A4 London road, Bath.
A4 London road, Bath.
This has to be the most ridiculous cycle lane I have ever seen in all my miles of cycling. Today, whilst visiting friends we decided to take a short cycle from Castle Coombe to Bath. We decided to take what my friend calls the scenic route, which has some stunning views across the valley. As we got into Bath just passed the bypass, we cycled along the bus lane past all the traffic which I thought was very good. As we got to the end of the bus lane, you then re-enter traffic for 100yds and onto the path, which is half pedestrian and half cycle path. The cycle path then ends at the traffic lights and you rejoin the traffic, as you turn left to go across the bridge, there is a 20ft section of cycle lane. This is the most stupid cycle lane ever because, and this is no joke, the 20ft section of lane runs along the back of car parking spaces and as we rode along a car reversed out nearly taking us down. The driver was very apologetic and said she couldn't see us coming because of the other parked cars. The cycle lane then ends just at the start of the bridge, where the road narrows and there is no room for you to merge in with the traffic.
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Pompey Monkey
- Posts: 74
- Joined: 23 Sep 2013, 1:27pm
Re: A4 London road, Bath.
Pompey Monkey wrote:Not mine, but: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/pete.meg/wcc/facility-of-the-month/
The one on the A4 is the second most stupid then.-
AlaninWales
- Posts: 1626
- Joined: 26 Oct 2012, 1:47pm
Re: A4 London road, Bath.
Here's a lovely little cycle lane http://goo.gl/maps/aR84f. Note the speed limit - a separate cycle lane on such a road is highly useful.
Turn around to go in the direction the white van is travelling and see it (the cycle lane, not the van ) give way at the next side road, then become a 'shared use path' (aka 'pavement with a blue rondel' 
). At this point note that the cycle lane coming the other way is not on the pavement, but simply shows that cycles are expected to hug the gutter whilst overtaken by traffic (accelerating from 30mph to 50+) on the narrow bridge 
. Note how that on-road cycle lane then takes cyclists off the road as the traffic speed increases - sensible eh (apart from the sharp turn over a dropped kerb, which is just the sort of obstacle we need when being oivertaken by a truck in the rain, right? ). This lane then curves away from the road to approach it at right angles, giving the cyclist the opportunity to cross to the nice path on the other side, using an un-assisted crossing (two broken lines across the road) at just the point all the motorists are putting their collective pedals to the floor (and I don't mean brake pedals 
).
There are plenty of them out there
Turn around to go in the direction the white van is travelling and see it (the cycle lane, not the van
) give way at the next side road, then become a 'shared use path' (aka 'pavement with a blue rondel' ). At this point note that the cycle lane coming the other way is not on the pavement, but simply shows that cycles are expected to hug the gutter whilst overtaken by traffic (accelerating from 30mph to 50+) on the narrow bridge . Note how that on-road cycle lane then takes cyclists off the road as the traffic speed increases - sensible eh (apart from the sharp turn over a dropped kerb, which is just the sort of obstacle we need when being oivertaken by a truck in the rain, right? ). This lane then curves away from the road to approach it at right angles, giving the cyclist the opportunity to cross to the nice path on the other side, using an un-assisted crossing (two broken lines across the road) at just the point all the motorists are putting their collective pedals to the floor (and I don't mean brake pedals ).There are plenty of them out there
Re: A4 London road, Bath.
I sometimes commute into Bath this way, I use the road.