Ballina - New Cycle lanes

finisklin

Are Ballina's new cycle lanes a welcome addition to the town or an extravagance we can do without in this age of austerity?

C-J

There was war on midwest radio about this yesterday, only heard a bit of it though! The downhill junction at bunree was causing the most debate and seems to be confusing people the most

soterpisc

Ok. We get cycle lanes... But 2 days later ther are digging up the road near coke... What a load of asses., no joined up thinking.

The lanes are ok... White lines, but the road is already narrow. As a person who does cycle they. Are not much good, cars parked over the lane, cars on the lane. Road not wide enough for the cycle lane. To be honest a pedestrian bridge from the kids park to belleek over the moy would be better.


All said... Ballina is looking a lot better, like the new footpaths in the town.

TopTec

Coming in from Bonniconlon the cycle lanes consist of a painted bike on the pavement. Safer for the cyclist but not so for the Mums taking their kids to the nursery.

TT

finisklin

More details here on this initiative.....

http://www.mayotoday.ie/index.php/browse-mayo-news-by-category/life-a-style/item/3913-minister-ring-launches-ballina-urban-cycle-network.html

Does this mean that if a cyclist is on the road and not in the cycle lane motorists can beep?

C-J

Has anyone else noticed that when you pass archers, the cycle lane then goes behind a row of houses in bunree? It looks really scary and dodge!!

Ilovelucy

They're not dodge houses. Great little community that line of houses.

C-J

Ilovelucy wrote: »

They're not dodge houses. Great little community that line of houses.

i never said those houses are dodge, i said that a cycle lane where it looks like you're cycling into someones personal property is dodge and it is, its ridiculous. It was one of the issues raised with town councillors. Even the cycle path on the footpath there doesnt have a special pedestrian designated zone the way every other one in the country does.

woody1

ok so the layout and location of these is a bit mental to say the least, on the path ! on the way down to the park, and then in the park itself, but what about the surface, where theyve put down that red stuff, its all seams and joints .. it was similar where they did it thru rockwell and you couldnt cycle on it, shake the guts out of you, i havent been out on the bike on the new bit yet but hopefully its not as bad,
but it does seem like well we've got this money to spend on cycle lanes lets get them put down in any aul place and shape at all , rather than think about it and do it properly...

finisklin

My view for what it is worth is that the council secured funding to do this. Unfortunately it wasn't enough or they used portions of it to make physical improvements to roads, footpaths etc. In the park, for example, they put down a wider footpath from the entrance down to the tennis courts. Looks great.

However, on the other end, the cycle lane runs across the car park and onto a trail! Yes a trail (not on concrete or tarmac but a trail, path) that proceeds down to a pedistrian entrance that meets the footpath.

Overall, its a patch work job that could have been done right had more funding been available. It's a sign of the times but definitely does not give a good impression of the town, IMHO.

Next thing is the extension of the Dublin bike scheme to Ballina where people can rent bikes in public places to make use of the cycle lanes

galwaycyclist

TopTec wrote: »

Coming in from Bonniconlon the cycle lanes consist of a painted bike on the pavement. Safer for the cyclist but not so for the Mums taking their kids to the nursery.

TT

I wouldnt be so sure about that. Cycling on roadside footpaths is inherently more conflict prone than cycling on the road. On a roadside footpath you are more likely to come into conflict with, and collide with, turning and crossing cars at every side road and property entrance. These junction conflicts already account for most collisions between cars and motor vehicles.

biko

Since people are using bikes more now because driving is so expensive and cycling is free, the lanes are probably a good idea.

C-J

With respect its not the actual cycle lanes that are the issue, I think that they're a great idea but their positioning is absolutely unsafe, not thought out and an accident waiting to happen. As was said on midwest radio, there was a child killed on the sligo road years ago and that will need to happen again before there is something done to resolve the issue

TopTec

Gotta agree with C-J - Taking cycle traffic from the road onto the pavement just transfers the danger from cyclist to pedestrian. I have seen a cyclist assaulted in East London after he collided with a pedestrian on a split use footpath.

TT

galwaycyclist

It sounds like Ballina is after putting in the kind of stuff that cyclists in other towns are trying to get removed. Are there any pictures online of the more recent cycle lanes?

galwaycyclist

TopTec wrote: »

Gotta agree with C-J - Taking cycle traffic from the road onto the pavement just transfers the danger from cyclist to pedestrian. I have seen a cyclist assaulted in East London after he collided with a pedestrian on a split use footpath.

TT

Uh just to expand on this for 10 mins so everybody understands what is going on. Depending in the situation, moving cyclists onto roadside footpaths, and to lesser extent, on-road cycle lanes can also increase the danger for the cyclists.

Most car/bicycle collisions in urban areas occur at junctions and involve a failure to yield. This graphic shows the distribution of collision types from one UK study.




If you move cyclists out of the main traffic stream onto roadside features the result can be to increase junction conflicts.



Sources are given here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cycle_path_collision_risks.jpg

A particular point to note is the issue of cyclists cycling on the wrong side of the road. Motorists are not used to looking to their extreme left for fast moving traffic (cyclists can do up to 30kph) on the wrong side.

This is the original reason for treatments like the red paint. It was meant to highlight the conflict areas at junctions. In the Netherlands and Denmark, it is also accompanied by so called "sharks tooth" or "elephants footprint" markings at the crossing and possibly also physical traffic calming of some description. Dutch and Danish motorists are also automatically liable if they hit a cyclist.

Cycle lanes marked on roads have the same effect but to a much lesser extent. This is one of the reasons why the cycling lobby argue that, in urban situations, roadside cycle facilities should be seen as an option of last resort to be used after other options have been explored first.

The upshot is also that more informed cyclists will simply refuse to use cycle facilities that they view as compromising their safety or convenience. There are also other problems I won't go into now.

finisklin

That's a really good insight Galwaycyclist......and begs the Health & Safety question and the level to which this was incorporated in the cycle lanes.

It would be great to have some photos up on here to highlight the danger areas, if I get time I may take them & post them.

Paul4As

TopTec wrote: »

Gotta agree with C-J - Taking cycle traffic from the road onto the pavement just transfers the danger from cyclist to pedestrian. I have seen a cyclist assaulted in East London after he collided with a pedestrian on a split use footpath.

TT

I don't know what the stats would be but I would assume more serious injuries would result from a motorised vehicle and a cyclist collision than a cyclist and a pedestrian collision.
I think cycle lanes and their use should be encouraged....especially for a town the size of Ballina.
I was over in Amsterdam earlier in the year and the use of bikes is mad. They have car parks of thousands of bikes!
Cycling as a mode of transport in Ballina may take off..as fuel prices continue to increase...and people get rid of the second car.

soterpisc

Paul4As wrote: »

Cycling as a mode of transport in Ballina may take off..as fuel prices continue to increase...and people get rid of the second car.

Maybe in 2050.... I thought i could cycle to work in ballina, but the weather in the winter and the poor facilities in ballina make it impossible.

Summer is fine...

Ilovelucy

That's a bit daft Soterpisc - sure the facilities in Ballina don't change just cause it's Summer. Some good wet weather gear and away you go!

alex73

Ilovelucy wrote: »

That's a bit daft Soterpisc - sure the facilities in Ballina don't change just cause it's Summer. Some good wet weather gear and away you go!

Wet weather gear does not stop the wind (or the snow/Ice last year). In Dublin I went everywhere on the byc, in Mayo the weather is a lot different.

I think I might cope with the rain.. Its leaving work at 5pm when its nearly dark, street lighting not great, I work about 2km out the town towards kilalla. Nah. I will stick to the 2nd car thank you very much.. atleast for 6 months of the year. Not many bycyle stations in ballina, I see some on the main street, but nothing around dunnes stores. In dec I see very few cyclists around the down.

finisklin

At last I got the photo's of a selection of some of the daft & dangerous cycle lanes....see below. Perhaps a poll for the most bizarre and risque among them?







http://tnypic.net/2ac5a.jpg

galwaycyclist

finisklin wrote: »

At last I got the photo's of a selection of some of the daft & dangerous cycle lanes....see below. Perhaps a poll for the most bizarre and risque among them?

Thanks for that. Not very edifying really. To my knowledge the road signs being used have no legal status in this country. Also to my knowledge the "instruction" for cyclists to dismount and walk has no legal basis. The whole approach is pretty worrying to be honest what with cycle lanes on the wrong side of the road and all that.

finisklin

It looks like the councillors copped on to the fact that the cycle lanes were unsafe, from Mid West.

Safety Concerns Raised over Ballina's New Cycleways Thursday, 22 March 2012 08:29
Serious safety concerns are being raised around the joint use by cyclists and walkers of the 20 km of new cycleways around the town of Ballina.

The Road Safety Officer for the county Noel Gibbons addressed this week’s monthly meeting of Ballina town council to discuss the issues.

Councillors argued that there are a number of unresolved matters around who has the right of way at some of the junctions along the cycleway, particularly in places along the Bonniconlon Road.

The dangers of cyclists speeding along the pathways, that in some cases run directly in front of terraced homes, was also discussed.

Fianna Fail Councillor Johnny O’Malley told Midwest News today that the Safety Officer listened to the concerns of councillors and will address the authority again after reviewing safety procedures along the new cycleways in the town.

Looks like planning isn't a forte of the council.....the funding arose and they took it despite the fact that there is very little requirement for it bar for leisure.

TopTec

We all identified safety issues back in November, Why does it take 4 frickin months for the frickin county Road Safety Officer to "address" the council?

It will now take several months for a frickin review of safety issues! Why doesn't he get off his frickin shiny backside, cycle some of the lanes and in a couple of hours reach the same conclusion that we all have.

Frickin hells bells..............