Leam Lane, Gateshead - does it work?

[KnackeredBike]

There is a mile long length of road that connects my village (lots of houses) to the next village (shops, GP surgery). Because of the Thames, which splits in two at this point, there are no footpaths so the only way to walk or cycle is along the road.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.6...=85.50647&pitch=0&thumbfov=100!7i13312!8i6656

The road has a 60mph limit for most of the length isn't great to cycle along - even more unpleasant to walk, it is rare that at least one driver doesn't advise you that you shouldn't be walking on the road. So predictably most people drive.

The council have admitted there is a problem (yay) and that money needs to be spent (more yay), probably on trying to thread a footpath along the bank although the road floods every other winter so it would need proper foundations. So it is going to take years to build, if it ever is, apparently.

I'm considering pushing the local councillor to look at something similar to Leam Lane, where the centre line is erased and cycle/ped lines painted on, effectively making it clear that the lanes are for peds/cyclists and motorists may use them if clear. It seems an ideal approach if there is no other ped/cyclist route. But I haven't seen it used much elsewhere and so would be interested to know if it works.

Thanks for any feedback.

 

[spen666]

All such an idea does is encourage motorists to drive in the cycle lane and this then reinforces the view that cycle lanes are "optional" to obey for motorists.

Furthermore, cyclists/ pedestrians are not supposed to be used as traffic calming devices

 

[KnackeredBike]

All such an idea does is encourage motorists to drive in the cycle lane and this then reinforces the view that cycle lanes are "optional" to obey for motorists.

Furthermore, cyclists/ pedestrians are not supposed to be used as traffic calming devices

I would tend to agree with you, but on this road there isn't the space or money to easily improve facilities.

The benefits I would like is because the road appears narrower it slows vehicles. Also although cars will drive in the cycle lane, they are sharing the lane rather than the current attitude from motorists that ALL the road is for cars and pedestrians are encroaching on it.

tl;dr I want something the council will actually implement rather than, as they are now, say they want to install proper facilities but they have no idea when they will have any money for it.

 

[Bazzer]

If there is an acknowledged problem and footpaths are too costly, can other traffic calming measures be considered which are cheaper?
Based upon the roads near me, several of which do not have footpaths, even if the council reduces the speed limit from 60 to 30 of 40 mph, the majority of motorists will ignore that anyway, which makes the road almost as unpleasant as if it is derestricted.

 

[spen666]

I would tend to agree with you, but on this road there isn't the space or money to easily improve facilities.

The benefits I would like is because the road appears narrower it slows vehicles. Also although cars will drive in the cycle lane, they are sharing the lane rather than the current attitude from motorists that ALL the road is for cars and pedestrians are encroaching on it.

tl;dr I want something the council will actually implement rather than, as they are now, say they want to install proper facilities but they have no idea when they will have any money for it.

I would rather council did nothing than measures which;

a) encourage motorists to ignore cycle lanes - this will encourage them to ignore them everywhere, not just this street.
b) use vulnerable road users as traffic calming measures

Implementing this dangerous and ill thought through scheme is worse than doing nothing.


Without cycle lanes, motorists are already sharing the road with others such as cyclists and pedestrians

 

[KnackeredBike]

@spen666 I agree with you that it isn't an ideal solution but it is perhaps a pragmatic one. I think the layout is unusual enough for most motorists to understand "this does not mean I can drive in any cycle lane" on other dashed cycle lanes - which of course they can technically drive in just as much anyway.

 

[spen666]

@spen666 I agree with you that it isn't an ideal solution but it is perhaps a pragmatic one. I think the layout is unusual enough for most motorists to understand "this does not mean I can drive in any cycle lane" on other dashed cycle lanes - which of course they can technically drive in just as much anyway.

Its better to do nothing than to create the problems i have outlined.

doing nothing is the more pragmatic solution than making cycling everywhere more dangerous


You are crediting motorists with your view point.

Most motorists are more concerned with getting ewhere they want to PERIOD

 

[KnackeredBike]

It is a good point.

Perhaps I need to put pressure on them to do it properly.

The council has identified 10 premium routes, this is effectively a "missing mile" from one between an off-road NCR and a segregated cycle track. Plus they are building 1,800 houses adjoining the cycle track. So if they don't spend money here, it basically means their "Cycling strategy" is made up crap.

The thing is, I think putting the council to proof on their cycle strategy may not produce much.

 

[Globalti]

Our experience with campaigning for traffic calming in our rat run street tells me you will be low on the list of priorities if you don't have a record of accidents to pedestrians or cyclists. We are near the bottom of Lancashire's accident league table so it has taken 30 years of campaigning to get a 20 mph limit and five pairs of table tops and that was only because all residential streets are now getting 20 mph.

 

[NorthernDave]

It is a good point.

Perhaps I need to put pressure on them to do it properly.

The council has identified 10 premium routes, this is effectively a "missing mile" from one between an off-road NCR and a segregated cycle track. Plus they are building 1,800 houses adjoining the cycle track. So if they don't spend money here, it basically means their "Cycling strategy" is made up crap.

The thing is, I think putting the council to proof on their cycle strategy may not produce much.

If the council have given planning permission for 18000 houses, they'll have a big pot of cash from the developer for exactly this sort of thing.
Now they just need persuading to spend it on something suitable here, rather than it vanishing into the ether...

 

[Tigerbiten]

I'm considering pushing the local councillor to look at something similar to Leam Lane, where the centre line is erased and cycle/ped lines painted on, effectively making it clear that the lanes are for peds/cyclists and motorists may use them if clear. It seems an ideal approach if there is no other ped/cyclist route. But I haven't seen it used much elsewhere and so would be interested to know if it works.

Thanks for any feedback.

From my experience on the continent, it will work if the road is quiet enough. But not for the reason most people think about.
If most of the time oncoming traffic forces you to drive in the cycle lane, then it won't make much difference. Maybe a slight slowing of the traffic due to no center line.
But if it's not busy, then most cars stay out of the cycle lane. This means the edges of the tarmac don't get so many potholes. This means the cyclist tends to have more good tarmac to use ......