What's an acceptable speed on a shared use cycle lane?

[SquareDaff]

Just trying to get peoples thoughts on this. The reason I ask - there's a stretch of this on my Doncaster commute (around 8-8:15) near the Frenchgate Centre/town centre. I use the road as I travel around 20mph. I consider this too fast. The share use cycle path runs parallel to the road - this morning there was a cyclist on the path going not much slower than me - so somewhere between 15-20mph. Too fast? I thought so.

 

[ianrauk]

If there is no one else on the path then 15-20 is acceptable.
If however there are others using the path at the same time then it is too fast.

 

[SquareDaff]

At that time in the morning this path is quite busy as the pelican from Doncaster Train station opens onto it. The path itself is the main route into the town centre. Given a ped speed of 4mph and the irratic nature of commuter-a-pied I just thought at that speed it was dangerous to both the cyclist and pedestrian.

 

[SquareDaff]

Or maybe I'm just getting old!

 

[Crackle]

Most paths have a design speed limit, it's in the guideline somewhere. Most cyclists ride too fast towards and past people on them, fail to appreciate that they have brakes and can slow down, fail to acknowledge any acts of courtesy and are rather grumpy if 'inconvenienced'. A pox on all shared use facilities. /rant

 

[ohnovino]

Depends on the facility.

There's a path I sometimes use on my commute where I maybe average 10mph, if that. Even though it's segregated, there's just too many hazards (bus stops, side roads, pedestrian crossings) so you have to go at a speed where you can react in time.

At the other end of the scale, there's a shared-use path alongside the Formby Bypass that's smooth and mostly hazard-free, and I'll happily time-trial along its quieter sections.

 

[ianrauk]

Or maybe I'm just getting old!

Not at all. People should cycle with the conditions in mind. Cycling too fast on a shared path with peds, joggers, dog walkers or whoever is just down right rude and dangerous.

 

[SquareDaff]

Will look at the vid from my helmet cam tonight - but I seem to remember this guy being on the drops, backside in the air and wiggling from side to side. If you want to go fast then use the road!

 

[Hacienda71]

There is a shared use path near me where you rarely see any peds and the visibility is half a mile plus. I may have cycled along that at 28.2 mph for its length of 3 miles. The road it is adjacent to is a very fast bypass and i would be uncomfortable cycling on this. The path was clear with excellent visibility so I felt that in this circumstance it was acceptable. However if other users had been on it at the time I would have tempered my speed accordingly. I would slow almost to a stop if I was overtaking a pedestrian or slower moving cyclist. Common sense should prevail in these sort of circumstances.

 

[ufkacbln]

The Dft had asset of guidelines that was not followed up and accepted but stated that at 18 MPH you should be on the road and not cycle path

Sustrans documentation used to suggest 12 MPH

Dorset Constabulary issue tickets at 10 MPH on Bournemouth sea front

Take your pick

 

[Banjo]

I think going past peds at 18mph is crazy even if legal. I would say 10 to 12 more sensible.

 

[will golden]

On shared use cycle paths I always assume the other party is going to make a sudden change of direction with no apparent motive. So i rarely exceed 10mph and I try to give a wide berth to anything coming the other way.

Also, whilst motorists and cyclists seem to have an unwritten, tacit policy of signalling any diversion, there has never in any culture been such a thing among walkers. Do you signal to turn into Sainsbury's? Do you "halt at major road ahead" when exiting a shop? Few of us ever do!

So I believe that we should proceed as cautiously as we can without overbalancing.

 

[SquareDaff]

I've always thought that on a busy shared use path then somewhere between 2-3 times the speed of the pedestrian was my safe limit (so between 10-12mph). Obviously if it's completely empty then faster.

 

[taximan]

All I would say on the subject is to use common sense. a thing to keep in mind is that a bike is at its best, a silent machine and if overtaking pedestrians extra care is needed.

 

[BSRU]

On the short stretch of narrow shared path I use, a main pedestrian route into/from the town centre, I drop my speed below 20kph and pass pedestrians much slower.
I am always amazed by some other cyclists who ride along it as if it is a race track with no regard for anyone else.