The more I read about Britain these days and how poorly run everything is and recognising it will never improve, I do think it is time for Britain to be abandoned as being of little to no use.
Cycle paths adjacent to main roads
- Thread starter travellingwest
- Start date
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The more I read about Britain these days and how poorly run everything is and recognising it will never improve, I do think it is time for Britain to be abandoned as being of little to no use.
Alex321
Guru
- Location
- South Wales
Perhaps you should come here some time.
You will find it is nowhere near as negative as many try to portray it.
steverob
Guru
- Location
- Buckinghamshire
Sometimes even when councils seem to get it right, they still manage to shoot themselves in the foot. Point in case, not more than half a mile from my doorstep.
My hometown is in the process of having a relief road around built around it - they've been talking about a bypass since the 90's, but I think by calling it a relief road instead, they know they can get the companies who want to put houses everywhere to pay for it and only make it one lane each way with a 40mph limit - bargain! As part of this they have changed all the signs to route the "main road" into town (the A418) down whatever has been built of it so far rather than through the village of Bierton where it used to go.
But of course everyone's sat nav still tells them that the A418 still goes through the village, so the traffic remained. Therefore they put in traffic calming, mainly the type where islands narrow the road down to one lane and you have priority in your direction at the first one, in the other direction at the next, etc. to try and persuade car drivers to pick the "correct" route.
And to their credit they have put in some decent on-road cycle infrastructure at the same time. Some of it is semi-protected dedicated lanes (see photo 1) and even the bits that are not, there is a bike escape lane at each island pinch point, even when it's on the side of the road where you'd have priority anyway (see photo 2).
Not too bad so far!
And then they go and spoil it.
At the final island on your way back into town, they have built it with an escape lane as per the other ones, but for reasons unknown, they've blocked it with a wooden post and instead pointed bikes to go on the old shared cyclepath for 100 yards until you reach the roundabout. Even though you've just been cycling quite happily on the road for the past 1½ miles.
I cannot fathom the reason for the post - surely if they didn't want cyclists to use this bit of the road, they'd have made the island reach all the way to the kerb? I also note that someone (not me!) did vandalise this post, at which point the council came out and stuck a traffic cone over the remnants of it before a week or so later had it replaced.
My hometown is in the process of having a relief road around built around it - they've been talking about a bypass since the 90's, but I think by calling it a relief road instead, they know they can get the companies who want to put houses everywhere to pay for it and only make it one lane each way with a 40mph limit - bargain! As part of this they have changed all the signs to route the "main road" into town (the A418) down whatever has been built of it so far rather than through the village of Bierton where it used to go.
But of course everyone's sat nav still tells them that the A418 still goes through the village, so the traffic remained. Therefore they put in traffic calming, mainly the type where islands narrow the road down to one lane and you have priority in your direction at the first one, in the other direction at the next, etc. to try and persuade car drivers to pick the "correct" route.
And to their credit they have put in some decent on-road cycle infrastructure at the same time. Some of it is semi-protected dedicated lanes (see photo 1) and even the bits that are not, there is a bike escape lane at each island pinch point, even when it's on the side of the road where you'd have priority anyway (see photo 2).
Not too bad so far!
And then they go and spoil it.
At the final island on your way back into town, they have built it with an escape lane as per the other ones, but for reasons unknown, they've blocked it with a wooden post and instead pointed bikes to go on the old shared cyclepath for 100 yards until you reach the roundabout. Even though you've just been cycling quite happily on the road for the past 1½ miles.
I cannot fathom the reason for the post - surely if they didn't want cyclists to use this bit of the road, they'd have made the island reach all the way to the kerb? I also note that someone (not me!) did vandalise this post, at which point the council came out and stuck a traffic cone over the remnants of it before a week or so later had it replaced.
Crikey!
matticus
Guru
Fell free to stay away !!!
The reality is that although we're well behind NED/DEN etc in cycling, things are improving - arguably very fast if you live in the right places.
1970s Netherlands was not a role-model for transportation strategy. You have to start somewhere!
Alex321
Guru
- Location
- South Wales
Possibly the contractors just built the island the same way they had done all the others, when the council didn't intend that?
And the easiest/cheapest "solution" was the post.
Second picture: How on earth can that 'cycle lane' even be considered adequate? What is it, about 2'6" and no protection from traffic. And why bother painting the little - now - almost worn out bike sign on the road? It is utterly stupid! No one in their right mind would ever consider this a sensible solution for cycle travel.
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
Over 30 miles of them, all connected up, all segregated, all 2 metres wide or so.
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lazybloke
Chocolate eclairs: the peak of human endeavour
- Location
- Leafy Surrey
Yes, it's my pet hate when people call A roads motorways; shoot me now.
Unless it has an (M) suffix obvs!
I do cycle on large A roads occasionally, but OMG not the A3, absolutely not.
Well, maybe in the middle of the night.
ebikeerwidnes
Guru
- Location
- Widnes
Send them a message and ask them
You might not get an answer
but then again you might - there is normally a reason for these things - even if is is a "well we have this as a default and it wasn;t overridden" sort fo thing
as far as replacing it is concerned - if it is not flat and not full height then it was probablya trip hazard or something
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
Was in Chesterfield at weekend. Wanted to go to a Tesco other side of a dual carriageway. It took 15 mins walking, using what cycle track existed, but no direct route to get there. Nor any signage. Estimated if you drove you would travel half the distance. With a direct shared use track it would be about 5 mins or so to walk there. To be used they need to be just as convenient and connected up as using the road, with benefit of no motor vehicles.
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ebikeerwidnes
Guru
- Location
- Widnes
I do wonder about MerseySide City Region sometimes
Halton - which is part of it - although sometimes I think they forget about us
and we do have a proper Cycling Ambassador
Simon O'Brian
but he never seems to do much except turn up when something open with a cytcle path near it
and yet in the Far East - AKA Manchester (it is pretty far down the East Lancs Road) - they had one and that bloke was being mentioned as the next PM a few weeks ago
Halton - which is part of it - although sometimes I think they forget about us
and we do have a proper Cycling Ambassador
Simon O'Brian
but he never seems to do much except turn up when something open with a cytcle path near it
and yet in the Far East - AKA Manchester (it is pretty far down the East Lancs Road) - they had one and that bloke was being mentioned as the next PM a few weeks ago
Problem with most UK cycle paths is they seem to be designed by a highway engineer who hasn't been on a bicycle for years if at all
Equally signing them is often done badly. This has the bonus on a not too bad local one whereby the signs appear to direct you along the road rather than the cycle path.
Equally signing them is often done badly. This has the bonus on a not too bad local one whereby the signs appear to direct you along the road rather than the cycle path.
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Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
I have used that a couple of times this year. Surface is rough as fark and signage poor to none existant. At least signage for railway station sadly lacking. Then you have the national cycle route that takes you through a pedestrian zone, no cycling 9am to 6pm!
