Matt Talbot bridge

Dr Crayfish

Does anyone else cycle over this in the morning? It's a total mess for cyclists. I am coming from the IFSC side going straight over onto Moss St then onto Pearse.
Anyway it seems to have 4 lanes, and I've to cycle in the middle of the 4 lanes so that I can continue straight.
How hard would it be to put a cycle lane in the middle, with raised sides maybe to keep cars out of it, for those of us continuing on or turning right onto the quays? Little things like this would make all the difference, it's an accident waiting to happen at the moment.
This is what I'm thinking, the pic below is how you'd see it if coming from the Northside, I can't get the image to embed, and obviously the bike lane doesn't need to be as wide as my crappy MS Paint drawing!

https://ibb.co/e7rNAv

Dr Crayfish

Weepsie wrote: »

A lane in the middle wouldn't help with turning right you'd think as you'd be dealing with cars going straight on.

It is poorly designed, it's designed so you take the cycle lane on the left, wait at the lights and then use the pedestrian/bike crossing to continue.

ah is that what they expect you to do. Yeah I guess it would be awkward if you're turning right, but it would still help, as people turning right are usually in my lane anyway.

jon1981

Unfortunately the only safe option is to take the bicycle lane on the right or left hand side, Dismount at the lights on the other side of the bridge, cross the road and get back on to Moss street. Otherwise you have to mix it up with the traffic.

I cross the bridge every morning, I stay in the right lane because I'm turning right after I cross the bridge, it tends to be ok but that's because the traffic mostly seems to be going either left or straight.

Effects

I'm usually heading straight onto Moss St as well, I position myself at the lights. You do get a lot of traffic weaving across lanes though.
I came off my bike on the bridge two weeks ago when I was checking over my right shoulder and a car swung in front of me from the left. I was going at speed so as not to get in the way of other cars weaving!

07Lapierre

The trick is to cycle as if your a motorist! that is cycle in the middle of the lane, cycle "at pace" and give clear hand signals to following traffic.
Easier said than done i know, but the alternative is to use the awful cycle paths/pedestrian crossings.

Dr Crayfish

07Lapierre wrote: »

The trick is to cycle as if your a motorist! that is cycle in the middle of the lane, cycle "at pace" and give clear hand signals to following traffic.
Easier said than done i know, but the alternative is to use the awful cycle paths/pedestrian crossings.

Yeah that's pretty much what I do, but often you get cars beeping at you etc because you're shaving maybe 4 seconds off their commute!

07Lapierre

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

Yeah that's pretty much what I do, but often you get cars beeping at you etc because you're shaving maybe 4 seconds off their commute!

I know, sure I don't even pay road tax and there's a perfectly good cycle track on both sides of the bridge! ...

Tenzor07

Or buy a torquey ebike, fast starts at the lights instead of wobbling around trying to get up to a decent speed...