Dedicating one lane to cycling

[mustang1]

What if every road that has more than one lane, so dual carriageways, possibly with the exception of motorways (for now), was dedicated as a bike lane. Would that get more people in their bikes?

Impose a 40mph speed limit for any lane that is next to the bike lane. But if there's a 3 lane road, the third lane could be 60mph.

Just thinking out loud, not sure how workable this could be. What do you reckon? Advantages? Pitfalls?

 

[Markymark]

I think most problems would go away if exiting laws were severe (speeding = £1,000 and 6 points, on mobile/drunk = instant ban £5,000, must reapply,driving whilst banned= 3 years prison).

 

[ianrauk]

Salt Lake City has the answer

Since copied in Los Angeles

One method Gandy helped pursue in Long Beach is an approach first seen in Salt Lake City. There wasn’t space for a dedicated bike lane on the busy commercial corridor in Long Beach’s Belmont Shore neighborhood, so the city laid down a five-foot strip of green paint right in a traffic lane for about half a mile each way, brightly and visibly notifying drivers that the lane can and will be legally shared by bicyclists.

“Once the confusion died down, once people understood what the intent was, it was clear that the authority figures were saying ‘bicycles belong here,’” Gandy says. “The attitude that bikes don’t belong has been greatly changed in Long Beach.”

And the green lanes have encouraged more cycling down this street as well. Before the paint was laid down, the street saw about 400 cyclists and 40,000 motorists a day. After the paint dried two and a half years ago, the street sees about 1,000 cyclists per day and the same level of car traffic. And while some had been concerned that intersplicing bikes with cars on this stretch would result in accidents and injuries, Gandy says the post-paint crash figures are the same as before, at just about 5 car-bike crashes per year.

If they can do it in a car centric country such as the USA, there is no reason why they couldn't do it here.
The blue paint CSH's are a joke. They should be further out in the lane along with 'Cyclists use full lane' signs as above.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

I would be petrified about riding next to 40mph traffic. It would need to be fully segregated and even then you have junction issues.

 

[jonny jeez]

@ianrauk, That's actually pretty smart.

So its not a dedicated or segregated lane...not even a lane actually, just a line of paint that reminds road users that bikes are allowed to also use the road. I like that, it feels inclusive and is a smart bit of social engineering.

 

[sight-pin]

I think drivers would just use the lane as an extra parking space in the UK, lol

 

[xxDarkRiderxx]

Sounds like a plan. I had a discussion with my wife (argument!!) that unless you need a car van lorry for work you should not be able to own a private vehicle until you were say over 30. This would force the younger generation and younger adults to use other forms of transport. Ah yes the reliable bike.

 

[Milkfloat]

@ianrauk I have used similar in Chicago, the major issue is the right turn of vehicles cutting across you at junctions. In some cases the bike lane moves towards the middle of road so the cars can pass you on the inside, but not all junctions are consistent. I am still in favour as it lets drivers know that cyclists do belong on the road.

 

[mjr]

Any of the above would probably be better than many current approaches but how do you get politicians to approve it? Some currently block even signposting cycle routes along open roads on the grounds that it wouldn't be safe to encourage cycling there!

 

[Sara_H]

40mph is too fast to share with cyclists.

 

[Tim Hall]

40mph is too fast to share with cyclists.

But a road without a bike lane can easily have a 40mph limit and will have all kinds of transport on it.

 

[Andy_R]

40mph is too fast to share with cyclists.

And I'm sure most of us at some point cycle along lovely country lanes that are NSL

 

[Drago]

Salt Lake City has the answer

Since copied in Los Angeles

One method Gandy helped pursue in Long Beach is an approach first seen in Salt Lake City. There wasn’t space for a dedicated bike lane on the busy commercial corridor in Long Beach’s Belmont Shore neighborhood, so the city laid down a five-foot strip of green paint right in a traffic lane for about half a mile each way, brightly and visibly notifying drivers that the lane can and will be legally shared by bicyclists.

“Once the confusion died down, once people understood what the intent was, it was clear that the authority figures were saying ‘bicycles belong here,’” Gandy says. “The attitude that bikes don’t belong has been greatly changed in Long Beach.”

And the green lanes have encouraged more cycling down this street as well. Before the paint was laid down, the street saw about 400 cyclists and 40,000 motorists a day. After the paint dried two and a half years ago, the street sees about 1,000 cyclists per day and the same level of car traffic. And while some had been concerned that intersplicing bikes with cars on this stretch would result in accidents and injuries, Gandy says the post-paint crash figures are the same as before, at just about 5 car-bike crashes per year.

If they can do it in a car centric country such as the USA, there is no reason why they couldn't do it here.
The blue paint CSH's are a joke. They should be further out in the lane along with 'Cyclists use full lane' signs as above.

Lots of reasons it might not work here - higher traffic density, higher average speeds, narrower roads, generally less tolerant drivers. Not saying it wouldn't work here, but such things require proper study - politicians often point to the success of something in another country as a justification for doing it here, but it rarely translates effectively.

 

[ianrauk]

Lots of reasons it might not work here - higher traffic density, higher average speeds, narrower roads, generally less tolerant drivers. Not saying it wouldn't work here, but such things require proper study - politicians often point to the success of something in another country as a justification for doing it here, but it rarely translates effectively.

They say the same things in the USA.
And after travelling extensively in the USA every year for the past 20 odd, I found their average speed is no different to ours. In fact it's usually faster.
Less tolerant drivers? Ha that's a laugh for a start. Drivers in the USA think they really do own the roads because of their predominantly car culture.

Narrower roads? This from the OP

What if every road that has more than one lane, so dual carriageways, possibly with the exception of motorways (for now), was dedicated as a bike lane

 

[mjr]

And I'm sure most of us at some point cycle along lovely country lanes that are NSL

There are Darwinian speed limits on many country lanes around here.