cycle lanes.... what's the point???
Discussion
I live near Kelvingrove park in Glasgow. For over a year, and on an ongoing basis, the Council have been narrowing the surrounding roads, installing cycle lanes with raised kerbs, dedicated traffic lights for cycles and refuge areas at the front of junctions for cycles at main junctions.
So can anyone on the planet tell me why cyclists are almost exclusively to be found either on the pavement or on the now narrowed traffic lanes........ But not in the cycle lanes
How much does this infuriated me!!!!! Am I alone in my frustration ??
So can anyone on the planet tell me why cyclists are almost exclusively to be found either on the pavement or on the now narrowed traffic lanes........ But not in the cycle lanes
How much does this infuriated me!!!!! Am I alone in my frustration ??As a cyclist my observation is that the serious road cyclists will not use cycle lanes, usually too much stop/start involved with them. They prefer to keep up with the flow of the traffic.
However the occasional cyclist is more likely to use them.
Remember one of the reasons a cyclist will choose that mode of traffic, especially in the rush hour, is to make good progress compared to cars.
However the occasional cyclist is more likely to use them.
Remember one of the reasons a cyclist will choose that mode of traffic, especially in the rush hour, is to make good progress compared to cars.
I totally agree that the lack of flow in the cycle lane planning is a major oversight. Just who plans these things, have they ever ridden a cycle even? I seriously doubt it!
As an experiment I cycled from the West end to Bowling on Saturday and then on Sunday travelled in the opposite direction to Cambuslang using dedicated cycle routes.
The purpose-built, new lanes through the city are such a chore to use.
Almost every intersection forces you you swap to the other side of the road and then back again with no apparent reason other than to test your patience.
Seems like a gigantic waste of time and money installing a cross town route that is never going to be used in any serious manner. ..... On the other hand we could have opted for a tram!!!! Now that would have been really crazy!
As an experiment I cycled from the West end to Bowling on Saturday and then on Sunday travelled in the opposite direction to Cambuslang using dedicated cycle routes.
The purpose-built, new lanes through the city are such a chore to use.
Almost every intersection forces you you swap to the other side of the road and then back again with no apparent reason other than to test your patience.
Seems like a gigantic waste of time and money installing a cross town route that is never going to be used in any serious manner. ..... On the other hand we could have opted for a tram!!!! Now that would have been really crazy!
I cycled into Glasgow on London Road this morning.
They have removed one lane from the police station onwards and made this a dedicated cycle lane and have bollards at the beginning of it to limit traffic to cycles only.
Unfortunately council left hand and right hand are not communicating. This area has always been partial to flooding and true enough, if you want to use the cycle lane, you would need to cycle through a huge puddle, probably several inches deep but, as with all puddles, you do not know if they are hiding a pothole, missing drainer cover etc.
So it was the road for me rather than the cycle lane.
They have removed one lane from the police station onwards and made this a dedicated cycle lane and have bollards at the beginning of it to limit traffic to cycles only.
Unfortunately council left hand and right hand are not communicating. This area has always been partial to flooding and true enough, if you want to use the cycle lane, you would need to cycle through a huge puddle, probably several inches deep but, as with all puddles, you do not know if they are hiding a pothole, missing drainer cover etc.
So it was the road for me rather than the cycle lane.
KB_S1 said:
Unfortunately 90% of cycle lanes are unusable.
If they could provide separated routes, great, otherwise just leave the roads alone and it would work much better.
Completely agree. The design of cycle lanes in the UK/Scotland is completely half-arsed. The ones painted onto existing roads are possibly the most dangerous as many drivers don't allow any extra space to pass you: far safer to sit just on the line separating the bike lane from the road IME (at the narrowest bits).If they could provide separated routes, great, otherwise just leave the roads alone and it would work much better.
I'm just back from another holiday around Germany and France and am always amazed at the cycle provision over there, Germany particularly.
as a cyclist as well.not a greenie. i like the bike-keeps the fat down.. but why do you lot cycle 4 abreast on country roads in a convoy of 20-30 bikes.fecin the whole system.. please look out.. its not me with 300 horse power that will make an overtaking move..it will be the inexperienced idiot that will try with tragic consequences.
Jazzerd said:
Would be great if a serious effort could be made on these. I've taken up cycling to work 2/3 times a week and I have to say I hate buses more now than I ever did as a motorist. Being in a separate lane would be fantastic.
It's not just the separate lanes though, out in the countryside the cycle lanes are not even "near" the roads, it's brilliant!!!Lawsome, I think you are onto something there!
If we can get pedestrians to walk in the cycle lanes it means the cyclists can have all of the pavements to ride on. ( how wild does it make me when cyclists with flashing lights and cycle helmets etc troll along the pavement).
Maybe, just maybe it will all start to make sense.
If we can get pedestrians to walk in the cycle lanes it means the cyclists can have all of the pavements to ride on. ( how wild does it make me when cyclists with flashing lights and cycle helmets etc troll along the pavement).
Maybe, just maybe it will all start to make sense.
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