Cycling in pedestrian areas ?

[jontee]

Got into a bit of a situation yesterday! while pedal cycling through a pedestrian area (not fully de-vehicle) at walking pace,using the bell,cycling considerately and courteously a woman with a bee in her bonnet walked into my path several times. Asking her what she thought she was doing she replied that she ferlt that cyclists had no place in the area. I explained that although it was a pedestrian area as i was aware cyclists were not excluded (no signage to say so!) Anyway like talking to a brick wall it was - so i carried on.
I have'nt found anything in the highway code to state eitherway and i know that studies have been done but things seem a bit grey.

I don't want to start any debates/arguments but does anyone know the situation with pedestrian areas?

 

[rooel]

It normally depends on the sign at the entrances to the pedestrian area and of course the underlying traffic regulation order: if there is a sign but no regulation (not an impossibility given the incompetence of local highway authorities) the sign has no legal effect.

There are three possible signs to look out for on entering an apparently pedestrianised area: the first is a red circle on white with the words "No Vehicles" underneath. That means pedal cycles can enter but only if they are pushed. The second is the red circle on white with a motor bike flying over a motor car. That means no motor vehicles with no prohibition on cycling. The third is a red circle on white with a bicycle which means no cycling. In addition there is the straightforward No Entry sign which means no vehicles at all.

 

[mk1]

A Machine Gun mounted to the handlebars would be one solution.

 

[jontee]

Cheers rooel - the area in question has the vehicles prohibited sign (bike over the car) but vehicles still use it under disability and for loading. Guess i'll have to put up with the flak - price of cycling i suppose. Just a comment though - nobody seems to mind all the electric shopping type scooters - could this be some kind of predudice against cyclists?

 

[flecc]

nobody seems to mind all the electric shopping type scooters - could this be some kind of predudice against cyclists?

Yes it is.

There's a stretch of pavement approaching my supermarket which is the only convenient way to get to the bike rack for heavy traffic reasons, and I choose to ride it at trickle speed on motor only as I take up less space on the narrow section than if walking alongside the bike.

When I do it on the normal bike shape T bike, I regularly get dirty looks.

When I do it my Q bike, which is scooter like and has the "cute" factor, I get either no reaction or the odd smile.

Q.E.D.
.

 

[Ian]

Last summer our local council pedestrianised a furthur area of the city centre and promptly sponsored an electrically assisted cycle rickshaw to ply for trade in that area. At the same time they began giving cyclists £30 fixed penalties for riding in another pedestrianised area of the city. The only difference I can see is that the area where cyclists are ticketed is a wide tarmac pathway (4m wide) without obstructons while the area where the rickshaw operates is the usual block paving/paving slab surface with lots of obstructions such as raised flower beds and benches.

I can't say whether cyclists other than the rickshaw use that area as I avoid the city like the plague.

 

[jontee]

I've never actually been subjected to anti cyclist hostility before - just lucky i guess. I wonder if attitudes will get worse over the next few years before people actually start seeing the logic of alternative transport. I still speak as a life time petrol head as well as cyclist but perhaps a little more open minded one.

I think many people will feel more threatened over their cars etc as motoring starts to get ever more expensive.

Could a scheme/presentation ever be offered by the goverment or local authorities to promote and educate people for alternatives - might even help all road users to get on.

 

[Ian]

Perhaps the woman in question had a bad experience with a bicycle as a child.

She's lucky she didn't pick on a yobbo, she could end up in a violent confrontation if she doesn't learn to show some tolerance.

 

[flecc]

This one-time petrol head and cyclist has only met direct confrontation once, on the stretch I mentioned above, when on entering it I had a man stand in the way and demand to know why I wasn't using the road. I gave him an amused smile and in the manner one speaks to a slightly naughty child said reprovingly, "Don't be like that".

I cycled on with him speechless.

Occasionally a car driver, usually young, leaves no doubt of their disapproval of bikes when they deliberately "buzz" me very close, often swerving to do it, and there's plenty of unprovoked verbals from the lowest intelligence group of drivers and passengers, often in small hatchbacks or driving vans or light trucks. In fact the quickest way to reduce traffic in future would be an intelligence test as part of the driving test with 5% below median as the pass level.
.

 

[fishingpaul]

In birmingham there are quite a few widened footpaths, with marked out cycle lanes on them,northfield shopping centre and shirley high street being two that come to mind,i think giving cyclists a bit of pavement is a great idea on busy roads,you can feel very unsafe on the road in heavy traffic.

 

[Footie]

I don’t cycle in pedestrian areas – too easy to collide with the old folks (of which we have many here in Cornwall). They don’t have indicators or brake lights fitted so no one knows which way they are likely to dart - least of all them

As for riding on pavements. It’s common knowledge (in our family) that cycling on pavements is illegal. My cousin was very heavily handled when he was young for cycling on the pavement around Bristol. He was stopped by a bored traffic policeman (who obviously had nothing better to do – no speed cameras then so went for the easy target) and taken to the Police station. He was finger printed and held in a cell until my Uncle came to take him home. He was hauled before a judge and ended up with a fine and a Juvenal record. A hard lesson for a ten year old child to learn don’t you think?

So I won’t move over onto the pavement for some ignoramus who wants me out of his/her way, even if it’s a police car (blue lights would of course be the exception).

Highway Code 2007
64
You MUST NOT cycle on a pavement.
[Laws HA 1835 sect 72 & R(S)A 1984, sect 129]

59-82: Rules for cyclists : Directgov - Travel and transport
.

 

[flecc]

The pavement bit I mentioned is the only bit I do cycle on, as it is actually physically impossible to do the correct thing on a bike thanks to some lunatic junction redesigning. I won't attempt the explanation, it's too long winded.

Around my urban fringe area it's almost impossible for anyone to know if the path is dual use or pedestrian only unless they've watched it all develop, as we have a complex mixture of both with inadequate and sometimes missing signs. In at least two cases there are dual use signs at one end of a long stretch, but none ever installed at the other end, so it depends on which way you approach on whether it's legal or not.
.

 

[StrangeFish]

This one-time petrol head and cyclist has only met direct confrontation once, on the stretch I mentioned above, when on entering it I had a man stand in the way and demand to know why I wasn't using the road. I gave him an amused smile and in the manner one speaks to a slightly naughty child said reprovingly, "Don't be like that".

I cycled on with him speechless.

Occasionally a car driver, usually young, leaves no doubt of their disapproval of bikes when they deliberately "buzz" me very close, often swerving to do it, and there's plenty of unprovoked verbals from the lowest intelligence group of drivers and passengers, often in small hatchbacks or driving vans or light trucks. In fact the quickest way to reduce traffic in future would be an intelligence test as part of the driving test with 5% below median as the pass level.
.

I have to say Flecc, that if they made all the present drivers here in Bristol, where I live, retake the test with this added clause, it would probably get rid of at least 50% of all motorised transport from these roads - including some PSV drivers! Wouldn't that be a great way to increase the number of e.bike users ? Although on reflection, I guess if they were used to driving irresponsibly, they would also ride the same way! I dunno, what do you think ?

 

[flecc]

I have the same suspicion, but I was being polite in not saying the proportion.

They'd probably be better cyclists though, not having the tank wrapped around them would probably calm them down a lot, and they'd be able to concentrate better without the mobile phone, satnav and CD player that takes up three quarters of their attention currently. Not having passengers to chat to would help as well.
.

 

[jontee]

Highway Code 2007
64
You MUST NOT cycle on a pavement.
[Laws HA 1835 sect 72 & R(S)A 1984, sect 129]

59-82: Rules for cyclists : Directgov - Travel and transport
.[/QUOTE]

How does this reflect on the poor cyclist postie?

 

[PinkFloyd]

I don’t cycle in pedestrian areas – too easy to collide with the old folks (of which we have many here in Cornwall).

Get a bad ass mama honker of an air horn and HONK at them as you're approaching, they'll soon get out of the way.

 

[jontee]

Air horn could be dangerous - they can't handle the subtle ring of a bell without going berserk!

 

[Ian]

Is there anyone to get out of the way that far north.

 

[PinkFloyd]

Is there anyone to get out of the way that far north.

Just flocks of sheep wandering about the road (and I'm serious!) sometimes the odd bull gets loose, quite often deer and all the time pheasants and rabbits. A powerful horn is essential.

 

[john]

Where I live there is a section of cycle lane (but no pavement on that side) which is impossible to use because it is always full of pedestrians!