Motorists pay scant regard to cyclelanes

kevin99

My and my oh went cycling last weekend and were both nearly run off the cycle lane by motorists.

The first incident took place when a car pulled in ahead of us while the motorist used his phone. What was really annoying was that he didn't car he was blocked the cycle lane.

The second incident was near a junction. Cars just pulled over into the cycle lane frocing us to stop and dismount while the traffic lights were red.

Even buses use the cycle lane instead of remaining in the bus lane.

I woud never cycle around Dublin during peak traffic. Early mornings on Sat and Sun are best. Not as much traffic around.

Bullseye1

How many times have you seen cyclists not employing the cycle lanes but instead are out on the road.:rolleyes:

Jawgap

victorcarrera

Bullseye1 wrote: »

How many times have you seen cyclists not employing the cycle lanes but instead are out on the road.:rolleyes:

Lots! They seem to be avoiding broken glass, road grit and other road debris that accumulates there due to no maintenance policies and think it is safer to cycle on the road.
You need to cycle the cycle lane between Lucan and Tallaght to understand though.

seamus

Bullseye1 wrote: »

How many times have you seen cyclists not employing the cycle lanes but instead are out on the road.:rolleyes:

How do you expect us to use them when everybody parks in them?

neilthefunkeone

Last night i passed 2 cyclists on the road where there was a cycle lane on the path beside it..

Understand the above point about crap building up on the cycle lanes at the side of the road.. Have cycled from Tallaght to grange castle and its really bad up near fettercairn!!

Their cant really be a winner here.. Motorists are useless for parking on cycle lanes and cyclists insist on not using the lanes provided..

seamus

neilthefunkeone wrote: »

Their cant really be a winner here.. Motorists are useless for parking on cycle lanes and cyclists insist on not using the lanes provided..

Solution: Remove cycle lanes and do not require cyclists to use cycle tracks

Most cycle tracks are unsafe for normal use. They're safe maybe if you're moving nice and slowly and just enjoying the view, but for practical purposes they're unsafe.

Road bikes in particular are moving too quickly to use any repainted paths safely, but even discounting road bike speed; at typical speeds (24km/h) the debris, road furniture and damage to cycle tracks (and lanes) make them more dangerous than just sticking to the road.

rothai

Bullseye1 wrote: »

How many times have you seen cyclists not employing the cycle lanes but instead are out on the road.:rolleyes:

legally we are allowed "out on the road" but car are not allowed into cycle lanes with a solid line or indeed they are not allowed to pull into the cycle lane with a broken with line unless it is safe to do so. Motorists can get a point for this

neilthefunkeone

seamus wrote: »

Solution: Remove cycle lanes and do not require cyclists to use cycle tracks

But sure then there will be people complain that there are no cycle lanes..:p

dave.obrien

neilthefunkeone wrote: »

But sure then there will be people complain that there are no cycle lanes..:p

But sure people love complaining... Give the public what they want!

tomasrojo

The people of Ireland seem to have reached an unspoken agreement: nobody takes cycle lanes seriously, one way or the other.

BostonB

Bullseye1 wrote: »

How many times have you seen cyclists not employing the cycle lanes but instead are out on the road.:rolleyes:

How many times do you have to see that, before you go find out why cyclists often stay out of the cycle lane.

Macha

The only benefit of cycle lanes I can see, is giving beginner cyclists the idea that the roads are safer. They might indeed encourage more people to cycle but I don't know of any research that shows cycle lanes reduce accidents (I could be corrected on that)

xz

Bullseye1 wrote: »

How many times have you seen cyclists not employing the cycle lanes but instead are out on the road.:rolleyes:

Because with the very poor layout and condition of cycle lanes in this country, it's safer. The main problem we face in this country is IMPATIENCE, everyone wants to be at their destination yesterday

manwithaplan

xz wrote: »

The main problem we face in this country is IMPATIENCE

Have you been reading the papers lately?

Raam

I had two motorists cut in on the cycle lane this morning, trying to occupy the same space as me. Fun times.

lukester

Raam wrote: »

I had two motorists cut in on the cycle lane this morning, trying to occupy the same space as me. Fun times.

Did you pout at them?

Raam

lukester wrote: »

Did you pout at them?

Flashed the ol' socks. DAZZLE!

lukester

Raam wrote: »

Flashed the ol' socks. DAZZLE!

So fresh and so clean.

HivemindXX

manwithaplan wrote: »

Have you been reading the papers lately?

Seems like the same thing to me.

Lots of people in a hurry to get rich. Far too much of a hurry to check if it's safe or to concern themselves with any possible negative consquences.

Lots of people in a hurry to get 50m further down the road. Far too much of a hurry to check if there's a cyclist on the inside before they cut in to undertake a left turning car. Absolutely no concern about what might happen if there is someone there.

I guess to be apt the motorist should suffer only minor inconvience and be back doing the same again as rapidly as possible. The cyclist should be told that he should have seen it coming and any problems he has are just what he deserves. So....the analogy looks perfect.

rp

Macha wrote: »

The only benefit of cycle lanes I can see, is giving beginner cyclists the idea that the roads are safer. They might indeed encourage more people to cycle but I don't know of any research that shows cycle lanes reduce accidents (I could be corrected on that)

I would be surprised if beginners would feel safer in cycle lanes, as research shows that cars leave less space if there is a marked cycle lane. Cycling lanes are there for non-cyclist's perceptions.
What research in Germany the UK and the Netherlands has shown, is that you are something like 30% more likely to be killed or injured if you use cycle lanes rather than ride on the road (and only in the Netherlands did they act on this research and changed laws and layouts to improve things).

Columbia

Three times in the last three days I've had motorists turn left directly into my path on the Sallins Road in Maynooth, requiring me to take evasive action each time. The cycle lane itself is the worst I've seen, it's actually up on the footpath so every 30 seconds you have to try and get by people absentmindedly walking along it, and motorists don't seem to know you exist, or, if they do, automatically assume they have right of way because they're in a car.

On top of that, the lane itself is practically unusable. Every ten seconds there's a left turn into an estate, and of course they leave a good inch between the bottom of the cycle lane and the road surface, so constantly you either have to slow down to about 10kph or do a bunny hop to avoid a puncture. It's covered in broken glass (just a few days ago I rolled over a broken glass from RAG week in the college and it gave me a giant slash in my rear tire, probably requiring a new one), and the grit from last winter is still all over it (ironic, since they gritted the road and the footpath, but not the cycle lane).

BostonB

rp wrote: »

I would be surprised if beginners would feel safer in cycle lanes, as research shows that cars leave less space if there is a marked cycle lane. Cycling lanes are there for non-cyclist's perceptions.....

Beginners don't know that though hence why they might feel safer.

For people cycling as transport or training, then cycle lanes are often impractical, and your better off not using them. Anyone who suggests you should stay in them has simply no experience of cycling.

I don't mind them on some routes as it keeps cars from squeezing into two lanes where there are none. But too many places the cycle lanes are so impractical as to be impossible to use.

monument

In the Dublin, while there are major problems with many cycle lanes, many others are very helpful the same reason bus lanes are helpful -- getting pass congestion.

Indeed, one a few 100 meters from my house is reasonable in congestion, but leads to increased danger when traffic is freely moving.

BostonB

True good point.

rp

monument wrote: »

In the Dublin, while there are major problems with many cycle lanes, many others are very helpful the same reason bus lanes are helpful -- getting pass congestion.

I guess it depends on the road, but mostly, I feel a lot safer passing out the traffic on the right, rather than on the cycle lane up the inside, where no driver is ever going bother looking for you.

rp

Columbia wrote: »

Three times in the last three days I've had motorists turn left directly into my path on the Sallins Road in Maynooth, requiring me to take evasive action each time. The cycle lane itself is the worst I've seen, it's actually up on the footpath so every 30 seconds you have to try and get by people absentmindedly walking along it, and motorists don't seem to know you exist, or, if they do, automatically assume they have right of way because they're in a car.

Nearly all the cycle lanes around Maynooth are not legal - the signage is not compliant with RTA not does it appear in the ROTR. That Sallins Rd bit is ambiguous - they start with the correct sign, RUS009 (white bike in blue circle), but then change to a non-legal one, the split bike / pedestrian one, making that section pavement (if you hit a ped, you will be in the wrong).

Capt'n Midnight

Re the original post, was the lane demarcated with a solid or dashed line / was there a sign indicating the hours the lane is in use.

Because it might not have been a cycle lane a cycle lane at the time, also motorists are allowed drive in lanes with a dash if there aren't any cyclists in them.

rp

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

... also motorists are allowed drive in lanes with a dash if there aren't any cyclists in them.

If a couple of tons of car decides to drive on the cycle lane, then you can be damn sure there won't be a cyclist in it.

BostonB

rp wrote: »

I guess it depends on the road, but mostly, I feel a lot safer passing out the traffic on the right, rather than on the cycle lane up the inside, where no driver is ever going bother looking for you.

Except if someone opens a door or pulls out, if you're on the right, you'll be deflected into opposing traffic head on. Kinda of a mute point as a driver who doesn't check their mirrors and blind spots before moving is likely to not check them either side. Its easy to miss something in your mirrors or in blind spots. So its not uncommon to look and still miss a cyclist or bike. That says it depends entirely on the road. The Canal for example has loads of space on the left but its tight on the right. Other roads its tight on the left, and your better moving up on the right. All depends on the situation.