I've seen the future and it looks like...

[jonny jeez]

...this;


If this is the shape of things to come...then I cant wait!!

 

[Ian Cooper]

The bits with empty city streets are okay (if a bit depressing), but the cobblestones, 8mph (I don't need a bike to do that), filtering, cycling in the door zone of parked cars and riding on footpaths? No thanks!

I want the future to involve no cars at all, and unaided human flight. But if that's not possible, I guess I'll settle for bicycles - on proper roads.

 

[fossyant]

There is a new 'shared' space scheme in the village of Poynton (outskirts of Stockport) and it's better than that. The two lanes are seperated by a small curb, and the lanes are narrow, so riding the bike through you remain in primary. No traffic lights and a couple of mini roundabouts. All so far seems to be working well. You just have to be careful on the surface when wet as there are sone silly metal studs located on the mini roundabout.

 

[jonny jeez]

The bits with empty city streets are okay (if a bit depressing), but the cobblestones, 8mph (I don't need a bike to do that), .

You dont *need* to go that slowly, I was just taking it deliberatley slow as i wanted the cam to pick up the road patterns and surfaces.

The cobbles aren't really that "cobbly" either, they give a little rumble as you cruse, but once you are up to 15-20mph its just a smooth buzz. There are more rumbly cobbles at the perimeters (you see them early in the vid when I move onto the pavement..just this once!...to illustrate) to allow visually impaired people to detect the change in environment, other than that its all pretty smooth.

The vid doesn't pick it up but there is just this fantastic vibe in the entire area, its a little like riding through some cosmopolitan, Itallian piazza. When you consider it used to look like a race tack with huge wide roads separated from the pavement by railings and a massive central reservation that meant you had to walk for 30-50 yards or so for a crossing.

in fact it was a bit like this...

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Exhibition Road, London&hl=en&ll=51.498992,-0.174365&spn=0.011207,0.01929&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=21.876469,39.506836&oq=exhibition ro&hnear=Exhibition Rd, London, United Kingdom&t=m&z=16&layer=c&cbll=51.498099,-0.174099&panoid=UVJEZ7iUNP9qXMhcwiwk-g&cbp=12,190.41,,0,-5.41


I love it!

it's officially one of my fav parts of west london.

 

[HovR]

We have a similar sort of surfacing and layout in and around certain areas of Gloucester town centre. It's a great structure really, and as jonny said the cobbles really aren't that bumpy, even on 23mm tires.

 

[Scruffmonster]

The video actually doesnt do it justice. (nor does this picture) It's a nice place to be. If feels more human, there's an air of 'Watch your neighbour'. It's not tense in any way, and everyone moves with eyes wide open.

I dare say it will be deemed a failure the first time someone hits something down there but what can you do?

It's a night and day difference.

 

[jonny jeez]

The video actually doesnt do it justice. (nor does this picture) It's a nice place to be. If feels more human, there's an air of 'Watch your neighbour'. It's not tense in any way, and everyone moves with eyes wide open.

I dare say it will be deemed a failure the first time someone hits something down there but what can you do?

It's a night and day difference.

That's exactly how it feels (thanks) and yes, I dread to think what will happen when a collision does occur...it deserves better than that.

I'll look up and wave, next time I'm along that bit!

Actually now i think of it, I cant ride a long distances of late due to injury, so have been spinning laps around Hyde park at lunch time (to help with the physio)...each time I finish, I take a trip down exhibition Road...just because its such a nice environment and feels like such a cool place to ride.

something must be right about it.

 

[Ian Cooper]

I expect the cross-hatched design is supposed to make drivers subconsciously feel they need to drive slower. Traffic engineers are starting to use psychology in their efforts to calm traffic. But I worry it could be distracting - and more distraction for drivers is the last thing cyclists need. Maybe in the future the traffic engineers will begin to employ actual traffic engineering principles.

Maybe I'm just old-fashioned, but this treatment doesn't appeal to me at all. I like the idea of shared space, so this is far better than any bike lane or bike path design, but my initial reaction is "Ugh!" Twenty years on, when the road has fallen victim to the unavoidable scars from road works crews, this is just going to look even more of a mess.

 

[subaqua]

i walked it from end to end in February and it felt good. i thought it would be good to cycle along and it looks like it is

 

[Scruffmonster]

I expect the cross-hatched design is supposed to make drivers subconsciously feel they need to drive slower. Traffic engineers are starting to use psychology in their efforts to calm traffic. But I worry it could be distracting - and more distraction for drivers is the last thing cyclists need. Maybe in the future the traffic engineers will begin to employ actual traffic engineering principles.

Maybe I'm just old-fashioned, but this treatment doesn't appeal to me at all. I like the idea of shared space, so this is far better than any bike lane or bike path design, but my initial reaction is "Ugh!" Twenty years on, when the road has fallen victim to the unavoidable scars from road works crews, this is just going to look even more of a mess.

I've driven down here, cycled, and walked here with my young daughter. It's quite serene. It's a genuine shared space. I'm sure that berks still make appearances, bikes driving too fast, cars following suit and peds walking without looking, but I forbid anyone to look at that picture above and say the left hand side is what we should be striving for.

I think the pattern is probably more to do with the fact it's a very touristy area with the museums, (it looks a lot better when set against the museum sans scaffolding) plus it's quite affluent around there, plus they aimed at making it look more like pavement than road.

It's a success. It may not be perfect, but we'd marvel at it if we saw it in Holland or France so lets give it a little credit.

 

[Peowpeowpeowlasers]

I was there a few weeks back in the museums. I actually wandered out into the middle of the road without realising it.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

same width, same amount of traffic, same amount of cyclists...what a waste of money.

 

[Scruffmonster]

same width, same amount of traffic, same amount of cyclists...what a waste of money.

Do you not think it looks better?

 

[fossyant]

http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/forum...sid=2ff41602d51120dc4566e29da9615566&start=40

This is the poynton scheme, scroll down on page 3. Despite being a small village is has the main Macclesfield Stockport A523 running through it. Seems to clear traffic better.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Do you not think it looks better?

not as good as a new school or hospital wing.