Re-design of Cycle Lanes

Many of Bristol's cycle lanes are important additions to the streetscape, allowing cyclists to get in front of traffic at junctions and to avoid contact with vehicles on busy roads.

As is well known, these lanes are frequently blocked by cars and vans driving or parking in the lanes. Whilst this may be for a short time, this can cause severe inconvenience and danger as cyclists swerve into the main traffic lane to avoid such blockages.

In the current financial climate, a simple re-design of the exisiting lanes would act as a cost-efficient 'soft' measure to significantly deter motorists from entering the lane.

I propose the installation of rumble strips or 'french style ridges' as recently proposed by Transport for London - see page 13, 'the Mayors Vision for Cycling in London' in certain key cycle lanes.

As an example, the northbound cycle lane on Stokes Croft road allows cyclists to bypass a busy section, and the width has recently been increased to around 1.5 metres following a re-surfacing. However, it is frequently and indesriminately parked in by cars in the evenings, forcing cyclists to swerve in the main traffic lane and avoid hazards such as opening doors and people walking around the car.

However, care should be taken to ensure that the lanes subjected to rumble strips or similar are of sufficient width, as evidence shows that narrow lanes can impede cycle safety.

Why the contribution is important

Certain cycle lanes along key commutor routes provide clear incentives for cycling against driving, and offer safer filter lanes to improve safety at junctions.

Improving the safety of cycle lanes with soft measures, along with the reassurance that cycle lanes are less likely to be blocked, should encourage more cycling amongst a wider demographic, including the young and elderly whilst reducing journey times and inconvenice both for cyclist and motorists.

by user608137 on November 28, 2013 at 10:47PM

Current Rating

Average rating: 4.5
Based on: 28 votes

Comments

  • Posted by user251846 November 29, 2013 at 13:57

    An excellent idea. Whether all motorists will observe is another matter, but anything that helps to remind drivers to keep out of cycle lanes can only be a good thing.

  • Posted by user827475 December 03, 2013 at 09:59

    I've seen these in Barcelona and they're absolutely brilliant. I thought of them as small raised chevrons. They're about the size of a coffee mug and are angled such that an encroaching vehicle (veering left) would be steered back into the flow of traffic.

    They're actually made from the melted and re-formed plastics you put out in your weekly recycling.

  • Posted by user110795 December 03, 2013 at 21:23

    Clever idea, and appears relatively low cost. I am both a cyclist (to work daily) and motorist, so can appreciate the way this would work effectively.

  • Posted by user136056 December 03, 2013 at 21:28

    The best ideas are often the simplest, and this seems like one of those. It would certainly "remind" me to keep out of cycle lanes.

  • Posted by user412750 December 19, 2013 at 22:07

    YES PLEASE!!

    And can we also have Boris's "Crossrail for the Bike" (follow the link to the Mayor's vision in the submission above).

    And can I please give this submission ten stars?

  • Posted by user360750 January 06, 2014 at 11:30

    I'd like to see cycle lanes upgraded from a dotted line ("advisory" lane) to a solid line ("mandatory" lane), which gives them some legal meaning. Motorists are free to park or drive in cycle lanes which only have a dotted white line: making it solid would make it an offence, except in specific circumstances. See http://ukcyclerules.com/[…]/ for more info about Mandatory vs Advisory lanes.

    If this upgrade could be done with rumble strips too, so much the better. Especially when a cycle lane goes round a left bend, e.g. outbound at the start of Baldwin St, where cars often cut the corner into the lane.

  • Posted by user553346 January 14, 2014 at 17:01

    An example of a cycle lane in Barcelona can be seen here www.flickr.com/photos/spag85/5199096962/lightbox

  • Posted by user834664 January 17, 2014 at 18:44

    Very neat! I like this.
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