Negotiating traffic calming width restrictions, any tips?

JackPozzi
JackPozzi Posts: 1,191
edited October 2013 in Road general
Any tips for ensuring you're seen at pinchpoints like in the link below?

http://goo.gl/maps/NM9vm

I use this road on a lot of my rides as it's the easiest way out of town and into the nicer local roads for riding so it's often my route out or back or both. It's a bit of a climb with 2 of these restrictions on one side and about 5 on the other. I often find that when I'm heading into one and I've travelling in the direction that has priority, cars travelling in the opposite direction ignore the fact that they're supposed to give way and just drive straight at me. S

Sometimes I put it down to the fact that they're twats, they've clearly seen me on the bike but drive through anyway but sometimes there's a situation where there's a queue of cars coming the other way, number 1 has time to get through and number 2 hasn't got a clear view because of the car in front of him but can see enough to see there's not a car coming so for it just as I'm entering the restriction. So I'm wondering where I should be positioning myself so that cars queueing behind another vehicle can see that I'm there? I generally work on the principle that if I can see the driver they can see me, but it's difficult to do here...

I've actually just put a complaint in to the council after nearly getting taken out this morning, when the restrictions were first installed they had cycle lanes down the inside so the pinchpoint could be avoided but these were removed after a couple of weeks and now there's just a thin drainage channel which can't be safely negotiated by bike, so I've asked if they can be reinstated but I won't hold my breath.

Comments

  • cattytown
    cattytown Posts: 647
    Following people through overtakes is commonplace. How often do you see car #1 reasonably pass a bus, but a car coming the other way have to stop for cars #2-7 who pull out without line of sight.

    Paul.
    Giant Defy 2
    Large bloke getting smaller :-)
  • unixnerd
    unixnerd Posts: 2,864
    I think that's a clear case or infrastructure that wasn't designed with any thought given to cyclists. You need to speak to councillors and the local media to try and highlight the problem, get side lanes put in for cyclists, wouldn't be hard to implement.
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  • Ben6899
    Ben6899 Posts: 9,686
    Can't you use some Cycle-Fu to manoeuvre down the channel between the island and the footway!?
    Ben

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  • ravenvrider
    ravenvrider Posts: 198
    On that particular one i would personally go on the pavement if there was any risk of oncoming traffic taking me out, i don't know if the other ones you mentioned were similar, if so i suspect that would be my answer to all until the council made them bike friendly.
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    The only thing I can suggest is you take primary early and get a good headlight so you're super visible.

    I hate that type of road restriction. It's horrible for drivers for cyclists. Everyone.
  • fatsmoker
    fatsmoker Posts: 585
    Those channe;l things get full of glass and other bits you don't want to be riding over
  • farrina
    farrina Posts: 360
    unixnerd wrote:
    I think that's a clear case or infrastructure that wasn't designed with any thought given to cyclists. You need to speak to councillors and the local media to try and highlight the problem, get side lanes put in for cyclists, wouldn't be hard to implement.

    If you are keen try here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-transport-notes

    The traffic calming one (LTN 1/07 Traffic Calming) specifies minimum widths etc for various measures). I believe you are looking for cycling bypasses at section 6.1.5

    The problem with these tends to be that inadequate maintenance results in them filling up with detritus and therefore be useless. My personal preference would be for no calming and then cars can give you a wider berth

    I am presently attempting to head off a proposal to install cushions in my area supposedly for the benefit of cyclists as an addition to existing measures that are not fit for purpose. Its hard work as most of the bods I have dealt with so far are IMHO "jobs worths" especially the Council's Cycling Officer who must spend all her time attending committee meetings and writing reports as she seems clueless as to real world cycling on the road.

    Good luck!

    Regards

    Alan
    Regards
    Alan
  • Sirius631
    Sirius631 Posts: 991
    Even if they don't have right of way, expect that oncoming cars will push their way through, despite you having taken primary position and it being your right of way. 4x4s are the worst for this.
    To err is human, but to make a real balls up takes a super computer.
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    I guess it's the assumption again that bicycles are narrow therefore that 4x4 and a bicycle can fit through any gap. And they are slow "I'll just nip through ahead of him"
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    take it wide, to reinforce the point, I might be tempted to indicate as well, some folks are clue resistant.
  • rpherts
    rpherts Posts: 207
    I think this sort of stuff is my number one bugbear about cycling. Also add in traffic islands, which are intended to stop cars overtaking in dangerous areas but in fact create choke points for cars to dangerously overtake cyclists instead.

    Hertfordshire CC (or the local highways agency) has gone further with a terrific wheeze for these bloody things on the A1081 NW of Harpenden. At each of these choke points they have painted a pathetic little green cycle lane about 18 inches wide, so giving the impression that it is in fact perfectly safe for cars to overtake at 40mph just a foot or so away from the cyclist, who is on THE MAGIC GREEN BIT and so of course perfectly safe.

    You wonder sometimes about the intelligence or motives of people when stuff like this appears.
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    I see what you mean http://goo.gl/maps/mkGyn very dangerous indeed, gives both cyclists and motorists the impression there is enough space for both here, when there clearly is not! Not to mention that the traffic island serves no purpose here.
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    I've got a couple of those islands on my ride to/from work - I just take primary early and stop anyone overtaking me.
    I even had one chap try to pass me straddling the double white line then had to suddenly brake because he hadn't seen the island! Duffus!
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    Take primary, take it slow early, aim to be going straight down the middle from maybe ten meters before the hazard.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • rpherts
    rpherts Posts: 207
    markhewitt1978 wrote:
    I see what you mean http://goo.gl/maps/mkGyn very dangerous indeed, gives both cyclists and motorists the impression there is enough space for both here, when there clearly is not! Not to mention that the traffic island serves no purpose here.

    Thank you, I couldn't work out how to post an exact link, so I relied on old-fashioned means...

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