Cycle Paths

[Mrsctbt]

Can anyone tell me, why cycling uk is not promoting the compulsory use of cycle paths? I’m a cyclist and a driver and have just seen the new laws regarding close passing of cyclists. There is nothing more irritating than cyclists on a narrow road when there is a cycle path next to it. I believe there were campaigns for years to get them across the uk? It should be a legal requirement to use them where available!

[Hemipode]

My short answer would be that many are not fit for purpose!

[Mike Sales]

Can anyone tell me, why cycling uk is not promoting the compulsory use of cycle paths? I’m a cyclist and a driver and have just seen the new laws regarding close passing of cyclists. There is nothing more irritating than cyclists on a narrow road when there is a cycle path next to it. I believe there were campaigns for years to get them across the uk? It should be a legal requirement to use them where available!

Most cycle paths are worse and more dangerous than the road for cyclists. If they were compulsory there would be even less incentive for the highwaymen to build decent cycle facilities.
If they were any good we would use them.
Take a look at Warrington Cycle Campaign Facility of the Month. For years it has featured rubbish facilities.

[roubaixtuesday]

Can anyone tell me, why cycling uk is not promoting the compulsory use of cycle paths? I’m a cyclist and a driver and have just seen the new laws regarding close passing of cyclists. There is nothing more irritating than cyclists on a narrow road when there is a cycle path next to it. I believe there were campaigns for years to get them across the uk? It should be a legal requirement to use them where available!

Could I suggest you consider taking an anger management course?

[Richard Fairhurst]

Please do not feed the trolls.

[gaz]

Can anyone tell me, why cycling uk is not promoting the compulsory use of cycle paths?

Cycling UK is a charity, Cyclists' Touring Club Ltd. Its charitable objects define its purpose.

4. OBJECTS

The Objects of the Charity are to:

4.1 promote community participation in healthy recreation by promoting the amateur sport of cycling, cycle touring and associated amateur sports;

4.2 preserve and protect the health and safety of the public by encouraging and facilitating cycling and the safety of cyclists;

4.3 advance education by whatever means the trustees think fit, including the provision of cycling, training and educational activities related to cycling; and

4.4 promote the conservation and protection of the environment.

It is difficult for me to see promoting the compulsory use of cycle paths, regardless of their design, quality, and convenience as compatible with those objects. It would not take me long to find and post pictures of cycle paths with barriers that cannot be negotiated without getting off and even then only by the able-bodied, potholed tracks, glass ridden pavements and marked lanes full of parked cars. Cycling UK is not going to campaign to make their use compulsory.

It would also be something of a bizarre and retrograde step for Cycling UK to campaign for people who cycle to have less access to the road network than they currently do. Can you imagine the AA or RAC suggesting people driving motor vehicles should not use roads running parallel to a motorway?

If you would like more detail on this I'm sure you'll find it amongst Cycling UK's policy briefing documents.

I’m a cyclist and a driver and have just seen the new laws regarding close passing of cyclists.

Tell me more, what new laws are these? Some police forces are prosecuting people who drive under existing "due care" offences as a result of their having "close passed" a cyclist.

As a cyclist you shouldn't really feel relieved and as a driver you shouldn't be too worried, it's a tiny proportion of offences that are spotted, many of which result in "words of advice" rather than a FPN, driver training course or court prosecution.

There is nothing more irritating than cyclists on a narrow road when there is a cycle path next to it.

I can think of quite a few things that I find more irritating. People driving cars above the speed limit, people driving whilst on social media via their mobile phone, people driving who don't give a damn about my life when I'm riding a bike and pass too close whether there's a cycle path next to the road I'm on or not.

Come to think of it I find people who put the jam on a scone before the cream more irritating than cyclists on a narrow road when there is a cycle path next to it.

I believe there were campaigns for years to get them across the uk? It should be a legal requirement to use them where available!

Believe what you will, it won't get my vote. YMMV.

[drossall]

Apart from the ones that make cycling more dangerous, there are the ones that shoot off in random directions and dump you in some shopping centre or park that you've never seen before. This is true especially if you're not a local (and of course you've chosen to post this question in a forum for people who, compared to average, typically ride quite a lot further afield than their local areas).

At root, road law holds that roads are for people to travel along (doesn't put it quite that way, but that's the effect). What vehicle they use is secondary (within reason). Rules to exclude those who choose to use one or other type of vehicle are relatively rare. The assumption is that everyone will watch out for each other. Provision of a route specifically for one type of vehicle (e.g. a motorway) does not normally remove the right of users of those vehicles to use adjacent alternative routes.

The emergence of the satnav has been infuriating for some cyclists, who have found quiet rural roads (with no bike paths for miles) being used by satnav-guided motorists, in spite of the availability of alternative A-road routes that were previously quite satisfactory

[mercalia]

many cycle paths are built to pedestrian standards and thus bumpty bump to cycle on, very unpleasant and slow

[Oldjohnw]

If using something becomes compulsory the consequence is that not using becomes illegal.

Unfortunately, there are many reasons where it is wise not to use a cycle path. Pedestrians share the path, tree roots breaking up the surface, path disappears at an obstacle, and so on.

[gazza_d]

TO keep it in terms you may understand.

In exactly the same way that AA and RAC are not promoting the compulsory use of motorways at the expense of other roads.
Cyclepaths are not everywhere.You seem to be describing footways which are illegal to cycle on.
Where there are cyclepaths, they're usually shared with pedestrians and are often narrow, badly maintained and stop randomly

Oddly when I drive, I don;t get irritated by someone cycling on a road. Ever. It is their right to be there

I want to see a comprehensive network of high quality cycleways across the country but no sign of it happening soon.

Can anyone tell me, why cycling uk is not promoting the compulsory use of cycle paths? I’m a cyclist and a driver and have just seen the new laws regarding close passing of cyclists. There is nothing more irritating than cyclists on a narrow road when there is a cycle path next to it. I believe there were campaigns for years to get them across the uk? It should be a legal requirement to use them where available!

[Cyril Haearn]

Nothing more irritating than vehicles parked on cycle ways when there is plenty of space on the road, that does more than delay one a few seconds, cycling one has to hop off, can be very difficult
If the vehicle parks on the road it has the benefit of slowing the traffic a bit, that is good

Anyone agree with the op?

[Lance Dopestrong]

To answer the OP in one sentence...

Because most of them are *****.

I can't see why you feel their use should be compulsory. The nearest one is 10 miles from me, so I'd never get out the house. They're usually dreadful to ride on, and often inappropriately designed, unsafe in layout, badly (if at all) lit, and poorly maintained. And that's being generous to many of them.

Indeed, it's reckoned (depending on how one interprets the numbers) that you're more likely to be killed or seriously injured while riding on cycling specific infrastructure than the road itself here in the UK, so where's the compelling reason to use them? It is sad that you feel your convenience is more important than the safety of those you encounter.

If you don't like narrow roads with cyclists on them then you should do what you want cyclists to do, stick to specific roads only. Bicycles were here before cars, and they'll be here long after they're gone. Moreover, bicycle use isn't killing children with air pollution or heating the planet like cars are, so if any punitive or restrictive measures are applied to vehicles then cars get my vote and I say that as a cyclist, motorcyclist and car driver.

I am concerned about your fitness and suitability to even be behind the wheel if cyclists get you "irritated". Should you be piloting a large kinetic weapon if you have such poor emotional control while doing so? Seriously, if you're suffering emotional fluctuations of this nature by the mere act of encountering another road user you ought to see a counsellor before you either hurt someone or give yourself a coronary.

I do like your posting style. You must be the chap who joined the WWF forum and in his first post asked which pickaxe handle was best suited to seal clubbing - and doubtless you drive your car to get there too.

Anyone agree with the op?

[Gattonero]

Can anyone tell me, why cycling uk is not promoting the compulsory use of cycle paths? I’m a cyclist and a driver and have just seen the new laws regarding close passing of cyclists. There is nothing more irritating than cyclists on a narrow road when there is a cycle path next to it. I believe there were campaigns for years to get them across the uk? It should be a legal requirement to use them where available!

....because cycle lanes are not a silver bullet? Given that vehicles are allowed to park "when needs to" (with is widely open to personal interpretation) what does the poor cyclist has to do? Ride on a glass and debris littered narrow lane and move off when the usual van has been parked into, or having the option of not using such "privilege"?

[Cyril Haearn]

Please do not feed the trolls.

Not sure if troll is the right word, plenty of people who cycle and drive, or drive and cycle, do not think about traffic law as much as we do and just want to learn
..
A street near me is too wide, there are dotted* cycle lanes on the road plus cycle paths on the pavements. I always use the latter

* 'Lines may only be crossed if necessary'

[Richard Fairhurst]

Sure, but most of them don’t specially register on cycling forums to start arguments about it!