joining / leaving toucan crossings

[gaz]

If you are using a cycling facility on the pavement, can you use a toucan crossing to get back onto the road if you have a green man/cyclist?
legally speaking of course.

 

[ohnovino]

I have this situation on one of my regular routes. There's an off-road cycle path that ends at a toucan crossing, so the only way you can go is to join the road. I can't see anything legally wrong with it as I'm not crossing the solid white stop line, although I believe there's some obscure rule somewhere about only using crossings within the dots that mark them out.

Personally, my concern is that I might p**s people off by making their lights go red and then just nipping out in front of them, and then have them try a scary overtake in "revenge", so I tend to just wait for a gap in traffic. Another option is to press the button and then carry on along the pavement: once the lights turn red you get a nice gap in traffic to join the road further up.

 

[DrSquirrel]

If you are using a cycling facility on the pavement, can you use a toucan crossing to get back onto the road if you have a green man/cyclist?
legally speaking of course.

Thinking about it, a green man isn't a requirement to cross for pedestrians.

So, I would treat it like joining a road without a crossing... as to what that is, don't ask me. Cars often drive off pavements (legally parked or not) and out of bays etc straight onto the road, so I don't see why we couldn't on bikes either. Just so long as it is clear to enter the road... obviously.


Are you suggesting actually using the lights? I've considered this too, usually its not busy enough for me to worry - and as ohnovino says, I'd worry more about pissing someone off, legally or not.

Pressing the button and not using the crossing could be considered obstruction? if not you could press it and enter the road behind the traffic.

 

[summerdays]

I also have a toucan crossing that on the other side is just pavement so I always use it to join the road. (A38 Zetland Road junction). Though apparently the proper way to use that particular light is to cross then place yourself in the ASL on the road on the other side - at least that is what a friend was told. I just filter in the traffic.

 

[Jezston]

I often do something like this as part of my daily commute. I walk with my bike out of Derby train station, and need to get on the road outside it. Thing is, I need to be in the lane the other side of the road from the station entrance, and I'll be buggered if anyone is going to stop to let me out and onto it, so I stand by the crossing, wait for the green man, push my bike to the middle of the road and mount it and ride off. I've never had anyone take revenge on me for doing that, and can't see any other way I can join the road.

 

[subaqua]

I often do something like this as part of my daily commute. I walk with my bike out of Derby train station, and need to get on the road outside it. Thing is, I need to be in the lane the other side of the road from the station entrance, and I'll be buggered if anyone is going to stop to let me out and onto it, so I stand by the crossing, wait for the green man, push my bike to the middle of the road and mount it and ride off. I've never had anyone take revenge on me for doing that, and can't see any other way I can join the road.

safe and sensible. can't see a problem with that.

 

[HLaB]

Ive no idea about the legality but Ive often come out of path with a Toucan at the road end (even though there might be no further path) to go right you have to use it if its a busy road.

 

[mr_cellophane]

I have come from the right at this junction and then waited for the road lights to change in front of a police car.

 

[Gatley lass]

I use a Toucan crossing after I cycle a short stretch along the river Mersey. The crossing is there beacuse the cycle path next to the river carries on across the road , but I use it to turn right onto the main road. I feel much safer doing this as I have time to clear the junction and get to a wider part of the road beafore the traffic restarts.
I did have one very irate taxi driver who was very offended by me stopping him and rode close behind me to tell me so!!!!! Most other people don't seem to have a problem.

 

[BSRU]

I have a certain part of my commute where I have no real choice in using a toucan crossing to get back onto the road.
I come down a road that joins a main road that has a bus controlled set of traffic lights and is for buses only not bicycles.
Bicycles have to follow the path along the main road then cross at a toucan crossing. If you completely cross the road using the toucan they is no way of rejoining the main road as they have installed barriers to force/guide cyclists to follow the cycle path off in the wrong direction.
I think the rules for using bicycles on toucan's are "should/should not" so not legal requirements, only used to apportion blame in an accident.

 

[PoliceMadAd]

I know there was once a news story where the council built a traffic light ped crossing, with the ped gap in front of someones driveway. They had to drive through the crossing to enter the road, though they didn't use the button. I can't see it being illegal, you could always walk the bike onto the road then cycle on. That's definetly legal.