Cycle Lanes

[jazper53]

I have noticed in my home town(city) Brighton & Hove, some of the cycle lanes seem to have been designed by patients from the local asylum.

The weird cycle lanes of Brighton

I expect other members have had simlar experiences, and maybe would like to share them .

 

[morphix]

Hehe I love the picture of the bicycle, it looks like someone just snuck out at night with a lantern and painted that on the road themselves with a tin of B&Q.

You have some strange signs and markings indeed! There's very few in my town of Redditch, only on pavements in very few places in the town (usually nature walks) they divide the path in half with a white line and paint a bicycle picture on one side. But pedestrian's and dog walkers, generally walk in the cycle lane and so cyclists have to go in the pedestrian lane!

 

[flecc]

I've seen some of these Brighton ones before, since they've been publishing them for a while. The one sent in by Mark Easen that's half way down the page isn't absolutely pointless as said though, it's to allow a vehicle to pass when a cyclist is holding it up. Although not marked in this way in my area, I use kerb cutaways to do this pavement deviation when I see a vehicle approaching behind that I'm likely to hold up, or when someone has parked in a cycle lane. Obviously only to be done when there are no pedestrians on that pavement section.

I've also got a number of daft short bits of lane marking in my Croydon borough but I've never bothered to photograph them.

 

[KirstinS]

I have noticed in my home town(city) Brighton & Hove, some of the cycle lanes seem to have been designed by patients from the local asylum.

The weird cycle lanes of Brighton

I expect other members have had simlar experiences, and maybe would like to share them .

So there are other ebikers in B&H ! I've seen two in the last 2 years and I'm always on the lookout

We really do have some odd ones. They have just made lots of the north laines area streets two way for bikes (they have been one way for cars for many many years) But the signposting of this is awful. About a 1m cycle lane painted at the start of the road (at the "wrong" end). I am concerned someone is going to get hurt

 

[grldtnr]

Generally I have not been favourable about cycle lanes in Britain, they are usually ill conceived and poorly built, they also make car drivers not think about cyclist when not provided, Britains road infrastructure in towns is just too crowded , better I think to publish maps of quiet back street routes instead.

Also pedestrians are apt to roam all over them (maybe they are still n their cars in the mind!), i've not used them much here,over in Holland they work, perhaps because by dutch law you must, as possibly other continental countries .

Sustrans are doing good work with their routes,but on the whole they are recreational routes that don't go anywhere you need to

 

[flecc]

They are nice when they are separated from the road alongside like this pleasant example:

 

[Storcker]

Hi gridtnr,
Local to me there are no cycle lanes but I have the good fortune to live in a very rural area of Wales. Lots of narrow lanes to ride with very little traffic but huge hills.
I have put the bike in the car and then driven to Shrewsbury and taken the councils advice literally by parking and riding from their free car park. A lot of cycle routes in towns are actually shared pavements with awkward road crossings which to me are more dangerous than just riding on the road.

 

[JuicyBike]

Here are some more mad cycle lanes

 

[jazper53]

So there are other ebikers in B&H ! I've seen two in the last 2 years and I'm always on the lookout

We really do have some odd ones. They have just made lots of the north laines area streets two way for bikes (they have been one way for cars for many many years) But the signposting of this is awful. About a 1m cycle lane painted at the start of the road (at the "wrong" end). I am concerned someone is going to get hurt

Hi KirstinS, I also thought I was the only Brightonian on site, and now there are two. I actually Live in Hove, and very much a summer e-biker that tends to frequent the Hove area and further west.

 

[morphix]

They are nice when they are separated from the road alongside like this pleasant example:

That's exactly how my town does it. I wish they would put some signs up though at the beginning of these paths to warn pedestrians to keep to their side, as in my town they seldom keep to their side and walk in the middle or on the cycling lane..usually with dogs off the leash!! Our cycle lanes have some very sharp bends and blind corners, so you have to keep your wits about you, especially as one is on a steep hill with a blind spot right at the bottom.

 

[jazper53]

This one can be found in Cardiff



got to be one of the shortest out there

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Hi gridtnr,
Local to me there are no cycle lanes but I have the good fortune to live in a very rural area of Wales. Lots of narrow lanes to ride with very little traffic but huge hills.
I have put the bike in the car and then driven to Shrewsbury and taken the councils advice literally by parking and riding from their free car park. A lot of cycle routes in towns are actually shared pavements with awkward road crossings which to me are more dangerous than just riding on the road.

I also try and avoid these cycle paths that are separated from pedestrians by a white line. Most pedestrians haven't a clue that they're on the cycle side. If I politely point it out to them, I often get abuse. I think that there's more chance of an accident on them than on the road, so, if I have a choice, I use the road. Also, some of ours are narrow (overgrown) and have a slight curb between the two, so it's not possible to change sides (as a cyclist). I've come up behind opedestrians with headphones on, or busy texting, and they don't hear my bell or shouts whileI wait patiently behind; however, one, I had to tap on his arm to let him know that I wanted to get past.

 

[morphix]

I also try and avoid these cycle paths that are separated from pedestrians by a white line. Most pedestrians haven't a clue that they're on the cycle side. If I politely point it out to them, I often get abuse. I think that there's more chance of an accident on them than on the road, so, if I have a choice, I use the road. Also, some of ours are narrow (overgrown) and have a slight curb between the two, so it's not possible to change sides (as a cyclist). I've come up behind opedestrians with headphones on, or busy texting, and they don't hear my bell or shouts whileI wait patiently behind; however, one, I had to tap on his arm to let him know that I wanted to get past.

I know exactly what you mean, many just walk on these as normal paths oblivious to the fact cyclists might actually be using them behind them! Maybe we need loud horns ;-)

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I know exactly what you mean, many just walk on these as normal paths oblivious to the fact cyclists might actually be using them behind them! Maybe we need loud horns ;-)

Loud horns doesn't work. It just makes the pedestrians angry, so they shout abuse. They don't know that they're in the wrong. I've even had themm shout out that I shouldn't be riding on the footpath.

They have these same split footpath/cycle lanes in Germany and Holland, and woe betide any pedestrian that steps on the cycle side.

 

[morphix]

Loud horns doesn't work. It just makes the pedestrians angry, so they shout abuse. They don't know that they're in the wrong. I've even had themm shout out that I shouldn't be riding on the footpath.

They have these same split footpath/cycle lanes in Germany and Holland, and woe betide any pedestrian that steps on the cycle side.

Perhaps the clear signs approach is needed then at the start of cycle lanes? i.e. a sign, "for your own safety, keep to the pedestrian side at all times".

Motorists wouldn't tolerate people walking in the middle of "their" roads, why should we tolerate people walking all over our lanes. Heh.

Some people do genuinely forget I think which side is which as they're not very clearly marked.. perhaps if you had a yellow broken line in the middle of the cycle lane it might help, so it looks more like a road.

 

[flecc]

Loud horns doesn't work. It just makes the pedestrians angry, so they shout abuse. They don't know that they're in the wrong. I've even had themm shout out that I shouldn't be riding on the footpath.

I have the same experience, a loud horn is only any good with traffic. A bell is generally accepted but can still result in the "Get off the footpath" response on cyclepaths. I've found best of all with pedestrians is just saying clearly "Good morning/afternoon", especially when approaching from behind. That always seems to be welcomed.

 

[Jeremy]

I also try and avoid these cycle paths that are separated from pedestrians by a white line. Most pedestrians haven't a clue that they're on the cycle side. If I politely point it out to them, I often get abuse. I think that there's more chance of an accident on them than on the road, so, if I have a choice, I use the road. Also, some of ours are narrow (overgrown) and have a slight curb between the two, so it's not possible to change sides (as a cyclist). I've come up behind opedestrians with headphones on, or busy texting, and they don't hear my bell or shouts whileI wait patiently behind; however, one, I had to tap on his arm to let him know that I wanted to get past.

This happens to me all the time. One of the cycle paths I regularly use (I have little choice as it's the only cycle route into the city from where I normally park) is one like that and it's rare to ride it without either encountering pedestrians aimlessly wandering along the cycle side or getting abuse if you do so much as gently ring the bell to let them know you're there.

A growing problem on this particular path are the increasing number of users of disabled scooters using the cycle path, rather than the footpath. It's not uncommon to get two or three of these at a time, crawling along the cycle path side. Overtaking them is often difficult when the path is busy, meaning long periods spent at a walking pace behind them.

The other problem here is with a few contraflow cycle paths that run the wrong way down one way streets. These frequently seem to cause ire with motorists, to the point where I was once driven at and pinned against a low wall by one, who then hurled abuse at me, even though we were stopped right adjacent to the sign pointing out that the road in question was a bi-directional cycle path.

 

[jazper53]

I have the same experience, a loud horn is only any good with traffic. A bell is generally accepted but can still result in the "Get off the footpath" response on cyclepaths. I've found best of all with pedestrians is just saying clearly "Good morning/afternoon", especially when approaching from behind. That always seems to be welcomed.

maybe one could elecronically simulate the sound of squeeking brakes being applied heavily which would give pedestrians a sense of imminent impact and make them more aware of the dangers of walking on cycle lanes

 

[amigafan2003]

Perhaps the clear signs approach is needed then at the start of cycle lanes? i.e. a sign, "for your own safety, keep to the pedestrian side at all times".

Motorists wouldn't tolerate people walking in the middle of "their" roads, why should we tolerate people walking all over our lanes. Heh.

Some people do genuinely forget I think which side is which as they're not ve

Blackpool council have just put up some signs stating "Please be aware of cyclists when crossing the promenade. Please keep dogs on a lead at all times" - much to the chagrin of some of the commentators in the local paper

I'll try to get a photo when I'm next out.

maybe one could elecronically simulate the sound of squeeking brakes being applied heavily which would give pedestrians a sense of imminent impact and make them more aware of the dangers of walking on cycle lanes

You kid but I purposely haven't set my front pads with any toe in so that they emit a light sqeual when applying the brakes behind a ped - works a treat! As long as they don't have their headphones in.

Oh, and riding at night with a 1600 lumen front light normally lets them know I'm there as well

 

[Scimitar]

maybe one could elecronically simulate the sound of squeeking brakes being applied heavily which would give pedestrians a sense of imminent impact and make them more aware of the dangers of walking on cycle lanes

Well, with ebikes having decent battery capacity, the possibility of mounting a small 100W PA horn raises its head. With a blare of "GET OFF THE PATH, YOU DOZY SOD!" it should soon clear the way. Mind you, the odd broomstick through the spokes is a bit counter-productive, so maybe it's better to be polite and just put up with the dopey gits.