Pete Owens wrote:Xbigman wrote:You are preaching to the converted I'm afraid.
Really - I posted showing how cycle lanes make conditions worse for cyclist - you claim to understand yet still advocate cycle lanes. I didn't think there was anyone left who supported painted cycle lanes. Even the government claimed it will no longer fund them.
The cycle lane on Scott way is perhaps 2 thirds of the width of the new lanes and I've been cut up on it a few times. The new lanes are quite wide enough for cyclists to be away from traffic
How wide exactly?
You need 2.25m to ensure there is enough space for cyclists to be clear of the kerb and for 1.5m passing distance.
and two cyclists can overtake each other in reasonable safety.
And you need 3.5m for that (basically the full width of a normal traffic lane).
The photo you showed was of a cycle lane that was too narrow. The point being that cars will pass too closely because they think you are safe in another lane, and I completely agree. There are lanes like that in Yate and I've suggested their removal as they make the situation worse.
Your argument (which I didn't completely appreciate until now) appears to be that showing a photo of a narrow cycle lane condemns all cycle lanes to the dustbin. This I think is simply wrong. The new cycle lanes on station road are decent width and reasonably thought out. Prior to there installation there were parking bays down much of the road with double yellow lines in places between the bays. Riding this road was a nightmare. As traffic speeded up cyclists tended to get pushed aside where there were no cars parked and then had to stop and rejoin the flow of traffic. The new layout is vastly superior and it has my full support.
The alternative was to take out the parking and make it a straight forward wide road. The problem being that with a free run it would likely lead to an increase in traffic speeds and the width of the road would mean cars squeezing past cyclists without going over the center line. Not a road I would like to ride on.
You also claim the government no longer funds this type of infrastructure. Well guess who paid for all this?
Darren