Lighting traffic-free cycleways

[mjr]

I was looking for a 'donning helmet' emoji but couldn't find one. Please identify the 'volunteer group' so we know what your agenda is.

It's in sig and profile. KLWNBUG, the local Cyclenation member group for West Norfolk and neighbouring areas.

Do you think people will be deterred from cycling on a route that is described as traffic free?

I think transport cyclists often are because they think it will feel isolated and vulnerable - and sports ones often are because of the widespread substandard construction of such routes.

What do you think the 'normal people' you spend time communicating with understand by 'traffic free'. What problems could such terminology cause, in reality?

As above, I think it's easily misunderstood to mean quiet and so if there are high levels of cycle traffic, some users feel misled.

Do you think 'traffic free' is an example of either 'opaque council jargon' or 'an attempt at humour'? To whose 'history' are you referring?

Opaque council jargon (says one thing but means another) and KLWNBUG's history, mainly my experience with members of the public at non-cycling events.

Do you think 'vehicle free' would be a satisfactory and sufficiently descriptive term?

No, but mainly for council-facing reasons, in that bicycles are technically vehicles in many situations and many of the substandard construction problems seem due to designers who don't allow for them to behave as vehicles with vehicle tracks, non-zero turning radii and stopping distances.

 

[potsy]

I'm fine with traffic-free but then again I'm not as pedantic as some on here.

 

[Slozza1]

Hi all,

I'm involved in building and improving a network of traffic-free cycle paths. They are mainly built on former railway lines so tend to be in cuttings for much of their routes with very little or no natural surveillance. They also tend to act as wildlife corridors in what is generally quite an urban area so there are quite a lot of bats etc.

None of the routes have any form of lighting at the moment (other than the odd subway) and installing normal street lighting would be very expensive so is difficult to justify when there is such limited funding for cycling infrastructure and so much needs doing.

I'm currently researching alternative options and would be really interested to hear your views and experiences of them.

The two products I've looked at so far are a solar powered LED studs such as this one: http://www.clearviewtraffic.com/ast...rt/22/solarlite-f-series-flush-road-studs.htm

and this glow in the dark stud: http://www.traxeyes.com/

As well as the obvious questions of value for money, durability, maintenance etc, the key question for me is whether these products would encourage more people to use the routes after dark (and whether they make the routes safe enough to do so).

Hi there,

I was just wondering what you ended up doing? how did it all work out and how much did you spend?

 

[Ajax Bay]

I was just wondering what you ended up doing? how did it all work out and how much did you spend?

OP has not been on CycleChat since 6 Apr 16 though. But I too would be interested - I contributed to this thread back then.

 

[Serge]

OP has not been on CycleChat since 6 Apr 16 though. But I too would be interested - I contributed to this thread back then.

I've just had a quick squiz at the website:

https://www.salford.gov.uk/parking-roads-and-travel/cycling/traffic-free-cycle-routes/

The only mention of lighting I can find is in a refurbished subway on one of the six routes.

None of the photos appear to show any of the sort of lighting proposed by the OP.