Parking in Cycle Lanes

[Jezston]

(please let me know if the below images embed correctly - trying out new mobile sharing thingy)

I've noticed a lot of parking in cycle lanes going on derby of late, and it's a pain in the arse when I just get my speed up coming out of traffic lights and can't turn into the road as cars are starting to roar past me at 40+

What exactly is the law regarding this? Google results seemed a little fruitless, and besides it's double yellow too!

 

[BentMikey]

I personally don't care if drivers park in cycle lanes. Let them - this sort of on-road cycle lane is the spawn of STAN anyway. It's a good opportunity to negotiate out and ride in the lane until we're past.

 

[Norm]

I think that it's ok if there's a broken line, if unavoidable (whatever that means) but road users shouldn't cross any solid line unless it is for one of the very few reasons allowed, such as, coincidentally, to overtake parked vehicles.

HC Section 140 says:

Cycle lanes. These are shown by road markings and signs. You MUST NOT drive or park in a cycle lane marked by a solid white line during its times of operation. Do not drive or park in a cycle lane marked by a broken white line unless it is unavoidable. You MUST NOT park in any cycle lane whilst waiting restrictions apply.

 

[wafflycat]

Bearing in mind BM's & Norm's comments above, which I agree with, the legality of motor vehicle parking in a cycle lane farcility depends on whether the lane is a mandatory lane or not. If it's a mandatory lane, you shouldn't park in it at all and when it's one that is part-time, you shouldn't park in it during its hours of operation.

From the HC, rule 240


"You MUST NOT stop or park on

• the carriageway or the hard shoulder of a motorway except in an emergency (see Rule 270)
• a pedestrian crossing, including the area marked by the zig-zag lines (see Rule 191)
• a clearway (see 'Traffic signs')
• taxi bays as indicated by upright signs and markings
• an urban clearway within its hours of operation, even when a broken white line is on your side of the road, except to pick up or set down passengers (see 'Traffic signs')
• a road marked with double white lines, except to pick up or set down passengers
• a tram or cycle lane during its period of operation
• a cycle track
• red lines, in the case of specially designated ‘red routes’, unless otherwise indicated by signs

Any vehicle may enter a bus lane to stop, load or unload where this is not prohibited (see Rule 141).

[Laws MT(E&W)R regs 7 & 9, MT(S)R regs 6 & 8, ZPPPCRGD regs 18 & 20, RTRA sects 5, 6 & 8, TSRGD regs 10, 26 & 27, RTA 1988 sects 21(1) & 36]"

 

[beanzontoast]

That cycle lane on Friar Gate/Ashbourne Road gets ignored by a lot of cyclists. Parking is one reason, but the state of it is another. Half the cyclists I see down there use the pavement.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Looks to me like the grey transit in the second picture is unloading and needs to be there. I don't really have a problem with this: as BM says, I just go round them.

 

[on the road]

I agree with that, in the second photo he could be doing repairs in someones home. In the top picture it looks like the line could be a solid line, in which case he shouldn't be there.

 

[upsidedown]

Don't know the area, how long does the lane last ? If it's the usual 2-300 yards i would just treat it as if it wasn't there. Get out into the traffic early to go around it and watch for the opening door. doesn't look busy.

 

[Jezston]

Fair enough, just have to brave a few beeps by riding out!

Beanz: I tend to use the cycle path on the pavement when riding back in, but it's a bit of a pain as there's loads of trees in the middle of it and plenty of peds in the way. Seen one or people using the other side of the road to ride into town, which is a bit stupid as it's one way!

 

[marinyork]

Just to clarify the hours of operation on a solid white line are fairly irrelevent, the solid white lines automatically says no parking, no straying over the line. The Double yellows or other restrictions are just there to gold plate. Strictly speaking on the hours of operation this is frequently misinterpreted by motorists to meaning if there aren't any yellow lines I can do what I want. What this reference means is for the existence of cycle lanes that don't exist 24 hours and for ones that exist in bus lanes because cycle lanes actually out rank bus lanes. If the highway code wasn't written this way you'd get contradictions, so it's much easier to refer to it as it is. So strictly speaking, no parking in cycle lanes. This isn't really a surprise as the highway code tells people very clearly that do not be going into any cycle lane whatsoever, ergo no parking follows. That the use of "unavoidable" is frequently misinterpreted by motorists is irrelevent.

That said I couldn't give a monkeys people parking in some cycle lanes at times, I didn't write the rules.

 

[BentMikey]

If it's a cycle lane in a bus lane I'll ignore the cycle lane and ride about 1/2 way to 2/3rds out in the bus lane. I'm not going to risk close passes from buses or taxis.

 

[beanzontoast]

Fair enough, just have to brave a few beeps by riding out!

Beanz: I tend to use the cycle path on the pavement when riding back in, but it's a bit of a pain as there's loads of trees in the middle of it and plenty of peds in the way. Seen one or people using the other side of the road to ride into town, which is a bit stupid as it's one way!

+1. That whole road all the way out to the Markeaton roundabout isn't very cyclist-friendly. I tend to use it only in summer when the light is good.

 

[Theseus]

Er ... forget about the cycle lane, they are both parked on double yellow.

 

[Matthames]

There is an on road cycle lane near me that when I ride on that road I never bother using. Mainly because there are cars parked on it at some point and I don't want to have to keep going in and out of the lane. What annoys me the most is that the houses to which the owners live have rather large driveways.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

I have a very long stretch on my commute where a (broken) cycle lane has been painted. This is a residential area; no double yellows (perhaps single yellow in places). Not a 'hours of operation' sign in sight. Any idea what's legal and what's not regarding parking in this lane?

(What's happening in practise is that all the people who live on the street park in the cycle lane; invalidating it for large stretches.)

Edit: paid attention this morning on the way in. Most of it has only the dashed cycle lane marking; no yellow lines. There is a short stretch in the other direction with a single yellow. Can't see hours of operation anywhere (the start of the lane is, I think, right by a bus stop and if there is any signage I'm too busy negotiating parked cars to notice).