speed cushions

[Dirtyhanz]

Speed Cushions - I am after some opinions, are they good or bad ? I think it's not ideal for cyclists as they force us to ride too far out in road or too close to the kerb.
The council are proposing to put them on a road I regularly cummute on, hence me asking everyone's opinion. It is a 30 mph road with houses on either side. I have never had any problems cycling on it, it is quite a wide road. Residents have complained about the speed of drivers going up or down the road.

 

[upandover]

I never mind them, I just skirt around them. My commute has quite a few roads with them on, and I've never really noticed it.

Merry Hill though (shopping centre i cycle through) has just had full speed bumps installed all around, and they really are a pain in the neck, not least because some cars slow down massively, and it's too dodgy to pass them.

Speed cushions though (assuming you mean the ones which only go in the middle of the road - no problem at all.
Cheers
Steve

 

[palinurus]

I'm not keen on them. They don't appear to slow the traffic much (although there must be some research out there). I don't have major problems with them but overtaking vehicles sometimes cut in to straddle the cusions and they direct you into the gutter every few hundred yards.

 

[theclaud]

Speed Cushions - I am after some opinions, are they good or bad ? I think it's not ideal for cyclists as they force us to ride too far out in road or too close to the kerb.
The council are proposing to put them on a road I regularly cummute on, hence me asking everyone's opinion. It is a 30 mph road with houses on either side. I have never had any problems cycling on it, it is quite a wide road. Residents have complained about the speed of drivers going up or down the road.

I love them. I can see how they might be annoying for roadies, but on an mtb they're enormous fun. There's a nice long downhill with about six of them on my way to work. They don't seem to slow cars down very much though - they just position their wheels to go either side of the cushion...

 

[palinurus]

Here's a general overview from the Dft

Dft advisory leaflet

This might be useful; some recommendations for speed cushions from "Cycle Friendly Infrastructure- Guidelines for Planning and Design" -a 1996 document produced by DoT/ CTC, it's a bit old now but I don't think anything similar has been prepared since.

With careful spacing, cyclists should be able to avoid going over speed cushions whilst car drivers cannot. However, their dimensions should not endanger the stability of cyclists where avoidance is not possible; gradients on the approach and exit slopes should be no more than 1:8 (12.5%), there should be a smooth transition between flat and sloping surfaces, surface materials should be skid-resisitant and leading slopes should be clearly visible at night. Cyclists will normally try to avoid crossing cushions, car parking may need to be set back to allow riders to pass between kerb and nearside cushion rather than pull out into the centre of the carriageway. The gap between cushions should preferably be 1m and not less than 0.75m. The gap between kerb and cushion edge should be 1m (0.75 m minimum). Cushions should not be located adjacent to drainage gullies in the carriageway surface.

The last link has some diagrams. Most of the streets with speed cushions near me have off-street parking, if this isn't the case parked vehicles can be a problem.

Camden Cyclists speed cushions document

 

[ufkacbln]

We have speed bumps along a local road...but installed the wrong way round!

Hence cars just drive over them!


Speed bumps are far more efficient...

 

[Dirtyhanz]

thankyou very much palinurus just what i was looking for

 

[hackbike 6]

What is a speed cushion?

I don't particularly like speed bumps when cycling along as they make motorists manoeuvre into the pavement to avoid the bump.

 

[jimboalee]

Speed cushion. Ah, that's a 'Sleeping Policeman', or at least half of him.

There all over Solihull. "Traffic calming" is what they're refered to here.

Cicanes, bollards, bumps, rumble patches, raised chevrons, you name it.

At least 'speed cushions' dont go across the whole width of the carriageway.

 

[yenrod]

Hate them.

Best ones are the square type.

Though, if a car's in front it slows you up !

 

[mickle]

If the feckers didn't speed we wouldn't need them. I hate the bloody things whichever mode of transport I'm using but particularly when driving a van-o-bikes and towing a trailer.

Bump... bump............. bump

Bump... bump............. bump

Aaargh.

 

[bonj2]

speed 'cushions'? I think the term 'cushion' is misplaced.
Surely the term 'cushion' implies something soft and comfortable. Speed bumps are hard, uncomfortable and obnoxious.

 

[Maz]

speed 'cushions'? I think the term 'cushion' is misplaced.
Surely the term 'cushion' implies something soft and comfortable. Speed bumps are hard, uncomfortable and obnoxious.

Confused about cushions, bonj? I'd sleep on it if I were you.

 

[grhm]

There are some speed cushions near my parents house that I think are fine - you can drive over them at 25-30mph in a car without getting thrown around but it stops the idiots who used to race at 60+mph down the straight bits. There is car parking on the pavement and double yellows beside each cushion (continuing for 20-30 feet in either direction).

However, there are cushions on the road just round the corner from me that have no off street parking, no double yellows and they're a bloody nightmare.

People routining parking on/over the cushion, sometimes on both side of the road. Car struggle the get through if there is oncoming traffic and on my bike I regularly have to slow/stop and wait for traffic struggling with them.

 

[CotterPin]

speed 'cushions'? I think the term 'cushion' is misplaced.
Surely the term 'cushion' implies something soft and comfortable. Speed bumps are hard, uncomfortable and obnoxious.

Maybe we should have speed pillows and speed comfie chairs. Actually that might be a good idea - if they have nicer names, people might like them more????