Fury over speed bumps for bikes

[Fab Foodie]

A London council has installed a series of speed bumps on a pedestrian road - to stop cyclists in their tracks.

Islington Council has installed a cluster of bumps in a quiet backstreet which is often used by bikes to avoid heavy traffic.

One resident described the bumps as "ridiculous" and "horrible", while a cyclist said it was "not practical or aesthetic".

The council said that if the bumps do not work it will remove them.

A spokesman for Islington Council's housing wing said: "The estate tenants and the residents' association wanted the ramps following issues with speeding cyclists on this narrow path which is shared by pedestrians and cyclists.

"If in hindsight it does not work we will review it with them."

The council is no stranger to controversy over speed bumps after a BBC Inside Out London investigation showed many of the borough's speed bumps on its roads are illegally high.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/london/8274031.stm

Published: 2009/09/24 21:24:58 GMT

© BBC MMIX

 

[jonny jeez]

A London council has installed a series of speed bumps on a pedestrian road - to stop cyclists in their tracks.

Islington Council has installed a cluster of bumps in a quiet backstreet which is often used by bikes to avoid heavy traffic.

One resident described the bumps as "ridiculous" and "horrible", while a cyclist said it was "not practical or aesthetic".

The council said that if the bumps do not work it will remove them.

A spokesman for Islington Council's housing wing said: "The estate tenants and the residents' association wanted the ramps following issues with speeding cyclists on this narrow path which is shared by pedestrians and cyclists.

"If in hindsight it does not work we will review it with them."

The council is no stranger to controversy over speed bumps after a BBC Inside Out London investigation showed many of the borough's speed bumps on its roads are illegally high.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/london/8274031.stm

Published: 2009/09/24 21:24:58 GMT

© BBC MMIX

Sound like a good idea to me.

(Flame-on)

 

[GrasB]

A spokesman for Islington Council's housing wing said: "The estate tenants and the residents' association wanted the ramps following issues with speeding cyclists on this narrow path which is shared by pedestrians and cyclists.

If it's a path not a road then fair game. IMO anything much above 10mph is excessively fast for sharing a path with peds. Now if this is on the road with peds just ambling across & expecting there to be no traffic without looking for cyclists it's a different matter.

 

[jonny jeez]

If it's a path not a road then fair game. IMO anything much above 10mph is excessively fast for sharing a path with peds. Now if this is on the road with peds just ambling across & expecting there to be no traffic without looking for cyclists it's a different matter.

Article says "pedestrian road"...(whatever that is) and the phrase Speeding cyclist's.

these two phrases dont seem to be happy neighbours in my view

 

[GrasB]

Yeah the "pedestrian road" is what got me & why I made that distinction between effectively pavement & a normal road. My instant reaction to that is they're talking about a pedestrian area that cyclists are allowed to use in which case my first sentence stands, it's fair game.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Rather than speed bumps for bikes how about some man-traps for pedestrians?
Keep 'em out of the way and the route clear for cyclists.

 

[jonny jeez]

Yeah the "pedestrian road" is what got me & why I made that distinction between effectively pavement & a normal road. My instant reaction to that is they're talking about a pedestrian area that cyclists are allowed to use in which case my first sentence stands, it's fair game.

I rekon that in light of the fumbled journo effort, neither of us know what we're talking about.

What say we change the subject...so...you having a holiday this year?

 

[dodgy]

If these humps are already installed, why isn't there any pictures? The BBC article carries some pictures of speed humps, but not the ones in question.

 

[downfader]

Check out the Daily Mail link - they're having a field day (amazing how many people know someone killed by errant cyclists)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...d-bumps-residential-street-slow-CYCLISTS.html

 

[nilling]

"narrow path which is shared by pedestrians and cyclists" - say's it all really

 

[2Loose]

I bet the pedestrians will love walking over so many bumps - NOT

 

[HLaB]

I've not read the daily wail article but looking at those pictures it seems a bit excessive!

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Check out the Daily Mail link - they're having a field day (amazing how many people know someone killed by errant cyclists)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...d-bumps-residential-street-slow-CYCLISTS.html

That looks crazy - imagine if you're a parent with a pushchair or a wheelchair user, that's going to be tricky. It's not going to take long for long for a pedestrian to slip on those when it's icy.

So it isn't going to help anyone is it?!

 

[Davidc]

The first time I met speed bumps on a cycle road was in The Netherlands, on the route north from Scheveningen. I was amazed! They were placed to slow you down where the pedestrian route crossed the cycle one.

That was well thought out - this isn't. I suspect that the people worst affected will be mothers with wheeled child transporters, wheelchair users, and the elderly using wheeled frames.

Cyclists will either bunny hop or go along another road.

The Daily Mail article is so inaccurate and bigotted it's impossible to make a rational comment.

 

[downfader]

That looks crazy - imagine if you're a parent with a pushchair or a wheelchair user, that's going to be tricky. It's not going to take long for long for a pedestrian to slip on those when it's icy.

So it isn't going to help anyone is it?!

Well a shopmobility scooter wont go over that in the wet tbh. I've seen them struggle with the local hospital ones.

With prams atleast you can go "weeee!" and make it a game for the kid. Not so easy when you have loads of shopping.