Legal situation with traffic lights at on-path cycle lanes.

AndrewJRenko · 22-05-2022 1:35pm #1

Folks

I'm wondering about the legal position with traffic lights at on-path cycle lanes, like this one on the N11.

20220522094422_000090A.MP4_snapshot_01.00.260.jpg

If you look at the road markings, the on-path cycle lane actually stops before the lights. The cycle lane is on the top section of a T-junction.

What happens when the traffic light is red on the road? Are cyclists legally required to stop? Obviously if there are pedestrians around, you would give way and make sure they're not at risk.

But are you really, really supposed to sit on the path and wait for the lights to go green?

Yakov P. Golyadkin · 22-05-2022 1:40pm

In these situations I've always taken the attitude that because I'm not 'inside' the lights they don't apply to me anymore than they would to a pedestrian.

22-05-2022 1:47pm

But the cycle lane ends before the lights - by the time you actually reach the lights, you should be on the road, no?

EDIT: What I said above was incorrect. As pointed out by other users, the blue circle sign means that when the cycle lane ends, the path becomes shared use, and it is perfectly legal to continue to cycle on the path (while giving way to pedestrians)

magicbastarder · 22-05-2022 1:50pm

The sign would imply that the path ahead is a shared pedestrian/cycle path though? I.e. that cyclists don't drop onto the road.

Padre_Pio · 22-05-2022 1:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119096962#Comment_119096962

But cyclists arent allowed on the footpath. Do you either move onto the road, or dismount and walk to the next section of cycle lane?

Squidgy Black · 22-05-2022 1:52pm

Not familiar with the junction at all (but it looks absolutely dreadful design wise), but do you continue on the path once you come to the end of the cycle lane?

If so traffic lights wouldn’t apply, but if you were merging back onto the road into the bus lane then I’d abide by the lights.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119096950#Comment_119096950

It looks like there’s no transition back onto the road though, ideally the lane should merge back into the road but it just comes to a dead stop and there’s a high enough curb

DaveyDave · 22-05-2022 1:53pm

This is an interesting question. Personally I don't stop as the bike lane is off road, I don't see why the lights would apply to a path. In my experience there's usually no way for bike traffic coming from the right side to join the path, at least not around the immediate area of the junction so no real risk of collision plus you'd see them joining up ahead to merge in.

magicbastarder · 22-05-2022 1:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119096970#Comment_119096970

I'm curious as to what the sign means. It's not an 'end of cycle lane'sign, so my initial reading of it is that cyclists are allowed on the path. As mentioned above, from a cyclist's point of view it's very poor design anyway.

Squidgy Black · 22-05-2022 1:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119096985#Comment_119096985

It’s a shared space sign, so legally cyclists are allowed use the path even though there’s no marked cycle lane

22-05-2022 1:57pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119096974#Comment_119096974

It looks like there’s no transition back onto the road though, ideally the lane should merge back into the road but it just comes to a dead stop and there’s a high enough curb

Which is why I wouldn't use that cycle lane, or any others that come to "dead ends".

maestroamado · 22-05-2022 2:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058246902/legal-situation-with-traffic-lights-at-on-path-cycle-lanes

What that sign means for me is the footpath is shared to that point... i think cyclists can continue to cycle on the path... however the yield sign means if path is busy with walkers they have priority and bikes use the road...

Fighting Tao · 22-05-2022 2:04pm

It’s a shared path sign and to yield to pedestrians. I’m fairly confident that the lights don’t apply to the shared path.

22-05-2022 2:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119096962#Comment_119096962

Good point, missed that. Shared use path, so just continue on, giving way to pedestrians. I don't believe the traffic lights have any effect in that scenario

ted1 · 22-05-2022 2:05pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119096950#Comment_119096950

No, the cycle lane becomes a shared space

breezy1985 · 22-05-2022 2:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119096974#Comment_119096974

That's the standard design being used around Limerick in the suburbs even on brand new roads.

RobertFoster · 22-05-2022 2:25pm

I've the same question for these lights. They span the cycle track and there's a stop line about 5 or 6 bike lengths after them, but do they apply to the track?

https://goo.gl/maps/jJqrkJZVQFabzenb8

Economics101 · 22-05-2022 2:29pm

The inverted triangle is generally a Yield sign. Confusing if it also has another meaning i.e. "shared space". Also the lights may well apply to pedestrians if they incorporate a pedestrian crossing, It is not clear to me if they do in this case.

Overall some rather bad and unclear design. Nothing surprising there.

maestroamado · 22-05-2022 2:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119097037#Comment_119097037

Yes but if the path full of walkers and there is no room on the path the bikes move to road...

The traffic lights nothing to do with this so use as normal...

magicbastarder · 22-05-2022 2:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119097140#Comment_119097140

looks like the cycle track dumps you out onto the road just after the junction, so the thinking might be that cyclists heading through the junction should stop at the red so as not to interact with motorists coming from their right who have the green.

Wishbone Ash · 22-05-2022 2:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119096983#Comment_119096983

Perhaps they apply to the path if the lights are at a pedestrian crossing? - i.e. pedestrians may run across and into the path of a cyclist that they aren't expecting to be there.

magicbastarder · 22-05-2022 2:41pm

this is a junction where i think the intention is clear, but i wouldn't be surprised if some cyclists ignore the lights - they won't interact with traffic coming from the right because the cycle lane is kerb protected, so in terms of running a red there's in theory no danger on that front - but it is a pedestrian crossing too, so running a red would result in danger there.

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3875198,-6.2581393,3a,69.6y,310.13h,89.86t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sg9YvA3MlfvN9Zao6W42boQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

since that street view was taken, they've added one of those cyclist specific green lights which goes green a second before a general green - albeit now hidden by foliage from the tree - but there's no need for it. those lights are intended to allow cyclists get away from the junction slightly quicker (as far as i understand); but there's no benefit to that in a protected cycle lane.

maestroamado · 22-05-2022 2:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119097214#Comment_119097214

You just made me think of something... if there is an incident involving a bicycle and a pedestrian on any of these routes causing injury is there insurance...

Sleeper12 · 22-05-2022 2:45pm

It looks like the cycle lane ends. It then becomes a footpath for pedestrians. Obviously you can't cycle on the path so you should move out onto the bus lane, I would have thought.

breezy1985 · 22-05-2022 3:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119097263#Comment_119097263

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119097169#Comment_119097169

The triangle does not have 2 meanings and does not mean shared space.

The blue sign on the lamppost on the left means shared space. So yes you can cycle on that "path"

Wishbone Ash · 22-05-2022 3:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119097263#Comment_119097263

Did you miss the blue round sign indicating a shared space?

busy bee 33 · 22-05-2022 3:45pm

Sure they don’t obey the lights anyway Joe. And they don’t even pay road tax.

breezy1985 · 22-05-2022 3:57pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119097637#Comment_119097637

That's the spirit caller.

Sleeper12 · 22-05-2022 4:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119097585#Comment_119097585

Yes I did 👍

sam t smith · 22-05-2022 4:38pm

As a pedestrian this is a ridiculous design. Just encourages cyclists to illegally cycle on other footpaths.

Weepsie · 22-05-2022 5:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119097969#Comment_119097969

No it doesn't. No more than it encourages pedestrians to walk in cycle lanes.

Wishbone Ash · 22-05-2022 5:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119097969#Comment_119097969

Not to mention that, even when it is a legally shared footpath, many pedestrians do not seemed to be aware of the signage and just assume you are cycling illegally on the footpath anyway.

Legal situation with traffic lights at on-path cycle lanes.

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