Humber Bridge now open to cyclists & pedestrians

simonhill
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Re: Humber Bridge closed to cyclists & pedestrians indefinitely

Post by simonhill »

Maybe they have an epidemic of jumpers to go along with the pandemic and I sympathise with all concerned, but unfortunately these bans have a habit of becoming permanent. All too often the short term fix is "ban it", which then becomes the status quo.

I'm suffering a similar thing where I live (albeit less serious) ie banning drinking in public. Rather than cracking down on the rowdy few, they want to ban everyone. Pretty soon a quiet beer on a bench with my nephew will be illegal.
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mjr
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Re: Humber Bridge closed to cyclists & pedestrians indefinitely

Post by mjr »

Jdsk wrote: 4 Apr 2021, 9:08am
keyboardmonkey wrote: 4 Apr 2021, 8:59am To be fair I have some sympathy for the bridge board. Six people have jumped from the bridge in the past week or so. I hope this closure is a temporary measure, and I think this ban is the board's way of calling out for help from other authorities.
That's what I thought most likely: "Let's pause and think".
So turn one lane of the main into a walking and cycling lane with construction fences up both sides.

It is completely unacceptable to screw the lives of cycle commuters like that. It should be illegal to close it only to non motorists. How many livelihoods are they endangering? What is the effect on their mental health? Is there a cycle commuter on the board?

I believe people have driven onto the bridge, disembarked and jumped without the bridge being closed to cars indefinitely. Fences would help give time to reach them too.
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Mike Sales
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Re: Humber Bridge closed to cyclists & pedestrians indefinitely

Post by Mike Sales »

Is there something different about the Humber Bridge?
There are many other bridges from which people do or could jump. Only some have preventive fences.
There are cliff top roads from which people jump. Some of these suicides may be cyclists or even drivers.
Do all the bridges over the Thames in London which are available to cyclists and pedestrians have fences?

There are other suicide methods used, such as firearms. I have heard of people driving into trees. There would seem to be a wide field of prohibitions which could be justified on this basis.
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Cyril Haearn
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Re: Humber Bridge closed to cyclists & pedestrians indefinitely

Post by Cyril Haearn »

No, people jump from other bridges, but the media tries not to report too much
Interesting factoid: Chad Varah, who founded The Samaritans, lived nearby at Barton-on-Humber
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F70100
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Re: Humber Bridge closed to cyclists & pedestrians indefinitely

Post by F70100 »

The Dartford Crossing provides an on demand shuttle service for cyclists; surely that sets a precedent for at least a short term solution here.
uwidavid
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Re: Humber Bridge closed to cyclists & pedestrians indefinitely

Post by uwidavid »

Amazing it is 510ft up and occasionally people survive the jump. Here in Suffolk the best we can manage is the Orwell bridge which is 142 feet up (or down) it also has no suicide barriers; the motorist laybys have been close for many years but the foot and cycle lanes are still open (if a bit narrow).
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Re: Humber Bridge closed to cyclists & pedestrians indefinitely

Post by mjr »

uwidavid wrote: 4 Apr 2021, 5:42pm Amazing it is 510ft up and occasionally people survive the jump. Here in Suffolk the best we can manage is the Orwell bridge which is 142 feet up (or down) it also has no suicide barriers; the motorist laybys have been close for many years but the foot and cycle lanes are still open (if a bit narrow).
Have they been made cycleways officially now?
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uwidavid
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Re: Humber Bridge closed to cyclists & pedestrians indefinitely

Post by uwidavid »

I don't think so. The lane is very narrow (between a crash barrier and the concrete wall). I seems that they are also installing variable speed signs in the gap which isn't going to help.
oldtimer99
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Re: Humber Bridge closed to cyclists & pedestrians indefinitely

Post by oldtimer99 »

Stupid stupid. By all accounts they've coned off the cycle access. Won't stop potential incidents.
My regular long ride is from the North side and a 45 mile ride round the bridges...Boothferry, Keadby, Humber and a 25 mile trip home. So that's that gone.
Just don't understand the thinking behind this.
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Re: Humber Bridge closed to cyclists & pedestrians indefinitely

Post by Pete Owens »

keyboardmonkey wrote: 4 Apr 2021, 8:59am To be fair I have some sympathy for the bridge board. Six people have jumped from the bridge in the past week or so.
And did a single one of those involve a bicycle?

Surely a sign banning jumping off would be more to the point than a sign banning riding across.
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Re: Humber Bridge closed to cyclists & pedestrians indefinitely

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Doubtless one side of the bridge is periodically closed to motors, for maintenance. It could be used by walkers and cyclists, simples, plenty of space for two-way motor traffic on the other half
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Paulatic
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Re: Humber Bridge closed to cyclists & pedestrians indefinitely

Post by Paulatic »

Cyclists and pedestrians don’t pay a toll. You can imagine how much priority they will give them.
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thirdcrank
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Re: Humber Bridge closed to cyclists & pedestrians indefinitely

Post by thirdcrank »

It's not clear from the link in the OP that suicides caused this but I take it that others know this to be so.

My initial reaction was that if somebody wants to take their own life, then if one location like this is unavailable they'll go somewhere else or use another method, but on reflection, I'm not sure it's as simple as that. I've read somewhere - and this may be a load of psycho-garbage - that if some people sense danger eg through being at a great height, then they may experience an illogical urge to jump as a way of removing the danger. I know that over the years I've had some weird feelings on some bridges over water and not particularly high ones at that.
Jdsk
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Re: Humber Bridge closed to cyclists & pedestrians indefinitely

Post by Jdsk »

thirdcrank wrote: 4 Apr 2021, 9:36pmMy initial reaction was that if somebody wants to take their own life, then if one location like this is unavailable they'll go somewhere else or use another method, but on reflection, I'm not sure it's as simple as that.
Suicide is now usually thought to be opportunistic. If the immediate possibility isn't there another doesn't have to be taken. There isn't a fixed amount to be allotted somewhere and somehow.

This has led to eg small amounts of paracetamol in individual wrappers rather than many tablets or capsules in a container.

It comes directly into the economics of preventive measures on bridges. If they only displace suicides somewhere else they can't be worthwhile. But that doesn't seem to be how it works in practice.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_prevention

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Re: Humber Bridge closed to cyclists & pedestrians indefinitely

Post by Pete Owens »

mjr wrote: 4 Apr 2021, 6:25pm
uwidavid wrote: 4 Apr 2021, 5:42pm Amazing it is 510ft up and occasionally people survive the jump. Here in Suffolk the best we can manage is the Orwell bridge which is 142 feet up (or down) it also has no suicide barriers; the motorist laybys have been close for many years but the foot and cycle lanes are still open (if a bit narrow).
Have they been made cycleways officially now?
https://www.google.com/maps/@52.0269151 ... 384!8i8192
Doesn't look like it from this - I don't think that sign actually constitutes a legal prohibition from riding on the carriageway it is just an official looking suggestion.
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