Wider roadside cycle lanes and "Hazard" stripes on turnoffs

Jagaroth

Hi,







I hate to start my first post with a campaign but today I was run over.

Whilst the driver has admitted responsibility and will pay for any damage I do not think he is entirely to blame. The car after him was partially blocking the cycle lane un-sighting both of us, the traffic was slow moving (less than 5mph) and in a clear lane, slightly downhill I would have been doing quite a bit more (around 25).

However with better cycle lane width and improved markings for turnoffs/drives etc I believe this wouldn't have happened (the average size around here is 2ft6).

So a very simple thing I would like us to campaign for is wider roadside cycle lanes (especially on flat/downhill sections) where at rush hours cyclists will be traveling far faster than cars.

Thanks for your time.

Pross

Where do you suggest the additional width is taken from? Do we make the footway narrower and move the kerb over or the traffic lanes narrower in which case the vehicle will end up encroaching more into the cycle lane than it was in your scenario. There's a finite space on our roads so any retrofitting of cycle lanes can only use what is available. If your cycle lanes are 750mm (2 ' 6") it suggests road space is at a premium as I would consider that an absolute minimum or even too narrow to even bother providing one given that any road gillies will take up 600mm of the lane. The TfL guidance recommends 1.5m as a minimum and preferably 2.0m but there is no national design guide. In effect you were filtering down a narrow gap on the inside at 25mph, do you really think that is a safe way to ride in traffic? I'm not sure that providing wider lanes so cyclists can go that fast up the inside of traffic is really something worth campaigning for to be honest!

Jagaroth

I do take your points, however in this place there is plenty of room. At many places there are filter lanes and at one point a combined bus and cycle lane (in the other direction) so at this point there is enough space for three cars side by side and 2 cycle lanes of at least 2.5 and probably 3 meters without problem. Safe cycling could be implemented at close to zero cost. When cars are offered a wide single lane they then to spread out but given a single defined lane stay within it.

When I posted it was just after the accident. I could only type with one hand as was probably in shock. Looking at my trip computer I didn't go above 18mph (perhaps I am too prepared to admit personal responsibility). However there are far too many accidents involving cyclists and side roads/driveways etc. Many riders are going slower and end up more injured than I was.

However the local council have an appalling record where cycling is concerned, when the tour de France covered this road not only did they refuse to repair the road they prevented local cyclists from chalking marks around the worst pot holes since it would attract attention to the poor condition of the surface. Also the drains are still along the length of the road (and the holes wide enough for a road bike to fall into).

Now I don't think I (or our collective force) can convince a local council (that have been censured by county for its lack of cycle ways) to provide full cycling provision overnight but a bit of road painting is I think is a realistic start. After all how much does it cost to move the cycle line and paint cross hatching (similar to box junctions) where a cycle lane crosses a side road/junction rather than ending and restarting the lane abrupty.