Cyclists on walkways

Wyldwood

I am an avid walker and use all the various walkways around town: Lee Fields/Fitzgerald's Park, Ballincollig Regional Park, Mahon/Rochestown walk, Carrigaline/Crosshaven. I have no problem sharing the walkways with cyclists BUT I have a problem with the speed some cyclists go at.

I have just returned from Lee Fields and 3 times a cyclist speed by with no warning, if a small child stepped sideways there was no way they could avoid being hit. I have now got into the habit of looking over my shoulder every few minutes to check for oncoming cyclists.

I urge cyclists to slow down and please use a bell to warn walkers that you are coming. In fact I think mandatory bell ringing should be in place on pedestrian routes.

Milly33

I hate it they way no one uses a bell they just come up behind you and expect you to know they are there...There is loads of them down on the old railway line walk or the marina and they never ring the bell or have one

Would agree they should not be on the foothpaths and if they are they should be going slow.. That now and going down one way streets, they are always doing it on Victoria road and someone is going to get hit by a car at some stage... Now there I wouldn't mind if they went up on the footpath to cycle the wrong way down but at a slow speed

Nemanrio

If walkers stick to their side, supervising their kids properly (some parents let them roam too much) & cyclists stick to their side problems wouldn't occur.

Annoyingly this doesn't happen.

Milly33

Whats the right side then!!

We have tried everything while out for walks and there is not right side, to me it would be the same as driving but sorry some cyclist are just ignorant, and like that footpaths are not for cyclist so really it is the cyclist who should be taken more care than people or kids walking on them

Nemanrio

Milly33 wrote: »

Whats the right side then!!

We have tried everything while out for walks and there is not right side, to me it would be the same as driving but sorry some cyclist are just ignorant, and like that footpaths are not for cyclist so really it is the cyclist who should be taken more care than people or kids walking on them

Whatever the sign states.

This is ignored by both cyclists/walkers though.

Milly33

What signs??

ofcork

There are signs on the carrig/cross walkway also painted on the ground,walkers on left cyclists on right,some can come on you fast especially if you have to move to pass other walkers,always have to look behind!

Milly33

I have never come across these, sounds like a great idea... Nope down here we got McGonigles great venture to put more dog poop bins on the line, cough cough there is maybe 2 or three that is it...

Ludo

Those signs are definitely on the walkway between passage and Blackrock. They still don't excuse cyclists travelling at an unsafe speed in a shared space. People passing each other need space and kids shouldn't have to be on a leash in a recreational area. I've seen plenty of near misses there when cyclists travel at an unsafe speed.
You gotta be on your toes walking there trying to dodge dog shot and looking over your shoulder every time you pass someone.

namloc1980

Unfortunately pedestrians do the same thing. The cycle lanes around town are just an extension of the footpath for some pedestrians. And then they tut and give out when a cyclist dare try to use the cycle lanes.

Milly33

They aren't on the part coming from Rochestown to Mahon are they? I cant say I have ever seen them there and this is one spot where I think the cyclist take over..

Hopefully the pedestrians will be more aware of the cycle lanes in town once they get used to them being there

Ludo

Pretty sure there is one there also on the ground at the start of that section of the walkway in Rochestown at the Harys Quay car park. If you zoom in fully in google maps with satellite view on, you can just make it out. It isn't there on street view though as the pics there are too old.

Ludo

namloc1980 wrote: »

Unfortunately pedestrians do the same thing. The cycle lanes around town are just an extension of the footpath for some pedestrians. And then they tut and give out when a cyclist dare try to use the cycle lanes.

And those pedestrians are wrong. How is this related? What is your point?

run_Forrest_run

Nemanrio wrote: »

If walkers stick to their side, supervising their kids properly (some parents let them roam too much) & cyclists stick to their side problems wouldn't occur.

Annoyingly this doesn't happen.

what a dumb thing to say in fairness. Do you want the kids put on leads too? :rolleyes:

Listen, when it comes to cycling, everyone knows these paths are only intended to be used by:

1. Kids (ideal place for them to build up confidence on their bikes).
2. Commuters - using bells to alert other path users and cycling at a safe speed.

Any self-respecting adult who goes to the bother of putting on the fancy gear etc just to bomb up and down a leisure route needs to look in the mirror and slap themselves across the face with their lycra shorts.

If you want to pretend you're Sean Kelly then get on the bloody road and stop being a nuisance to everyone else.

Malari

Those signs are not indicators of what side to walk or cycle on - they are often different on the sign and on the painted road markers!

Common sense would dictate that any path users should stick to the left of the path - that's what we do in this country.

Nemanrio

Malari wrote: »

Those signs are not indicators of what side to walk or cycle on - they are often different on the sign and on the painted road markers!

Common sense would dictate that any path users should stick to the left of the path - that's what we do in this country.

On the Carrig/Cross, I' m pretty sure that is marked what side to be on.

Malari

Nemanrio wrote: »

On the Carrig/Cross, I' m pretty sure that is marked what side to be on.

That doesn't make sense though. So you are a cyclist on the left (correct) side of the path for example, and you come face to face with a walker on the right (correct) side coming from the other direction. Who gives way?

SomeFool

Malari wrote: »

That doesn't make sense though. So you are a cyclist on the left (correct) side of the path for example, and you come face to face with a walker on the right (correct) side coming from the other direction. Who gives way?

Its a bike lane painted onto a footpath essentially, have never used it but the one on the straight road is the same, completely unsuitable. They just shouldn't bother with these, either build a proper lane or just let it alone as half measures are usually more dangerous. Footpaths are for pedestrians!

Nemanrio

Malari wrote: »

That doesn't make sense though. So you are a cyclist on the left (correct) side of the path for example, and you come face to face with a walker on the right (correct) side coming from the other direction. Who gives way?

I may be wrong but walkers are to stay on left & cyclists on the right?

Anyway whichever way it is. Walkers/cyclists should stick to their side.

Cyclists should slow down especially when passing with kids around.

Stark

Nemanrio wrote: »

I may be wrong but walkers are to stay on left & cyclists on the right?

Anyway whichever way it is. Walkers/cyclists should stick to their side.

Cyclists should slow down especially when passing with kids around.

Not sure are you actually familiar with the walkways mentioned or are you just speaking in a general sense? Most of the walkways mentioned in the original post have no dividing lines between walker side and cyclist side from what I remember (definitely not on the Mahon/Rochestown route anyway).

Nemanrio

Stark wrote: »

Not sure are you actually familiar with the walkways mentioned or are you just speaking in a general sense? Most of the walkways mentioned in the original post have no dividing lines between walker side and cyclist side from what I remember (definitely not on the Mahon/Rochestown route anyway).

I would be familiar with carrig/cross & Hop island/passage.

You're right there is no dividing line on these walkways but a bit of common sense could be used, i.e. sharing the width of it 50/50.

TheChizler

Malari wrote: »

Those signs are not indicators of what side to walk or cycle on - they are often different on the sign and on the painted road markers!

Common sense would dictate that any path users should stick to the left of the path - that's what we do in this country.

Occasionally the signs swap sides as well!

These tracks blur the lines between walking path and cycle track/road. On a path you'd expect pedestrians on the left of the direction they're going, and bikes overtake on the right/pass on the left of oncoming peds, however on a road/track peds should be on the side of oncoming traffic, which should be the right as the bikes are on their own left. Or should peds and bikes just be on the left the whole time unless overtaking?

whisky_galore

run_Forrest_run wrote: »

what a dumb thing to say in fairness. Do you want the kids put on leads too? :rolleyes:

Listen, when it comes to cycling, everyone knows these paths are only intended to be used by:

1. Kids (ideal place for them to build up confidence on their bikes).
2. Commuters - using bells to alert other path users and cycling at a safe speed.

Any self-respecting adult who goes to the bother of putting on the fancy gear etc just to bomb up and down a leisure route needs to look in the mirror and slap themselves across the face with their lycra shorts.

If you want to pretend you're Sean Kelly then get on the bloody road and stop being a nuisance to everyone else.

Umm, there's more than three categories of cyclist and I'm neither lycra clad in training for the Tour De France nor do I still go to school. God forbid if someone wants to use it for a leisurely spin. :rolleyes:

Oh and having dogs (and some kids) on leads might not be any harm...

whisky_galore

TheChizler wrote: »

Occasionally the signs swap sides as well!

These tracks blur the lines between walking path and cycle track/road. On a path you'd expect pedestrians on the left of the direction they're going, and bikes overtake on the right/pass on the left of oncoming peds, however on a road/track peds should be on the side of oncoming traffic, which should be the right as the bikes are on their own left. Or should peds and bikes just be on the left the whole time unless overtaking?

Some parts of the walkway/cycleway are well marked with dividing lines/symbols and other parts there's nothing at all.

People with racing bikes totally bombing it about the place should clearly go elsewhere to train.

Nemanrio

run_Forrest_run wrote: »

what a dumb thing to say in fairness. Do you want the kids put on leads too? :rolleyes:

Listen, when it comes to cycling, everyone knows these paths are only intended to be used by:

1. Kids (ideal place for them to build up confidence on their bikes).
2. Commuters - using bells to alert other path users and cycling at a safe speed.

Any self-respecting adult who goes to the bother of putting on the fancy gear etc just to bomb up and down a leisure route needs to look in the mirror and slap themselves across the face with their lycra shorts.

If you want to pretend you're Sean Kelly then get on the bloody road and stop being a nuisance to everyone else.

How is it a dumb thing to say? If it was a playground then fair enough, but its not.

It is to be used by all. Walkers cyclists, runners, skateboards. etc. etc.

Walkers (& runners perhaps) aside, any of these groups could hurt children which as I said should be watched.

It is a great place for a child to learn how to ride a bike once they're supervised properly which they're as I have seen on the carrig/cross walkway.

I do think that cyclists should take it easy as they're not the only ones using the amenity.


In relation to your Sean Kelly/ lycra comment, it had nothing to do with the topic.

Flood

run_Forrest_run wrote: »

Any self-respecting adult who goes to the bother of putting on the fancy gear etc just to bomb up and down a leisure route needs to look in the mirror and slap themselves across the face with their lycra shorts.

If you want to pretend you're Sean Kelly then get on the bloody road and stop being a nuisance to everyone else.

Couldn't agree more, tour de france wannabees taking over once again.

Nemanrio

Flood wrote: »

Couldn't agree more, tour de france wannabees taking over once again.

I assume you use these walkways regularly?

Henry94

I walk and cycle regularly and the rule I go by is that pedestrians should have priority in a shared space. The main problem arises with passing out walkers and the walker has no way of knowing a bike is coming. Even bells are ineffective if someone has earphones in. So we have to show a bit of courtesy. Just like we expect drivers to do on the road when we are the vulnerable ones.

run_Forrest_run

Nemanrio wrote: »

In relation to your Sean Kelly/ lycra comment, it had nothing to do with the topic.

bit of humour, I'm fierce funny.