What's the purpose of advisory cycle lanes?

ojw
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Re: What's the purpose of advisory cycle lanes?

Post by ojw »

anothereye wrote:The Institute of Advanced Motorists book advises that we ignore them and ride in the same position that we would do if the lanes were not there.


Doesn't that lead to accusations that you're "changing lanes" every time the safe cycling line veers in and out of the green tarmac? (along with an expectation that you then have to give-way to everyone overtaking you in "their lane")
glueman
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Re: What's the purpose of advisory cycle lanes?

Post by glueman »

Solid lines of road paint are little better than ice when wet. Brake or steer on them at your peril.
blackbike
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Re: What's the purpose of advisory cycle lanes?

Post by blackbike »

Rather than encouraging cyclists to ride in the gutter as suggested above, I think some cycle lanes encourage cyclists to ride well away from the kerb. The lanes in my part of Manchester are usually painted in thick green sludge which is slopped on in lengths of about a yard at a time with a large ridge at the end of every slop. The resulting surface is so bumpy that I wouldn't dream of riding in it even if it was free of parked cars, which it rarely is.
Nutsey
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Re: What's the purpose of advisory cycle lanes?

Post by Nutsey »

blackbike wrote:Rather than encouraging cyclists to ride in the gutter as suggested above, I think some cycle lanes encourage cyclists to ride well away from the kerb. The lanes in my part of Manchester are usually painted in thick green sludge which is slopped on in lengths of about a yard at a time with a large ridge at the end of every slop. The resulting surface is so bumpy that I wouldn't dream of riding in it even if it was free of parked cars, which it rarely is.


Or southbound on the A6 where the cycle lane is a mix of greensludge-paint and potholes - but the regular lanes are smooth new tarmac!
Flinders
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Re: What's the purpose of advisory cycle lanes?

Post by Flinders »

Purpose?
1)To meet targets and look good in rankings without actually doing anything to inconvenience cars, and
2) To give drives something else to be aggressive to cyclists about, i.e. 'you should be in the (car/glass/pothole infested) cycle lane'
Fatou
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Re: What's the purpose of advisory cycle lanes?

Post by Fatou »

ASL for cars at junctions
As good as Lance.
Greg
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Re: What's the purpose of advisory cycle lanes?

Post by Greg »

byegad wrote:
PW wrote:It's there to reduce the perceived road width. In other words it is traffic calming for motons, the label is a con. - That came from a highwayman at a council meeting 10 or more years ago. :evil:


Makes sense, but by labelling them they raise expectations in drivers. The A167 near my home has solid lines 1.5m in from the road edge. It used to be a three lane road with the suicide head on overtaking lane i the middle. I regularly use the lined off edge as a cycle lane but as it isn't marked as such I could use the carriage way instead.

You could use the carriageway anyway. Mandatory cycle lanes do not mandate that cyclists use them, you have right to use any part of the road that you please. The mandatory bit is that motorists must stay out of the lane or they are committing an offence akin to parking on a double yellow line.
thirdcrank
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Re: What's the purpose of advisory cycle lanes?

Post by thirdcrank »

Greg wrote:...You could use the carriageway anyway. Mandatory cycle lanes do not mandate that cyclists use them, you have right to use any part of the road that you please. The mandatory bit is that motorists must stay out of the lane or they are committing an offence akin to parking on a double yellow line.


Unfortunately, the advice of the Highway Code, introduced to rave reviews from the CTC says

63
Cycle Lanes. These are marked by a white line (which may be broken) along the carriageway (see Rule 140). Keep within the lane when practicable. When leaving a cycle lane check before pulling out that it is safe to do so and signal your intention clearly to other road users. Use of cycle lanes is not compulsory and will depend on your experience and skills, but they can make your journey safer.


Although it's only advice, it's backed by the authority of the HC (see the introduction: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTr ... /DG_070236 )

As others have mentioned, riding outside a cycle lane can cause unnecessary grief from drivers (it's still something I for one can do without even if I know I'm in the right.) A few years ago now, I was 'disciplined' by a lorry driver for not riding behind a white which was actually an 'edge of carriageway' marking. It's not much help knowing you are in the right in those circumstances.
Greg
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Re: What's the purpose of advisory cycle lanes?

Post by Greg »

PW seemed to be under the impression that had the solid white line marked a mandatory cycle lane, he would have needed to ride in it. As you have so helpfully quoted,

thirdcrank wrote:
63
Use of cycle lanes is not compulsory and will depend on your experience and skills


You'll remember, of course, that that clause was hard-fought when the highway code was revised. I wrote at length to my MP, as did you for all I know. It's there now, so let's celebrate it!

As for the idiotic motorists who try to teach us lessons and who are factually wrong as well as generally thick and arrogant, I have far too many good ideas about what to do with the.
1)Overtake them at lights, then start practicing trackstands
2)Remove their licenses
3)Sit them in a very boring lecture about the rights of cyclists, that goes on for hours and hours and hours
4)Forbid them from reproducing
5) Get handy on their wing mirrors
6)Fit machine guns to my handlebars
7)...something even less likely than the rest.
PW
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Re: What's the purpose of advisory cycle lanes?

Post by PW »

Sorry Greg - wrong person. I said nothing of the sort. As for removing wing mirrors, I had 4 last year, none necessary so far in 2010.
If at first you don't succeed - cheat!!
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anothereye
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Re: What's the purpose of advisory cycle lanes?

Post by anothereye »

ojw wrote:
anothereye wrote:The Institute of Advanced Motorists book advises that we ignore them and ride in the same position that we would do if the lanes were not there.
Doesn't that lead to accusations that you're "changing lanes" every time the safe cycling line veers in and out of the green tarmac? (along with an expectation that you then have to give-way to everyone overtaking you in "their lane")
p72: Cycle Lanes:
".... motorists often pass cyclists closer and faster where there is a cycle lane than where there isn't....
.... using a cycle lane to bypass queuing traffic is just a form of filtering next to the curb, which is the most dangerous place to filter.
... Position yourself as if the lane is not there, but be careful when moving out of a lane".
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Greg
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Re: What's the purpose of advisory cycle lanes?

Post by Greg »

PW wrote:Sorry Greg - wrong person. I said nothing of the sort. As for removing wing mirrors, I had 4 last year, none necessary so far in 2010.

Sorry, you're right, I meant byegad.
Richard Mann
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Re: What's the purpose of advisory cycle lanes?

Post by Richard Mann »

Advisory cycle lanes across side roads reduce accidents by reminding drivers of the potential presence of cyclists.

Advisory cycle lanes between side roads give a sense of security (largely unfounded) to nervous cyclists, which encourages them to cycle more. It probably leads to motorists passing marginally closer, but there doesn't appear to be much safety impact of that.

Advisory cycle lanes can be used to mark cycle lanes alongside parking. There should be a (min) 0.5m buffer zone between the parking bay and the cycle lane.

Of course they should be accompanied by appropriate parking control.

The main virtue of advisory lanes is that the signs regs are much less prescriptive. If you actually follow the signs regs, you need a veritable forest of signs for mandatory lanes.

Richard
Greg
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Re: What's the purpose of advisory cycle lanes?

Post by Greg »

Richard Mann wrote:Advisory cycle lanes across side roads reduce accidents by reminding drivers of the potential presence of cyclists.

Do you have any stats for that?

Advisory cycle lanes between side roads give a sense of security (largely unfounded) to nervous cyclists, which encourages them to cycle more.

It only encourages anyone at the expense of persuading people they are only safe riding in cycle lanes. I know people who won't ride on normal roads, the cycle lanes have persuaded them that roads without lanes aren't safe. To me, that represents several steps backwards.

Advisory cycle lanes can be used to mark cycle lanes alongside parking. There should be a (min) 0.5m buffer zone between the parking bay and the cycle lane.

That's the other thing about bike lanes, they encourage bad, dangerous road positioning. When passing parked cars, turning right or whatever, your maneuver should dictate your road position, not the bike lane. Lanes encourage people to ride in the gutter, see threads about this passim.

Bike lanes make cyclists scared of roads, they encourage cyclists to ride dangerously and worst of all they restrict my ability to ride safely. Only the other day I had a taxi driver beep, rev and shout at me because I wasn't in the bike lane. I honestly wish that all these lanes were all scrubbed off the roads right now.
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anothereye
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Re: What's the purpose of advisory cycle lanes?

Post by anothereye »

Greg wrote: I honestly wish that all these lanes were all scrubbed off the roads right now.
Yes, unless they're 2 metres wide.
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