Cycle lane fun

lost_in_thought

I mentioned this in the SCR thread earlier, and I've just been out to buy some lunch, so snapped these pics of a left-hook-tastic cycle lane in Notting hill:





The other day I wasn't really paying attention and actually used this cycle lane, then had to wait for all the left-turning traffic to go around me before setting off straight ahead.

Today, when I took the picture, I pulled across into the straight ahead lane behind a car which was in the ASL, and was told off by another motorist for not being in the cycle lane. I informed him politely that I was going straight on and that it was a left turn lane, he thought about that then apologised, commenting that the cycle lane perhaps shouldn't be there at all.

I kind of agree. Kind of.

MonkeyMonster

not really a cycle lane is it... Just a chunk taken out of the inside lane where cars will expect to be - looks nasty either way and asking for trouble.

Wallace1492

Not very good, that is an accident waiting to happen.

Here is one from Glasgow, there are two cycle lanes, one on the left had side, presumably to go left and one in the middle to go straight on. On the down side, there is no left turn allowed, so both must go straight on. That then is another dilema as straight on is onto a Motorway!! Needless to say it is now changed.

always_tyred

MonkeyMonster wrote:

not really a cycle lane is it... Just a chunk taken out of the inside lane where cars will expect to be - looks nasty either way and asking for trouble.

No, no, the left hand lane is for cycles, the one next to it is for motorcycles and stunt drivers, and the right hand lane is for hummers.

The Chingford Skinhead

That's not a cycle lane. You can tell because there are no cars parked in it.

Fireblade96

Cycle lanes like that are frankly dangerous. Not so much for an experienced cyclist who should, like you, recognise this and avoid it, but a less experienced rider might well go "Oh look, a cycle lane, I should be in that.." and get themselves left-hooked.

Councils with spare white lines are a menace !

lost_in_thought

Actually, the one I posted is just metres away from where that lady called Eilidh (RIP) was killed. Bad form from K&C really.

loamy

i cycle about 15 miles a day to and from college and have been since september,now iv really given up with cycle lanes. As was mentioned earlier on, for some reason the council feel that by cutting bits out of the road and painting them a different colour they have somehow created some magical extra space where bicycles can travel, its a shame that infact that whole idea is rubbish (i would use stronger words but im not sure what you can get away with on this forum). basically i think that cycle lanes in many cases actually make the roads more dangerous for cyclists because even the most well intensioned motorist will automatically assume that all cyclists will be using the cycle lane, they might not even notice the fact that this lane is completly impractical and unusable. if they expect ever cyclist to be in this lane they are less likely to check their mirrors and blind spots before pulling out or changing lanes.

apart from the serious dangers caused by these badly planned out cycle lanes there is also the inconvinence of them, they often force you to give way more often than if you had just stayed with the cars, making your journey longer and less enjoyable in most cases. All of this is down to the "ticky box" society that we live in these days, as shown by the ammusing use of direction arrows in the cycle lanes on my journey home. There is a corner with nice helpful arrows to show you which way you should be going, which is lovely apart from the fact that the workmen that installed them put two sets next to eachother facing opposite ways. showing that absolutly no thought or testing of the system has been done atall, just the act that millions of pounds has been spent seems to show "improvment". the same is being done with the whole of the environmentally friendly political drive, it all seems to have a lot of clashing ideas and contrasting veiws, as a result of trying to please everyone but not upsetting everyone else (it cant be done im afraid, not in the short term anyway)

but thats just my opinion

Sewinman

I was hoping to open this and find the OP saying "For cycle lane fun ring me on 07870 etc"

Runoutofgears

On the roads near my work the local council have started to erase the painted on road cycle lanes and have instead painted just cycle symbols close to the kerb. Does anyone know what our council are trying to achieve?

CiB

RunOut - it sounds like they've taken on board criticism of cycle lanes and are removing them, replacing them with something to remind motorists that they may happen across a bicyclist on the roads.

Wallace1492

My local council sticks in ASL's with no chance of you getting to them as road is so narrow. As Ian Dury said.... "What a Waste!"

schlafsack

My favorite cycle lane is the one that runs between Tottenham Court Road and Gray's Inn Road. For most of its length it's two-way, despite being about 1.5m wide. It's got all sorts of features, bollards in the middle of the lanes, a 1m wide chicane, crazy traffic stop lines that leave cars stopped accross the highway,

The highlight, however, is the scalextric demolition derby cross-over:

http://tinyurl.com/demolition-derby

VespaTrek

Wallace1492 wrote:

But that looks like the only option is straight on and onto the motorway slip lane, so why would there be a cycle lane anyway?

Wallace1492

VespaTrek wrote:

Wallace1492 wrote:

But that looks like the only option is straight on and onto the motorway slip lane, so why would there be a cycle lane anyway?

Aye, not the brightest by Glasgow District Council, but it has been taken away now, so no more cycling on the Motorway!!

Christophe3967

lost_in_thought wrote:

I mentioned this in the SCR thread earlier, and I've just been out to buy some lunch, so snapped these pics of a left-hook-tastic cycle lane in Notting hill:





The other day I wasn't really paying attention and actually used this cycle lane, then had to wait for all the left-turning traffic to go around me before setting off straight ahead.

Today, when I took the picture, I pulled across into the straight ahead lane behind a car which was in the ASL, and was told off by another motorist for not being in the cycle lane. I informed him politely that I was going straight on and that it was a left turn lane, he thought about that then apologised, commenting that the cycle lane perhaps shouldn't be there at all.

I kind of agree. Kind of.

Finding a white van stopped outside the ASL. Remarkable.

deptfordmarmoset

Christophe3967 wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

I mentioned this in the SCR thread earlier, and I've just been out to buy some lunch, so snapped these pics of a left-hook-tastic cycle lane in Notting hill:





The other day I wasn't really paying attention and actually used this cycle lane, then had to wait for all the left-turning traffic to go around me before setting off straight ahead.

Today, when I took the picture, I pulled across into the straight ahead lane behind a car which was in the ASL, and was told off by another motorist for not being in the cycle lane. I informed him politely that I was going straight on and that it was a left turn lane, he thought about that then apologised, commenting that the cycle lane perhaps shouldn't be there at all.

I kind of agree. Kind of.

Finding a white van stopped outside the ASL. Remarkable.

And in fairness to drivers, apart from motor bikes, it's impossible for a left-turning vehicle not to encroach on the ''cycle path'' because the lane simply isn't wide enough. At best it's useless, at worst it's criminal - I sometimes think road planners should be prosecuted for endangering road users.

Roastie

lost_in_thought wrote:

The other day I wasn't really paying attention and actually used this cycle lane, then had to wait for all the left-turning traffic to go around me before setting off straight ahead.

I've also been sucked into some of these accident-waiting-to-happen cycle lanes when thinking about other things. You have to wonder - cycle lanes should keep us safe, not lure us towards accidents!

lost_in_thought

Roastie wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

The other day I wasn't really paying attention and actually used this cycle lane, then had to wait for all the left-turning traffic to go around me before setting off straight ahead.

I've also been sucked into some of these accident-waiting-to-happen cycle lanes when thinking about other things. You have to wonder - cycle lanes should keep us safe, not lure us towards accidents!

I know, ridiculous, eh? I seem to recall someone telling me that the LCC or similar have a means to report silly cycle lanes... true?

prj45

lost_in_thought wrote:

I mentioned this in the SCR thread earlier, and I've just been out to buy some lunch, so snapped these pics of a left-hook-tastic cycle lane in Notting hill:

Now, I've never actually seen that cycle lane that clear, it's normally stacked up with lorries and cars when I go past it at about 7am.

I normally sit in the ASL (which you have to cross the white line to get into which is illegal) in primary on the second lane.

fossyant

Normal two lane junction for me - take the lane.....

Good god that's bad stickers on the road.............. :shock:

msw

schlafsack wrote:

My favorite cycle lane is the one that runs between Tottenham Court Road and Gray's Inn Road. For most of its length it's two-way, despite being about 1.5m wide. It's got all sorts of features, bollards in the middle of the lanes, a 1m wide chicane, crazy traffic stop lines that leave cars stopped accross the highway,

The highlight, however, is the scalextric demolition derby cross-over:

http://tinyurl.com/demolition-derby

God yes, that used to be on my route to work. Everyone knows about it too -- I had a conversation with cab driver once about bad cycle lanes and was about to mention it when he said "don't tell me -- Tavistock Place". If you carry on to the west there's the added delight of drivers pulling out from the right across the lane (to turn right).

This led to one of my few bumps and it's understandably tricky for drivers - all your driving experience in that situation teaches you that your final check before pulling out should be to look to your right for vehicles on your side of the road. Two-way bike paths, I hates 'em.

lost_in_thought

That is madness!