Cycle lane pit stops - why?

[Pauluk]

Long straight flat road, 30mph limit, no side roads. Why do the road planners see the need for some kind of pit stop thingy? The picture doesn't really do it justice. Its actually tighter than it looks, you have to slow right down to get through it. Anyone know why?

 

[xpc316e]

So that drivers who wish to overtake cyclists while giving them a wide berth have a purpose-built place to do it?

 

[Dragonwight]

Dunno but ill bet quite a few drivers will beep at you if you dont use it even though its not mandatory to.

 

[potsy]

Maybe the planner's ruler slipped while he was drawing it up?

 

[Ian Cooper]

Yet another retarded facility brought to you by the world's transportation engineers. Makes you wonder if they actually study engineering at all - they certainly can't spend much time around bicycles.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I wonder whether it's to prevent motorists ironing out the bend and running into the bike lane. Though diverting the bike lane to protect it with a bit of traffic furniture seems so bizarre it makes it seem plausible.

 

[ufkacbln]

Must get a video, but in Fareham they now have a cyclepath that goes across the entrance to a Tesco Hypermarket!

 

[gbb]

If thats meant to make cyclists safer, i'd argue it does exactly the opposite.
So you steer into the 'refuge'..whatever it is, then have to steer back out towards traffic coming from behind you...traffic that may not expect you to do that if they're view is impeded in any way.

It may be worth contacting the relevent authorities if you can argue it actually makes things more dangerous...i did so with a thin cycle lane in my area, they promptly re painted it wider.

 

[Pauluk]

Also, further back up the road, here is what must be one of the most narrow cycle lanes in the country (unless any of you know different). Its actually narrower than it looks since the yellow lines are quite thin. If you where to stay in this one you would be in serious risk of bumping your near side pedal on the curb.

 

[growingvegetables]

Another one too bloody narrow even to paint their bike symbol in.

 

[Ian Cooper]

I wonder whether it's to prevent motorists ironing out the bend and running into the bike lane. Though diverting the bike lane to protect it with a bit of traffic furniture seems so bizarre it makes it seem plausible.

It's a reasonable theory - probably the best rationalization for such a folly (though, judging by the photo, the problem is merely moved a few yards down the road). If that was the reason, the question becomes: why didn't they make the bike lane straight and create a proper median there? The obvious answer being money - they fixed the problem cheap and dirty rather than properly, and as usual when cycling stuff gets fixed cheap and dirty, the cyclist ends up with a tarmac-and-concrete abortion.

Can you imagine the uproar if they had done it the opposite way, so the cyclists got a straight road and motorists had to negotiate a sudden swerve?

Another one too bloody narrow even to paint their bike symbol in.

Aren't there any national standards for bike lane widths in the UK? Here in the US they're supposed to be at least 4ft wide, which tends to cut down nonsense like that.

 

[gaz]

At least it isn't as bad as the facilities put down in Martin Way. Thankfully they have now been removed

 

[growingvegetables]

Aren't there any national standards for bike lane widths in the UK?

Not sure if I dare post this - it is likely to reduce cc-ers in Britain to paroxysms of mirth, and render any further attempt at communication tonight utterly useless. But fwiw

The standard -

Cycle lanes should be 2 metres wide on busy roads, or where traffic is travelling in excess of 40 mph.

I can safely say I have NEVER, EVER, EVER seen a cycle lane 2 metres wide, not even in my dreams. . There is however a "common sense" relaxation in certain circumstances.

A minimum width of 1.5 metres may be generally acceptable on roads with a 30 mph limit.

Hmmm - there's precious few of those.

For cycle feeder lanes to advanced stop line arrangements, a minimum width of 1.2m may be acceptable

There's as many of these as there are unicorns.

In the public domain. Every bleeding cyclist in the country can read it. But not council road engineers. Moral - anybody thinking of establishing a partnership with a roads engineer is well advised to check the goods visually beforehand.

 

[Pauluk]

At least it isn't as bad as the facilities put down in Martin Way. Thankfully they have now been removed

Don't you just love the little give way lines on these cycle lanes, what were these complete prats thinking of when they did that. They should have been sacked.

A minimum width of 1.5 metres may be generally acceptable on roads with a 30 mph limit.

That's 59" in English. I've never seen a cycle lane that wide in my town.

 

[Peteaud]

That's not a pit stop.

this is :-