Ongar Road Cycle Lane - Who has right of way?

zizou_

I have seen quite a few near misses on the ongar road junction with the shelerin road. Who has the right of way when the lights are green (straight and left arrows) betwen the cycle lane and cars turning left. I would have thought the cyclists should yield to cars but in general they don't. Definitely an accident waiting to happen.

Morag

Why?
They are both considered vehicles equally under the law, why would the cyclists have to yield if they are going straight?

Gillo

If the cyclist, motorbike or car is going straight, wouldn't they have right of way?

I regularly cycle the Clonsilla road and haven't had any problems, that said I am a very careful cyclist and work on the basis that most drivers haven't a clue what they are doing- luckily it's worked for me so far.

collier

All your questions should have respective answers at www.rotr.ie

zizou_

Sharrow wrote: »

Why?
They are both considered vehicles equally under the law, why would the cyclists have to yield if they are going straight?

The bit that's confusing (for me anyway) is that the cyclists and motorists aren't sharing the road as the cycle lane is on the path.

It's unusual for cars turning left from a left only lane under a green arrow to yield to bikes who are not even on the road.

In any case I'm a cyclist myself and i always yield to the cars - i know who'll come out worse if they don't see me

kranbo

In my opinion if you were on a normal road without cycle lanes the car would have to yield if turning left therefore I think the same applies to the cycle lanes on the Ongar rd which merge with the road before junctions

Diddler1977

Vehicle continuing on the primary road has right of way.

So the bike on the cycle lane has the right of way.

BostonB

I would have thought whom ever is ahead has right of way. If a car is turning left ahead of you its makes no sense to continue up the inside of them.

If a car simply overtakes you, then cuts you off, then that just dangerous driving.

That said I don't know where ye are talking off. I think you mean here... looks like theres a yield on the cycle lane.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=ongar+road,+dublin&hl=en&ll=53.387065,-6.409978&spn=0.003119,0.008256&sll=53.390655,-6.419567&sspn=0.006238,0.016512&oq=ongar&hnear=Ongar+Square,+Clonsilla,+County+Dublin,+Ireland&t=m&z=18&layer=c&cbll=53.387065,-6.409978&panoid=Sb1zPzkThbnPrWkGBcov3Q&cbp=12,317.27,,0,29.36

That said its the classic bad design of a cycle lane which leads to confusion. The cycle lane should allow you to move out into the road, so as to control cars behind you, and you merge with cars in turn, until your past the junction then move back into the cycle lane.

BostonB

Why don't you send a letter email of to the council and ask them to ask whomever designed it, what cyclists are supposed to do, and could whom ever designed demonstrate it at peak time in the dark.

bkeane

There is a sign saying the end of cycle lane before you get to cross so I assume that you then have follow pedestrians in having to obey lights and wait for green man to go on

BostonB

Not really it stops in line with the cars, not the pedestrians. So you join the road. But it should have done that about 100m earlier. For example of you were turning right, on a bicycle you'd have to get in lane a lot futher back but theres no exit off the cycle path.

Bad design. Simple as that. Done by someone who most likely doesn't cycle.

zizou_

I think there's the end of cycle lane sign, followed by a yield triangle painted on the lane at the pedestrian lights and then just before the junction there's a cycle lane marker again.

Agree with BostonB it's badly designed and contradictory.