Not clear re crossing a junction
BigLights
Posts: 464
Hello all,
I wonder if I could have a quick sanity check, please, as I may be missing an obvious thing here. There is a not entirely clear T junction at the end of Spencer Park, at Battersea Rise in London if any of you know it. There is a dedicated cycle lane to cut through straight across from Spencer Park (across a pavement). The traffic lights are normal sequence - ie cars 1 road, cars the other, pedestrian green, and around we go again.
The thing is, the pedestrian green man also has a green bike which lights up. Given there are no other cycle paths on all 3 directions approaching by road, and you cannot ride on the pavement, I have always assumed that this means that it is GREEN for Cyclists, with permission to run a car's red light and cross the pedestrian crossing. I had a, erm, discussion with a keen anti RLJ cyclist this morning, who I happened to agree with, who boo'd me for RLJing (again, fair enough if I was RLJ'ing) and was in lecture mode, but wouldn't concede that the green bike light meant I had not, in fact, RLJ'd.
unfortunately Streetview isn't a great shot, but it's here:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=spencer+ ... 3,,0,19.57
You can see the two circles in the pedestrian lights - one is a green man, one is a green bike, both come on simultanously across all 3 crossings (ie, all traffic is stopped).
So....am I reading this wrong or what? I appreciate it's an unusual setup.
Much obliged.
I wonder if I could have a quick sanity check, please, as I may be missing an obvious thing here. There is a not entirely clear T junction at the end of Spencer Park, at Battersea Rise in London if any of you know it. There is a dedicated cycle lane to cut through straight across from Spencer Park (across a pavement). The traffic lights are normal sequence - ie cars 1 road, cars the other, pedestrian green, and around we go again.
The thing is, the pedestrian green man also has a green bike which lights up. Given there are no other cycle paths on all 3 directions approaching by road, and you cannot ride on the pavement, I have always assumed that this means that it is GREEN for Cyclists, with permission to run a car's red light and cross the pedestrian crossing. I had a, erm, discussion with a keen anti RLJ cyclist this morning, who I happened to agree with, who boo'd me for RLJing (again, fair enough if I was RLJ'ing) and was in lecture mode, but wouldn't concede that the green bike light meant I had not, in fact, RLJ'd.
unfortunately Streetview isn't a great shot, but it's here:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=spencer+ ... 3,,0,19.57
You can see the two circles in the pedestrian lights - one is a green man, one is a green bike, both come on simultanously across all 3 crossings (ie, all traffic is stopped).
So....am I reading this wrong or what? I appreciate it's an unusual setup.
Much obliged.
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Comments
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Looks to me that it's all marked up as a cycle path - and pelican crossings with an attached green light for bicycles is technically a "Toucan" crossing - the highway code helpfully reminding one that "Two can cross at a Toucan crossing"
From all of that, I'd say if you were using the crossing as marked, between the studs, on green, then you're fine.Cannondale Synapse 105, Giant Defy 3, Giant Omnium, Giant Trance X2, EMC R1.0, Ridgeback Platinum, On One Il Pompino...0 -
Ah yeah, sorry, the unclear part is that a cyclist crosses at 90 degree to the pedestrian, not on the same vector.0
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At the location you have pasted the URL for, there's a sign suggesting you can cycle on the footway on east side of Spencer Park.
On the west side of Spencer Park I don't understand why there is an ASL and a cycle lane along the footway. If you can get into that cycle lane, you can get to either of the toucan crossing and ride across them between the markings.
I don't think you are supposed to use toucan crossings to jump red lights though i.e. you should cross from cycle lane to cycle lane, not from a cycle lane and onto the road where other traffic is being stopped by the red light. Can't quote a reference for that though and I might be wrong.
I think the RLJaphobic is being a bit pedantic in this case.0 -
Ah right, then yes, sounds like technically you may have been in the wrong - the lights are intended for cyclists to use to get across the road from path to path, not to continue along the road.
Having said all that, I don't think anyone's really going to string you up for it - if plod sees you doing it he might have a word I guess??Cannondale Synapse 105, Giant Defy 3, Giant Omnium, Giant Trance X2, EMC R1.0, Ridgeback Platinum, On One Il Pompino...0 -
I'll have a very close look tonight on the way home - I'm not a pedant, but equally i'm not an RLJ'er and this morning was just a disagreement between the two of us as we basically held differing beliefs. I'll maybe take some scintillating pictures to post for your enjoyment....0
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if your on the carriageway you must obey the traffic signals - your RLJ if not.
the footways are signed as "shared access" and thus are rideable - the Toucan crossing here links to the toucan crossing the other approach - guessing shared access the other side as well.
Also noted a cyclist egress off the carriageway onto the shared access area so you'd be in your rights to use that.
for what its worth I'm a signal highways engineer0 -
Having had a good look, for the first time, this morning, I rather fear you are right. There is a 'shared cycle path' on the west side of the Battersea Rise crossing, so I can see that being valid. Equally the East side. How the cycle crossing across Spencer Park is supposed to work I don't know, but hey - I learned something today. Thanks!0
