wiggydiggy
Legendary Member
At a quick glance that seems an ideal solution, it's three lanes on 2 of the entries to that junction. I think it makes it much safer for cyclists.
Proposed CYCLOPS Junction...
- Thread starter Mazz
- Start date
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At a quick glance that seems an ideal solution, it's three lanes on 2 of the entries to that junction. I think it makes it much safer for cyclists.
RyanFrog
Well-Known Member
Yes, I live in the Netherlands and they are at almost every junction in my city. They are utterly brilliant. In Groningen, the bike lights turn green (while all car lights are red) simultaneously for bicycles from all directions. It works so well, even at rush hour when one might see 100+ bikes crossing a cross junction over a span of thirty seconds. Unfortunately it hasn't taken off in most other cities as most commuters are always in a rush! (There have been a few disastrous experiments in cities like Rotterdam). I'll be in Greater Manchester for a few months soon and hope to experience this concept taking off in the UK!
You can check out what I'm talking about in the first few seconds of this video:
You can check out what I'm talking about in the first few seconds of this video:
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Fascinating video. I'm very envious - Groningen looks like a Utopian place to live if you're a cyclist.
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Who’s this cool customer?
- Croc-style shoes
- Ice white socks with navy blue trim
- Modestly-understated joggers and jumper
- Arms folded defiantly, it's a look that shouts "I'm in Gronigen and nothing's gonna stop me."
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
They should be good if you want to make progress: the bike signals should go green before the carriageway ones and can actually be timed to go green before you have to put a foot down. Confidence can't fix the problems with the usual road signals letting motorists go at the same time.
I don't see what's confusing: you pick your route through the junction and wait if you get a red light. It's not at all confusing to carriageway users or walkers because it's basically the same as any other junction, although with slightly longer reds for carriageway users and more greens for walkers than the more common layout would have. Maybe it's a little confusing for some cyclists who don't realise that you don't have to wait for a light turning left and can do right turns from the ahead lane, but that'll be less so as they become more common.
Side-switching is a complete 🤦 but designers have been making that mistake for decades. Hopefully the signing matches in each direction, unllike one I've seen.
If only that was a joke. Someone needs to go back to design school!
Where? Instead of the roundabout? Nothing. It should probably have been a zebra or two across the cycleway.
But if you mean instead of the CYCLOPS, well a "toucans all round" layout has numerous disadvantages, including that you have to push the beg button to use a toucan so it can't easily be given a green wave.
RyanFrog
Well-Known Member
Lord. Reading this makes me want to double down on my relatively recent and not particularly serious pipe dream of becoming a local politician to sort out / create the infrastructure for bike lines in urban and rural Lincolnshire. I figure that eight years of living in the worlds 'bicycle capital' plus a few cross continental bike rides should qualify me for the job
Is it really that hard for these folk with degrees in city planning / Infrastructure / ect...? Can't they just send some folk out to Denmark / Netherlands and see which aspects of their infrastructure will fit specific regions across Britain?
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Generally, I think it's no longer the officers with the technical degrees who are the problem. There are a few obsessed with vehicle flow instead of people flow but they aren't difficult to spot and challenge. The problem is the politicians in two major ways: those who insist that officers prioritise motoring or at least don't upset any motorist ever (the types who refuse to lose even one car parking space), and occasionally those who set rules or laws for things like traffic signals that Dutch-like designs cannot meet.
If you really want to chnge things, persuade the politicians, or become one if you can tolerate it.
united4ever
Veteran
New one on my commute (Talbot Road, Old Trafford).
The light sequences are discouraging. Most cyclists approach in the cycle lane but see that the lights are green on the car lanes but red for bike/cyclops lane so switch out of the bike lane and into the main carriageway on approach.
I can see it is good for non confident cyclists or school kids that may use them.
In Holland, how are the lights sequenced? It's like a pelican crossing on the ones I've seen here. On approach, stop, press the button and wait for green cycle icon. Some may have no button and automatically detect you I think but it's still the same principle.
The light sequences are discouraging. Most cyclists approach in the cycle lane but see that the lights are green on the car lanes but red for bike/cyclops lane so switch out of the bike lane and into the main carriageway on approach.
I can see it is good for non confident cyclists or school kids that may use them.
In Holland, how are the lights sequenced? It's like a pelican crossing on the ones I've seen here. On approach, stop, press the button and wait for green cycle icon. Some may have no button and automatically detect you I think but it's still the same principle.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
In short, they're not. Instead of our dumb lights with strict sequencing give or take some timing changes based on sensors, it seems that rules are set and the lights react and self-optimise within them:
View: https://youtu.be/knbVWXzL4-4?si=rgdiXeaXIC_8zZvJ
PedallingNowhereSlowly
Über Member
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Never underestimate the enormous capacity of the Great British public to misbehave, take the piss, or generally balls things up for the few conscientious road users out there.
All uphill
Still rolling along
- Location
- Somerset
I'm back in Groningen and thought I'd offer up their latest jaw-dropping achievement.
To cycle from my son's place to the city, 4km away, we've previously had to cycle under a 4 lane highway flyover. Normal, you may say.
This year, instead, we cycle through a new, beautiful park. The highway now goes through a tunnel.
Amazing.
Zuiderplantsoen, Groningen.
To cycle from my son's place to the city, 4km away, we've previously had to cycle under a 4 lane highway flyover. Normal, you may say.
This year, instead, we cycle through a new, beautiful park. The highway now goes through a tunnel.
Amazing.
Zuiderplantsoen, Groningen.