Hyde Park rumble strip update - they're spreading

[shouldbeinbed]

Not a Londoner so excuse my ignorance.

is there a speed limit in the park? if so is it observed by the majority of cyclists?

The Sunday Times ran an article (~ time up for bike bandits) from one of the journos who cycles, moaning that she'd been hit with a £30 fine for riding in a pedestrianised area. She reported that the cops told her that they were clamping down on nuiscance cyclists/RLJ's etc because Boris and Co can't promote cycling as a legitimate alternative whilst it's seen as a lawless activity and infringements don't get policed properly.

maybe some of the same sort of (knee jerk ill conceived) traffic calming that spring up on the roads is making its way to our cyclepaths too so that Cycling can be promted as equally policed and calmed to cut another of the motoring lobby's arguments out when ride don't drive gets another big push

 

[BentMikey]

Doesn't matter, the parks are negligent in installing those rumble strips. If a cyclist crashes, then they will be liable.

OTOH I think pedestrians do need something to slow down cyclists.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Doesn't matter, the parks are negligent in installing those rumble strips. If a cyclist crashes, then they will be liable.

OTOH I think pedestrians do need something to slow down cyclists.

are you sure? If you slip and fall off on a wet manhole cover or painted line on the road that is in otherwise adequate condition, who is liable?

If they'd put spikes instead of rumble strips or built a brick wall across the cyclepath and someone crashed into it then agreed but I wonder if these rumble strips are designated safe up to a certain speed and if people crash it'll be down to them to prove that they were travelling at safe speed and not above.

Edit- I think people will need to prove that they've been badly installed and are excessively dangerous at even moderate speeds to prove negligence and fault. Not impossible, some car speed bumps local to me were ripped out and re-done because they'd been built far to aggressively and were damaging even well below the speed limit

 

[jimboalee]

It's 3 or 4 rows of cobbled stones slightly raised out of the normal path. small gap in between each row.

not really comfortable to do any more than 10mph over

There's your reason. Exactly.

Remember Bournemouth.

Next thing you know, there'll be a speed limit for cyclists.

Yeh, 10 mph.

 

[BentMikey]

No, they're dangerous even at low speed, and in the wet, IMO. Besides which, nobody expects this kind of thing out of the blue, they are not a normal road feature.

 

[Origamist]

I wonder what research (if any) was carried out prior to the installation of these humps. I'm unsure if there is any official guidance/standards with regard to cyclists and these traffic calming measures.

Where councils put down rumble strips/weaves on the road they should put in a smoother strip for cyclists, obviously these humps are a different kettle of fish.

 

[Wheeledweenie]

I'm fairly sure I was going 10mph or less when I hit one and it was highly uncomfortable and took effort to stay on.

 

[Dan B]

It's 3 or 4 rows of cobbled stones slightly raised out of the normal path. small gap in between each row.

not really comfortable to do any more than 10mph over

By odd coincidence, 10mph is the speed limit in force on Rotten Row - and, this being a Royal Park, the limit does apply to cyclists

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1997/19971639.htm # scroll down to "Speeds at which vehicles may be driven or ridden on a Park road"

 

[LOGAN 5]

Even at 10mph and under the strips are uncomfortable, may damage lightweight rims and still dangerous especially in the wet with the sand from the bridle path washing over them.

 

[Origamist]

The DfT advises against the use of cobbles in these situations as they are uncomfortable for cyclists and slippery when wet.

What is the vertical deflection of these humps? Did Royal Parks do a risk assessment?

 

[LOGAN 5]

I've written to the Royal Parks and if I get a reply will post here. Will have a look at how high they are - is that what you mean by vertical deflection? As for risk assessment, highly unlikely.

 

[Origamist]

I've written to the Royal Parks and if I get a reply will post here. Will have a look at how high they are - is that what you mean by vertical deflection? As for risk assessment, highly unlikely.

Yes, how high they are. How far apart are they, BTW? Are they granite? (I'm being lazy, I might take a look tomorrow).

I'd be v surprised if some sort of risk assessment was not undertaken - whether it was robust is another matter.

Keep us informed.

 

[Origamist]

I wonder what research (if any) was carried out prior to the installation of these humps. I'm unsure if there is any official guidance/standards with regard to cyclists and these traffic calming measures.

I've checked the London Cycling Design Standards and TFL's Greenways guidance and I cannot see specific recommendations re: "cycle humps" or "rumble strips". There is mention of the need to reduce cyclists' speed via chicanes and barriers in certain situations (and tactile paving to delineate cycling/pedestrian areas for the visually impaired), but this is not what is being deployed at the pedestrian/cyclist conflict points on Rotten Row.

 

[andyfromotley]

I've written to the Royal Parks and if I get a reply will post here. Will have a look at how high they are - is that what you mean by vertical deflection? As for risk assessment, highly unlikely.[/QUOTE]

I would suggest that it is highly unlikely that they would not have carried out a risk assessment. Ask for a copy, use foi if required and i will cast an eye over it. i have a little training in these matters and would at least be able to say if it passed an initial once over.

As an aside they must consider the safety of all park users under H&S. If you can make a case that these are a danger to cyclists, then it opens a whole range of options.

 

[D4VOW]

Im not exactly sure what a rumble strip is but when cyclists meet with pedestrians I usually find that the cyclist is cycling irresponsibly and too fast in ped/cycle areas.

Possibly the reason for the rumble strip.

I agree, If cyclists weren't riding around at too high a speed then they would never have been installed.

It's 3 or 4 rows of cobbled stones slightly raised out of the normal path. small gap in between each row.

not really comfortable to do any more than 10mph over

You shouldn't be going that fast in a shared use situation anyway, that's what the roads are for.

OTOH I think pedestrians do need something to slow down cyclists.

Precisely, cyclists only have themselves to blame just the same as car drivers having to put up with speed humps everywhere.

I'm fairly sure I was going 10mph or less when I hit one and it was highly uncomfortable and took effort to stay on.

That's the point, they are there to slow you down to an appropriate speed while around pedestrians.

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I find this so hypocritical how you can all constantly complain about drivers using excessive speed. These strips will have been installed due to cyclists using excessive speed (including quite a few on here by the sounds of it). If you hadn't been riding around so fast in a shared use situation then they would never have been installed.