a glimpse inside the mind of a traffic planner

Docsavage
Docsavage Posts: 58
edited May 2012 in Commuting general
OK - I logged onto the times cyclesafe website and left comments about the new road layout at the BBC crossroads in Bristol. If you don't know it, they've combined two lanes into one so now right turners wait in the middle of the road and cars traveling onwards have to dodge to their left around them and depending on where the right turner has stopped, into the cycle lane. The cycle lane perversely has now been pushed suddenly to the right thanks to an extended kerb edge. the result, you now have cars diving across the bikes - where there was once a red painted lane for bikes is now no more than dotted lines and confusion.
Anyhow, I wanted to share the reply I got from the officer at Bristol City Council. an interesting take on reality!


Thank you for writing in with your observations of the Whiteladies Road / Tyndalls Park Road / St Pauls Road junction.

The previous layout had sub standard lane widths on the Whiteladies Road southbound approach - 2.3m wide. The minimum lane width for a main route is 3.0m. When you consider a bus is 2.5m wide you can see why, and it was observed that with the old junction layout large vehicles would straddle the lanes or overrun the cycle lane. Therefore the decision was made to make it a single 4.6m wide lane (still the same total width of the two previous narrow lanes) and allow traffic to informally form 2 lanes when necessary.

If a right turning vehicle positions itself correctly, tight against the centre line, then there is adequate space for ahead vehicles to pass inside them without overrunning the cycle lane. If drivers need to go in to the cycle lane to pass a right turning vehicle then they should do this with consideration for cyclists (checking their mirrors). It may be that there is something we can do to encourage this and to raise drivers awareness of cyclists at this part of the junction (e.g paint additional cycle symbols or surface the cycle lane red for a section). This is something that I have now raised with the cycle officer for this area, and am waiting to hear back on, but will hopefully be approved.

Kind regards,

XXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXX
Traffic Signals Engineer
Transport Service
Bristol City Council

OK - I'm grateful for action, BUT - this is a brand new roadworks, in 'the cycling city' yet they managed to compromise cyclists safety yet again, by prioritising motor vehicles
better downhill

Comments

  • godders1
    godders1 Posts: 750
    The kisses are a nice touch. :lol:
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    They have minds?

    I though they lost them when places like Swindon and Washington were dreamt up.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • lockstock666
    lockstock666 Posts: 131
    Initialised wrote:
    They have minds?

    I though they lost them when places like Swindon and Washington were dreamt up.

    A recent road planning abomination in Swindon was designed by a cyclist.

    I can only assume he designed it for himself. It is far too complex to explain.

    At least with roundabouts there is a chance of making it through without stopping, red lights are just a bore for everyone.
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    I'd like to see traffic lights used as a last resort, not popping up everywhere. Unless the RLJ becomes legal
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    Everybody in Bristol knows FirstBus designed the new road layout in favour of their buses.
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • White Horse
    White Horse Posts: 161
    LockStock666 wrote:
    Initialised wrote:
    They have minds?

    I though they lost them when places like Swindon and Washington were dreamt up.

    A recent road planning abomination in Swindon was designed by a cyclist.

    I can only assume he designed it for himself. It is far too complex to explain.

    At least with roundabouts there is a chance of making it through without stopping, red lights are just a bore for everyone.

    Which one's that? I've had a recent cause to complain about some features of new roads around Swindon and got a very stupid reply.
  • ilish0704
    ilish0704 Posts: 5
    I can only assume he designed it for himself. It is far too complex to explain.cpu.gif
  • White Horse
    White Horse Posts: 161
    ilish0704 wrote:
    I can only assume he designed it for himself. It is far too complex to explain.cpu.gif

    Where is it? I live in Swindon
  • lockstock666
    lockstock666 Posts: 131
    Outside Jury's Inn. It used to be a simple but busy roundabout that a cyclist could be though in 5 seconds, now its the extended one way system that forces cars down to halfords if coming from Station Rd. Forces cars up Princes St if coming from Halfords.

    Bikes can turn right at the junctions along with buses. But there is a lot of waiting for the lights and then a dash across two lanes of oncoming traffic or if I have to wait then I hold up the bus waiting to get in turn right lane and everyone behind him.

    I suppose it has reduced wait times for people leaving town and coming down princes st. But traffic from every other direction is forced to do a detour or go a different way altogether so it must have just moved the problem somewhere else.

    While I am on the subject WTF have they done to the roundabout by Pinehurst Rd/Beatrice St? What a bloody ugly mess. Much like the old college building that has been sat there for years.

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