lovely cycle lanes in Dublin.

Anyone for a Dublin Cycle lane 200?

Jesus Christ no. I had shivers even thinking about it. How could you do 200km on a full suspension mountain bike!

blorg · 15-07-2009 01:50PM

Nietzschean wrote: »

haha @ clamped, its kinda laughable that mandatory cycle lane doesn't imply clearway during hours of operation...but it doesn't...

It is however illegal to park in them.

BeerNut · 15-07-2009 02:35PM

petethedrummer wrote: »

Anyone for a Dublin Cycle lane 200?

But what about all the bits between where the lanes randomly stop and start? My bike only operates in non-hover mode.

Jawgap · 15-07-2009 02:45PM

BeerNut wrote: »

But what about all the bits between where the lanes randomly stop and start? My bike only operates in non-hover mode.

And the lanes that lead into dead ends!!

....or the lanes that start and stop within metres - I wonder where the shortest stretch of cycle track is in Dublin - we could have a TT there!

monument · 15-07-2009 02:46PM

petethedrummer wrote: »

These broken line cycle lanes are part of the 200km of lovely cycle lanes in Dublin.

Anyone for a Dublin Cycle lane 200?

Only if it's been done on mountain bikes!

EDIT: Feck, missed blorg's post.

petethedrummer · 15-07-2009 03:23PM

BeerNut wrote: »

But what about all the bits between where the lanes randomly stop and start? My bike only operates in non-hover mode.

Those are rest interludes, you turn of your cycle computer at that point. Only cycle track counts.

petethedrummer · 15-07-2009 03:26PM

Jawgap wrote: »

I wonder where the shortest stretch of cycle track is in Dublin

I actually think I've found it, 1.5m max. on the North Strand Road. I'll dig up the photo out later. We can't have 2 TTs so close together, so I suggest a bunch sprint.

Wez · 15-07-2009 03:33PM

We should organise a whole range of events: Sprints as suggested, urban MTBing(N11 Northbound), handling in slippery conditions (during autumn, along Fairview park).. Plenty more to choose from!

BeerNut · 15-07-2009 03:54PM

Wez wrote: »

urban MTBing(N11 Northbound)

Through Churchtown as well. And down the Clanbrassil Street track we could play How Glass-Proof Are My Tyres?

ROK ON · 15-07-2009 04:30PM

Wez wrote: »

We should organise a whole range of events: Sprints as suggested, urban MTBing(N11 Northbound), handling in slippery conditions (during autumn, along Fairview park).. Plenty more to choose from!

Slalom course in the Phoenix Pk, where joggers on the bike path are the slaloms to be cycled around.

cyclopath2001 · 15-07-2009 07:37PM

coldpaw wrote: »

what is the point of the cycle lane then.

To facilitate the free movement of motor traffic.

Blowfish · 15-07-2009 08:00PM

petethedrummer wrote: »

I actually think I've found it, 1.5m max. on the North Strand Road. I'll dig up the photo out later. We can't have 2 TTs so close together, so I suggest a bunch sprint.

The bit here could probably compete with it - or at the very least qualify for most useless piece of cycle track. As if the original wasn't bad enough, they've now dug up a strip of about 50m of the cycle track/path starting a few metres back from where the photo was taken. Of course when relaying it, they forgot to actually put the cycle track back in, meaning it now consists of a few metres of red strip, a sign saying End and a pole. Mindboggling.

Wez · 15-07-2009 08:08PM

BeerNut wrote: »

We could play How Glass-Proof Are My Tyres?

Haha..

ROK ON wrote:

Slalom course in the Phoenix Pk, where joggers on the bike path are the slaloms to be cycled around.

Yeh, was thinkin that too!

I think we might have just created Alleycat v2.0.. How can those yankee Hipsters compete with our fierce (love that word) crowd!?

Rules of the Road question

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