Cycle Lane at Toucan Crossing

[BigAndyH]

Not sure if it is a standard design but close to my house in Bournemouth a new toucan crossing has just been installed (on Boundary Rd for anyone who knows the area).

The crossing has been built out into the carriage way, narrowing the lanes, and a cyclelane and ramp added.

Anyone cycling along the road 3ft out from the kerb now has the choice of either cycling up the ramp, straight across the pavement where any pedestrians waiting to cross will be standing, and back down onto the road on the other side, or pulling out into the flow of traffic to stay on the carriageway.

It has apparently been part funded by Sustrans and Cycle England, at a cost of £75,000, as an access route across Boundary Rd to the new outdoor velodrome.

To my mind it has certainly made cycling along Boundary Road more dangerous and I can't see any benefit over a normal crossing starting and ending at the existing road edge.

 

[HLaB]

The only real benefit it is for the folk crossing its shorter and hopefully the road narrowing will slow the traffic or encourage them to go a different route. The cyclist on Boundary Road (I don't know it) may benefit from this slowing/ calming of traffic but they don't benefit from the the new pinch point; hopefully the designer knew what they were doing.

 

[petec]

Actually it's quite a common design - there's one on Wimborne Road as you approach Cemetry Junction (by the Richard Language College). Its been there for quite a while with no issues. TBH though, the one on Boundry Lane is in a stupid place - it's positioned just after a pretty much blind hill / corner, AND with a ped foot bridge right next to it! Another waste of money from BBC (although I can't wait to try the velodrome on my roadie !).

 

[gaz]

If it's a toucan crossing then it is there to aid cyclists in crossing the junction (joining and leaving the road). Being able to ride up onto it and off the other side is just a 'bonus', depending on how you look at it.