highway code boffins

Sharkyssurfers

i was cycling back home last night on the 118 and came to a set of traffic lights, stopped at the red, and whilst waiting noticed a sign next to it saying expect cycles, does this mean i don't have to stop and carry on :? :?:

Wunnunda

An official sign ?
Or someone taking the p1ss ?

cyclingprop

Sharkyssurfers wrote:

i was cycling back home last night on the 118 and came to a set of traffic lights, stopped at the red, and whilst waiting noticed a sign next to it saying expect cycles, does this mean i don't have to stop and carry on :? :?:

No, it means you should expect cycles.

Sharkyssurfers

cyclingprop wrote:

Sharkyssurfers wrote:

i was cycling back home last night on the 118 and came to a set of traffic lights, stopped at the red, and whilst waiting noticed a sign next to it saying expect cycles, does this mean i don't have to stop and carry on :? :?:

No, it means you should expect cycles.

Doh!! dodgy typing it was except cycles sorry, and yes was an official sign.

SteppenHerring

I've seen these occasionally. If you're going South down Pixham Lane in Dorking, where it meets the A25 it has No Right Turn/Except Cycles. Then there are the roads which are no entry/one way except bikes. Don't really like those - when drivers see you coming the other way they look at you like you're Ian Huntley.

bails87

Was it something like this:


ie: the "except cycles" applied to some restriction rather than the lights?

E.g, did the lights have a no left turn sign attached:

Sharkyssurfers

no it just had the lights and then next to it the except cycles sign where the no left turn on your picture is.

bails87

Hmm, I have no idea.

Is it at a T-junction, crossroads, ped crossing (I assume not)? Streetview?

Sharkyssurfers

this one http://goo.gl/maps/mErfN

wgwarburton

Sharkyssurfers wrote:

this one http://goo.gl/maps/mErfN

Hard to make out but that looks to me like "ahead only" "except cycles" because cycles are allowed to turn onto the bike-path thing at the lights...

Cheers,
W.

bails87

Yep, I'd go with that too, cars go straight on but bikes can turn left if they want. The "except cycles" applies to the arrow, not the lights.

kelsen

WGWarburton wrote:

Sharkyssurfers wrote:

this one http://goo.gl/maps/mErfN

Hard to make out but that looks to me like "ahead only" "except cycles" because cycles are allowed to turn onto the bike-path thing at the lights...

Cheers,
W.

That doesn't make sense. The bike path thing only goes straight on anyway, unless it means cyclists can turn left into Eccleston Crescent just before the lights. Another example of great street planning by the council.

bails87

Yeah, I assumed it meant bikes could turn left, into the road that's blocked by bollards.

veronese68

Could it be that cycles can turn right?

bails87

No (well yes, but so can everything else, as far as I can see), the lights further back, the ones that actually control traffic getting onto the junction don't have any arrows or restrictions.

But once you're on the junction the next set of lights you can see (the ones in the OP) have a 'straight ahead' arrow, to say "don't turn left into those bollards".

Likewise if you're coming from the road on the right, you have to turn right or left, you can't go straight on. So the set of lights on the far side of the junction if you were coming out of the retail park have a right turn arrow.

kelsen

Veronese68 wrote:

Could it be that cycles can turn right?

So can cars because there's another set of lights for turning light in the photo.

Not far off the mark though if we go with another theory. If you turn 180 degrees in the photo, you can see that any cyclist wishing to turn right as suggested above would have to move from the bike lane on the nearside towards the central reservation. So the sign means any cars on the nearside lanes have to proceed straight on, but a cyclist on the bike path is allowed to veer across 3 lanes of traffic in order to turn right into the retail park. Let the carnage commence!

davmaggs

The blue arrow is telling cars that they must go straight on. Bikes have an exception.

I'm not quite sure why it is there, but probably because cars U-turn when they miss the right turn and try and get into the retail park.

mtb-idle

another example proving that just because you fill the roads with more furniture than Ikea it doesnt make it any clearer for the users.

Wallace1492

On looking at the junction it is prety clear. Have to do a wee tour by google, but it is pretty clear. At the lights, it is ahead only for cars in the left hand lane, except for cyclists who can turn left through the bollards. It just looks a little askew as you do not see it all in context as you approach the junction, the camera does not make it look all that clear.

sketchley

I have a question. Can a taxi (hackney or private) cross the solid white line of mandatory cycle lane to stop and pick up or set down a passenger? Any different rules in London with red routes in relation this?

Ian.B

Sketchley wrote:

I have a question. Can a taxi (hackney or private) cross the solid white line of mandatory cycle lane to stop and pick up or set down a passenger? Any different rules in London with red routes in relation this?

I don't know! But similarly, here, can the car legally park there (or drive off) and can buses legally stop at the bus stop?
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ll=51.463205,0.282726&spn=0.000107,0.063601&t=m&z=14&layer=c&cbll=51.463135,0.282997&panoid=TZ4uf8AyTe2qRSo73xSuKw&cbp=12,31.7,,0,-17.61

Wallace1492

Ian.B wrote:

Sketchley wrote:

I have a question. Can a taxi (hackney or private) cross the solid white line of mandatory cycle lane to stop and pick up or set down a passenger? Any different rules in London with red routes in relation this?

I don't know! But similarly, here, can the car legally park there (or drive off) and can buses legally stop at the bus stop?
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ll=51.463205,0.282726&spn=0.000107,0.063601&t=m&z=14&layer=c&cbll=51.463135,0.282997&panoid=TZ4uf8AyTe2qRSo73xSuKw&cbp=12,31.7,,0,-17.61

It is my understanding that vehicles can cross cycle lanes in their normal course of business, but cannot and should not travel any distance in them. Therefore, bus and taxi's can do what they need to do.

stuj15

kelsen wrote:

The bike path thing only goes straight on anyway, unless it means cyclists can turn left into Eccleston Crescent just before the lights. Another example of great street planning by the council.

Exactly this.

I had a *ahem* discussion with another cyclist at this exact junction when he went storming through it one evening - narrowly missing a car coming from the right hand side. He started shouting and kicking out at the car after they stopped sharply when seeing him at the last minute. So I caught him up and set him straight, he still wouldn't have it though.

...no, it wasn't SS.

edit....heres the start the very noticeable cycle path :roll:

Sharkyssurfers

yeah i think you both might be right Stu and Kelson, looking at it again this morning the traffic turning right from the superstore has a right turn only but cycles can go straight on into eccy road.