Cycle lanes encourage motorists to drive closer to bikes...

[Wheeledweenie]

I remember driving behind a cyclist on my way to work and being surprised he wasn't using the (seperate) cycle lane next to the road.

......and that's what worries me.

Worries me too. A driver called out to be asking with swear words why I wasn't in the off-road cycle lane. When I explained that I was going over 18mph so it wasn't recommended I use it plus there was no safe way to rejoin the road because it was so badly designed he actually seemed impressed that I knew what I was talking about and shrugged before driving off.

The separate lanes near Ealing Common are rubbish but if they remain there drivers will continue to think they can verbally abuse cyclists fro not using them. They should just get rid.

 

[Origamist]

Paper available here:

The effect of cycle lanes on the proximity between motor traffic and cycle traffic.
​

John Parkin Ciaran Meyers

http://digitalcommons.bolton.ac.uk/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1006&context=ce_journalspr

 

[HJ]

A different take on the (OP) study:

View attachment 4362

From:

http://www.spokes.org.uk/modules.ph...e=index&req=viewdownload&cid=20&orderby=dateD

For some reason, Spokes are very keen on coloured cycle lanes, but I could easily take them out and show them several cycle lanes in Edinburgh which are down right dangerous. Well designed, properly implemented cycle lanes can have benefits for encouraging novices out onto the roads, but most of what we get is far from idea...

 

[gbb]

Having ridden (is that right ?) tonight on one of peterboroughs abundant cycle lanes...it occured to me that some cars do come very close, but they're not encroaching into the lane itself. It doesnt particually bother me, i can hold a straight line, but if you wobbled

Imposing a 20mph limit ? What good would it do in reality...i also noticed in the 30mph zone i was in, cars were passing at 40 / 50 plus mph. This was at 7.30pm when traffic is light. To be fair, traffic rarely gets up to 30 in the daytime simply because of the volume. Reduce the limit to 20mph...who's going to obey it if there's never anyone to police it ?

Most lanes here are about 1 to 1.5 metres wide. I've always said, the drivers in Peterborough seem to be pretty good, i've rarely had problems. Lets face it, if a car comes too close when you're in a cycle lane (remembering he hasnt encroached into it )...if there wasnt a seperate lane, he'd have probably come just as close anyway. At least with even a small lane, you have a visible zone that 99% of drivers wont enter.

One benefit often overlooked is that 90% of drivers in slow or stationary traffic dont enter the lane, leaving you free to pass safely on the inside.

In an ideal world things would be better, but i'm a realist.

 

[ron4322]

My route to work is along the Uxbridge Road and is pretty much all cycle and bus laned. The bus lanes feel safe (apart from the occasional scooter and motorcyclist) while a lot of the cycle lanes feel unsafe and force you to do bizarre things at junctions unless you're turning left. As a beginner I felt pressured to use them and it led to a lot of near misses.

Cars come far closer when you're in a cycle lane. They lose the ability to judge distance and 'as long as I'm not crossing the line into the lane I'm alright' seems to be the main thought. Some of the cycle lane is barely the width of my handlebars so actually, it's very dangerous.

I have recently been wondering about what would happen if a driver was to run into a cyclist who was in a narrow cycle lane. Could the local authority be sued for providing a cycle lane which was not up to the recommended standard? They would presumably need to have risk assessments in place to justify the sub-standard design to demonstrate that it was no less safe, or that any increase in danger was acceptable.

 

[hackbike 666]

Cycle lanes don't encourage motons to pass close to cyclists.Bad driving does.