Strange Toucan Crossings

[HLaB]

I forgot about this one here as well. No cycle lanes/paths anywhere to be found near here...

Whilst there isn't anything there at the moment its possible something will be and this will be part of a greater network. Cycle facility planning can be a bit piecemeal. The crossing may have been upgraded recently but rather than spending £20k to upgrade it to a Puffin and another £20k down the line to upgrade it again to a pelican when the complete network is there it was considerred more prudent to upgrade it only once. There may also be funding reasons why the process is piecemeal.

 

[magnatom]

Whilst there isn't anything there at the moment its possible something will be and this will be part of a greater network. Cycle facility planning can be a bit piecemeal. The crossing may have been upgraded recently but rather than spending £20k to upgrade it to a Puffin and another £20k down the line to upgrade it again to a pelican when the complete network is there it was considerred more prudent to upgrade it only once. There may also be funding reasons why the process is piecemeal.

Uugh! I hope not! Last thing I need here is cycle paths on the pavements! All the more reason for me not to be on the road....

 

[HLaB]

Uugh! I hope not! Last thing I need here is cycle paths on the pavements! All the more reason for me not to be on the road....

Whilst I don't like them either, you have to realise that not everybody is a fit, confident cyclist like yourself. The may be 8 year old little Johnny wanting to go to the park and mummy won't let him because she perceives it unsafe on road and may drive him but with shared cycle she perceives it safe and lets him go on his own.

 

[marinyork]

Uugh! I hope not! Last thing I need here is cycle paths on the pavements! All the more reason for me not to be on the road....

I'd imagine that one would have a short section of path leading to the toucan for turning right out onto the A road. Whilst it's probably all right most of the time, it can be absolutely horrid turning right onto some main roads at rush hour and although I'm not a fan of cycle paths I'd regard it as a useful facility. Children and less confident adults would benefit. There are a number of similar facilities here that involve nasty right turns with a pelican crossing 10 yards up the road where POBs/newbies use it anyway. It's a shame because usually what happens is there's some traffic calmed area that people reasonably happy cycling on and then bang hit the main road and challenging right turn.

 

[marinyork]

If you want an example of a potentially stupid toucan crossing this is one on the rotherham ring road. Multimillion pound scheme dualling a section of ring road. Saving money in piecemeal is something but I can't see how they didn't manage it on a multimillion pound scheme. The tight wads didn't seem to think of making both sides dual use, especially the 50-yard section between the crossing and the road. A potentially useful facility for cyclists ruined by shortsightedness or possibly bad labelling (Rotherham are notorious for badly labelled cycle paths). You can't see it on streetview as they haven't finished it and the red path isn't a path it's a path that isn't a path that just happens to look reddy coloured.

 

[magnatom]

Whilst I don't like them either, you have to realise that not everybody is a fit, confident cyclist like yourself. The may be 8 year old little Johnny wanting to go to the park and mummy won't let him because she perceives it unsafe on road and may drive him but with shared cycle she perceives it safe and lets him go on his own.

LOL! HLab! I thought you knew me better If you'd read anything I'd written about cycle lanes recently, you'd have seen that I have softened my approach to them over the last year or so. I totally agree that cycle lanes are useful for some. I've said that many times!

I was talking about this particular road. It already has some very poorly designed on road lanes, and if cycle paths were added to this, it would only confuse things more and would in all likelyhood be very poorly designed.

I have no problem with well designed cycle lanes, even of they mean I get more aggravation when on the road, but I do feel a wee bit annoyed when lanes are put in that are very poor, and often unsafe and I get people shouting at me to use them.

When I get a chance I'll contact the council about the crossings and the lanes in general. I'll let you know how I get on....

 

[marinyork]

[QUOTE 1182368"]
Explain this one then-

http://maps.google.c...,268.2,,0,15.65


[/quote]

Two separate sources suggest you're allowed to cycle through Centenary Square/St Alfred's Place and the route continues down Bridge St. The toucan is so you can cross the junction safely. It's probably just been labelled badly. As I couldn't find an online version of a birmingham cycle map (how backwards if that's the case) it can't be confirmed by a third.

I would imagine a lot of this is much like here where a square where the TRO says you're allowed to cycle through they didn't want to put up any signs because it's a conservation area.

 

[HLaB]

Two separate sources suggest you're allowed to cycle through Centenary Square/St Alfred's Place and the route continues down Bridge St. The toucan is so you can cross the junction safely. It's probably just been labelled badly. As I couldn't find an online version of a birmingham cycle map (how backwards if that's the case) it can't be confirmed by a third.

I would imagine a lot of this is much like here where a square where the TRO says you're allowed to cycle through they didn't want to put up any signs because it's a conservation area.

Sustrans or somebody certainly thinks so

 

[marinyork]

Sustrans or somebody certainly thinks so

Yes. I looked at their site rather than just the signs, but I also consulted elsewhere (sustrans have been known to mark their own routes incorrectly before even on their own website).

 

[marinyork]

[QUOTE 1182372"]
Centenary Square is on a map-marked route, though it's not signposted. Bridge St is a not very good way down to the canal, but I suppose it's the best that they could do without inviting bikes to ride along Broad St.

Birmingham Cycling and Walking map here http://www.birmingha...apper%2FWrapper , though be warned that there are mistakes on it.
[/quote]

Oh I found that, I just missed the link on the page the the crude online thing.