If only all cycle lanes were like this!

Muller_1

Haven't seen this posted already from today Daily Mail.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1267554/Britains-barmiest-bike-lane-wide-rest-road.html

ednwireland

doesnt really endear cycle lanes to the motorist though

The lane runs up a steep hill and planners say it will encourage drivers to give more room to bikers who begin to wobble as the incline increases. It also allows fast cyclists to overtake.

really !

But motorists say that most cyclists usually dismount and walk up the hill. ]

they are going to get a huge increase in training rides if its that steep

One driver said: 'It's utterly ridiculous. The cycle lane is wide enough to stage the Tour de France.'

i dont think so


only in the daily mail, why does that paper exist again?

DirkVoodoo

Wait a minute, it's a dotted line! Cars can drive in it if they want. Like the article says, it's just to stop wobbly cyclists being clipped on the hill and not force motorists off the road.

I really worry for people if they can't grasp the idea of a dotted line:

'But the average width of a car is around 6ft at least. Most drivers are sensible and would be concerned about crossing the line. They may be worried about breaking the law, even though they are allowed to cross it.

'It seems there is an increased risk that to avoid straddling the lane, cars will be more inclined to cross the centre line and will be in the path of oncoming cars.

'It does not seem particularly right that drivers should permanently have to abuse the lane to stay on the right side of the road.'

Bullsheet! I see people do this in Dublin all the time (as they are allowed to) and it doesn't seem to cause mass panic among drivers. They should throw that route into the local driving tests, if people don't understand it then they shouldn't be driving.

ipodrocker

thats mad, but nice planners looking out for us cyclists!

Captain Havoc

For once I'm going to agree with that newspaper, the road is too narrow. @DirkVoodoo, never ever underestimate peoples stupidity or intelligence. Anyho, I'm just preparing for the day when all we have is cyce lanes because of no oil in the world and cars being too expensive to run.

loyatemu

the point of painted-on cycle lanes is to encourage drivers to drive between the lines and thereby leave space for cyclists. If they physically can't drive between the lines (as seems to be the case here) then its pointless.

DirkVoodoo

loyatemu wrote: »

the point of painted-on cycle lanes is to encourage drivers to drive between the lines and thereby leave space for cyclists. If they physically can't drive between the lines (as seems to be the case here) then its pointless.

They only need yield to a cyclist when there is one ahead of them, they are perfectly entitled to drive within the cycle lane when it is empty, that's what the dotted line is for. This makes sense to me, wobbly cyclists on the hill are given priority as motorists must yield and overtake when it is clear (assuming they can on that particular hill) rather than brush past someone who is liable to swerve out in front of them.

EDIT: I think this is being taken out of context. The lane was designed in response to a specific problem with that stretch of road. This isn't some new design standard for all cycle lanes, I don't think they are slowly trying to phase out roads in favour of cycle lanes. It's just the same as those "give cyclists 1.5 metres" signs, except it's a road marking.

topper75

Captain Havoc wrote: »

I'm just preparing for the day when all we have is cyce lanes because of no oil in the world and cars being too expensive to run.

It's coming!

Not soon but some day. There will be improvements in bike tech to enjoy too then. An uninterrupted cycleway can shift a lot of people fast over distances of up to 20 miles in flat country. Public health spend would also drop. And the streets would have more eye candy of both sexes!

I went out on an unopened motorway there in Limerick at the weekend. The sheer boundless joy!

The Dutch do great cycle lanes. Clearly this one is too much but we are all familiar with the countless cases where bikers are given too little.

Bluefoam

They show the cyclist on painted yellow line, which is a very poor position to be in.

DirkVoodoo

Vehicles travelling up Constitution Hill are able to straddle the cycle lane as the markings are advisory and as such are there primarily to act as a reminder to motorists to give space to cyclists.

I think it's pretty straight forward, trust the Daily Mail to turn it into this:

Britain's barmiest bike lane that is WIDER than the car lane

elvis jones

There is a cycle lane coming out od Sallins towards Naas i think its about the same as that one quoted.

Captain Havoc

I think the biggest question in all of this is: what the hell was OP doing reading that paper/ website in the first place? Can you explain yourself OP?

jaqian

Captain Havoc wrote: »

Anyho, I'm just preparing for the day when all we have is cyce lanes because of no oil in the world and cars being too expensive to run.

How will you lubricate your bike then?

Lumen

In this single rare case I regrettably have to side with the Daily Fail; the design is stupid.

doozerie

The paper outlines the conundrum and gives an answer to the problem all in the one sentence:

The 6.5ft-wide cycleway takes up more than half the available space on Constitution Hill in Poole, Dorset, forcing drivers to squeeze their vehicle into the remaining 4.5ft.

...so drivers just have to squeeze their vehicles into the space available in "their" lane, simple as that. The Daily Mail, journalism at its finest.

tomasrojo

Firefox seems to have a right-wing raving filter or something. I can't open that link to the Daily Mail.

Victor

Of course, as typical, part of the gutter is counted as cycle lane. I suppose we have to be grateful the whole gutter isn't included.

tomasrojo wrote: »

Firefox seems to have a right-wing raving filter or something. I can't open that link to the Daily Mail.

\o/

monument

loyatemu wrote: »

the point of painted-on cycle lanes is to encourage drivers to drive between the lines and thereby leave space for cyclists. If they physically can't drive between the lines (as seems to be the case here) then its pointless.

Loads of examples of similar lanes in Dublin where there is not enough room for a cycle lane but planners put them inside a car lane.

I can see where the designers were coming from, but it's bad design because most cyclists and motorists can't understand it.



A more cynical person may say they are just putting cycle lanes in to say they are doing something for cyclists, and what they are really doing is wasting money and often making roads less safe for cyclists.




Note how the small care can't fit in the space it's given between the lines.


Cars clearly can't fit.. what's the point in this little lane there?

chakattack

'It seems there is an increased risk that to avoid straddling the lane, cars will be more inclined to cross the centre line and will be in the path of oncoming cars.

Yeah right......

Cars will always veer into the cycle lane rather than cross the centreline of the road.

I agree that the car lane is too narrow. A confused driver is a dangerous driver.

Captain Havoc

jaqian wrote: »

How will you lubricate your bike then?

Green Oil, order from the site and save a whale.


Have to say their price for the cleaning kit doesn't seem to bad at £20

- Green Oil (100ml)
- Clean Chain (100ml)
- Ecogrease (100ml)
- Green Clean (1 litre)
- Green Oil sticker set

Green Oil is manufactured from naturally occurring plant extracts, a blend of which produces a high performance lubricant. Green Oil contains no animal derivatives.

tomasrojo

What's wrong with a bike lane that cyclists can use safely?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/green-living-blog/2010/apr/25/cycle-lane-press-criticism