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help me design a cycle facility



 
 
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  #1  
Old January 26th 07, 10:55 AM posted to uk.rec.cycling
Ian Smith
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Posts: 3,622
Default help me design a cycle facility

We all know how appalling most cycle facilities are.

I find myself trying to design a road junction, and the council is
amenable to incorporate special measures to accommodate cycles, but
it's actually proving a pain in the neck. Hence, I'm seeking
inspiration.

Consider a T-junction.

For various reasons, traffic proceeding across the top right-to-left
has now been stopped in one direction and must turn left down the
stem. This is easy, if we force all traffic to do it, but actually, I
could let bicycles go straight on.

However, I can't see a way to do so. Motor traffic, which is going to
be forced to turn left, will assume that all traffic will turn left,
and will not notice that bikes may go straight on - resulting in too
many clashes. Further, even if the cyclist avoids that, the stuff
coming up the stem, which must turn right, needs to be brought forward
to the middle of the road for visibility reasons, so there's a second
clash with the cyclist crossing through a stationary queue.

If you're having trouble visualising it, there's a sketch at
http://www.astounding.org.uk/ian/temp/TMsketch.pdf

What to do? I really want to let cycles go straight on, because
otherwise it's a miles long detour. However, my highways department
insists the stuff coming up the stem gets a stop line at what was the
middle of the road, and I can't see any way to avoid conflicts.

My best solution so far is to make the footway across the top a shared
use cycle path, so cycles going along that (which is what I expect
they will do) are at least decriminalised. However, I'll hate myself
forever for causing a shared-use-pavement to be brought into being....

Thoughts?

regards, Ian SMith
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  #2  
Old January 26th 07, 11:10 AM posted to uk.rec.cycling
Brendan Halpin
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Posts: 206
Default help me design a cycle facility

First thought: you're on to a loser -- forcing a left turn creates
a situation without a clean solution for bikes.

Second thought: well back from the junction create two on-road
advisory cycle lanes, one on the left and one on the right (up
against the centre line). Paint them red or whatever so they are
conspicuous. The one on the left should start earlier, and have
arrows indicating "left turn only", the one on the right should
have "straight ahead only" arrows and should continue past the
junction, a little clear of the stop line. The two cycle lanes may take
up 50% of the lane, but that's okay if they're advisory.

Brendan
--
Brendan Halpin, Department of Sociology, University of Limerick, Ireland
Tel: w +353-61-213147 f +353-61-202569 h +353-61-338562; Room F2-025 x 3147
http://www.ul.ie/sociology/brendan.halpin.html
  #3  
Old January 26th 07, 11:17 AM posted to uk.rec.cycling
Brian G
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Posts: 312
Default help me design a cycle facility

Ian Smith wrote:
We all know how appalling most cycle facilities are.

I find myself trying to design a road junction, and the council is
amenable to incorporate special measures to accommodate cycles, but
it's actually proving a pain in the neck. Hence, I'm seeking
inspiration.

Consider a T-junction.

For various reasons, traffic proceeding across the top right-to-left
has now been stopped in one direction and must turn left down the
stem. This is easy, if we force all traffic to do it, but actually, I
could let bicycles go straight on.

However, I can't see a way to do so. Motor traffic, which is going to
be forced to turn left, will assume that all traffic will turn left,
and will not notice that bikes may go straight on - resulting in too
many clashes. Further, even if the cyclist avoids that, the stuff
coming up the stem, which must turn right, needs to be brought forward
to the middle of the road for visibility reasons, so there's a second
clash with the cyclist crossing through a stationary queue.

If you're having trouble visualising it, there's a sketch at
http://www.astounding.org.uk/ian/temp/TMsketch.pdf

What to do? I really want to let cycles go straight on, because
otherwise it's a miles long detour. However, my highways department
insists the stuff coming up the stem gets a stop line at what was the
middle of the road, and I can't see any way to avoid conflicts.

My best solution so far is to make the footway across the top a shared
use cycle path, so cycles going along that (which is what I expect
they will do) are at least decriminalised. However, I'll hate myself
forever for causing a shared-use-pavement to be brought into being....

Thoughts?

regards, Ian SMith


Assuming major engineering (such as underpasses) isn't on, I wonder
whether a mini roundabout (hateful though they are) would work. It would
need careful and perhaps complicated signage to ensure motorists did not
drive straight on when coming from the right but exited to the left and
to ensure motorists coming up the stem were made aware of the
possibility of cyclists coming from the right.

I don't like these roundabouts but offhand I can't think of another
solution to the problem.

--
Brian G
www.wetwo.co.uk
  #4  
Old January 26th 07, 11:19 AM posted to uk.rec.cycling
Ian Smith
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Posts: 3,622
Default help me design a cycle facility

On Fri, 26 Jan 2007, Brendan Halpin wrote:

First thought: you're on to a loser -- forcing a left turn creates
a situation without a clean solution for bikes.


I know, but we have to divert the motor traffic.

Second thought: well back from the junction create two on-road
advisory cycle lanes, one on the left and one on the right (up
against the centre line). Paint them red or whatever so they are
conspicuous. The one on the left should start earlier, and have
arrows indicating "left turn only", the one on the right should
have "straight ahead only" arrows and should continue past the
junction, a little clear of the stop line. The two cycle lanes may take
up 50% of the lane, but that's okay if they're advisory.


Thanks for the thoughts - I did consider a cycle lane for straight on
cycles on the right of the lane. The carriageway width is
insufficient for cycle lane + motor lane, and I think it's a bad idea
to have a cycle lane (even an advisory one) that motor vehicles are
physically incapable of staying out of. However, I'm scrabbling about
at least-worst option stage now, so maybe....

regards, Ian SMith
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  #5  
Old January 26th 07, 11:20 AM posted to uk.rec.cycling
p.k.
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Posts: 299
Default help me design a cycle facility

Ian Smith wrote:
Thoughts?



Put a cycle lane down the centre of the road from the right, and move the
stop line back 2m so that the cycle lane has free passage across the line of
stopped traffic.

Then sit back and let the nominations for cycle farcility of the month roll
in!

More seriously, make it a light controlled junction. The traffic coming up
the leg does not then need to be in the middle of the road and the lights
sequence can include a "cyclists only" straight on phase.

pk


  #6  
Old January 26th 07, 11:31 AM posted to uk.rec.cycling
naked_draughtsman
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Posts: 210
Default help me design a cycle facility



On Jan 26, 10:10 am, Brendan Halpin wrote:
First thought: you're on to a loser -- forcing a left turn creates
a situation without a clean solution for bikes.

Second thought: well back from the junction create two on-road
advisory cycle lanes, one on the left and one on the right (up
against the centre line). Paint them red or whatever so they are
conspicuous. The one on the left should start earlier, and have
arrows indicating "left turn only", the one on the right should
have "straight ahead only" arrows and should continue past the
junction, a little clear of the stop line. The two cycle lanes may take
up 50% of the lane, but that's okay if they're advisory.


Cyclists would still have to cross the traffic coming the other way and
get into the centre cycle lane but it would make it easier to do a
right turn.

Maybe run the cycle lane around the corner a bit and put a toucan
crossing, but I doubt that would improve traffic flow and some cyclists
would prob still try and right turn anyway.

A footbridge/flyover thing would solve the problem nicely but I think
it would bump up the price of the scheme!

Where will the new cycle lane go when it goes down the blocked off bit
of road? Is this half of the carriageway planned for parking? (if a
cycle lane is put along there it probably will end up being used as
parking!)

peter

  #8  
Old January 26th 07, 11:43 AM posted to uk.rec.cycling
Ian Smith
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Posts: 3,622
Default help me design a cycle facility

On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 10:20:28 -0000, p.k. wrote:
Ian Smith wrote:
Thoughts?


Put a cycle lane down the centre of the road from the right, and move the
stop line back 2m so that the cycle lane has free passage across the line of
stopped traffic.


I can't move the stop line back due to visibility for traffic turning
right out of the stem looking for stuff approaching from the left.

Then sit back and let the nominations for cycle farcility of the month roll
in!


That's precisely what I'm trying to avoid.

More seriously, make it a light controlled junction.


Ah, should have mentioned - lights have a two year lead time
apparently (I have no idea why). I suggested putting a roadworks-type
system in, which I could hire from a number of sources this afternoon
if needs be. You could mount them on poles set in concrete-filled
oil-drums if you're worried about them going walkies, in which case
the system could be in place by the end of next week. Apparently this
is inconceivable.

regards, Ian SMith
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  #9  
Old January 26th 07, 11:49 AM posted to uk.rec.cycling
Ian Smith
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Posts: 3,622
Default help me design a cycle facility

On 26 Jan 2007, naked_draughtsman wrote:

Where will the new cycle lane go when it goes down the blocked off bit
of road? Is this half of the carriageway planned for parking? (if a
cycle lane is put along there it probably will end up being used as
parking!)


There's a big hole. However, it extends from the white line in the
middle of the road about half-way to the kerb, so there's a perfectly
serviceable width of carriageway about 1.5m wide from the kerb
outwards.

regards, Ian SMith
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  #10  
Old January 26th 07, 11:52 AM posted to uk.rec.cycling
Ian Smith
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Posts: 3,622
Default help me design a cycle facility

On Fri, 26 Jan, Rob Morley wrote:

I'd have thought a couple of bollards to make it too narrow for cars,
along with a couple of "no motor vehicles" or "cycles only" signs at the
junction, and "left turn only"/"no left turn" on the approach, would be
a pretty foolproof solution.


Fools are no problem. Car-drivers are something else.

regards, Ian SMith
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