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Putting cyclists at risk
From the pages of the Scotsman
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=304402004 ============== Cyclists put at risk from road safety schemes, claims group ALASTAIR DALTON TRANSPORT CORRESPONDENT ROAD-SAFETY measures designed to protect cyclists are putting them at greater risk from other traffic, according to a new Scotland-wide body. Cycling Scotland said the shortcomings of some traffic-calming and road "improvements" had increased the danger of cyclists being hit by vehicles or colliding with pedestrians. The group said, despite such schemes being funded by Scottish Executive grants to make streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians, local-authority officials had failed to follow design guidelines. Cycling Scotland said they include slippery rubber "speed cushions" in Ayrshire, cycle lanes being introduced against the flow of traffic in Glasgow city centre, and awkwardly positioned cycle lanes near roundabouts elsewhere. "Pinch points" that narrow crossings for pedestrians also funnelled cyclists into traffic, it said. Michael Addiscott, a spokesman for the group, said: "There are many places where cyclists get squeezed into the traffic flow, are directed into pedestrian crossings or are faced with pedestrians walking off pavements on to contraflow cycle lanes. Unfortunately, the engineers who are responsible for installing these treatments do not often understand the needs of the intended user. They are discouraging those they are meant to be helping, and in many instances putting them at real risk." For example, Mr Addiscott said cycle lanes on the left side of roads approaching roundabouts forced cyclists turning right or going straight ahead to cut across traffic turning left. He claimed the problem lay with local-authority roads officials failing to consult relevant design manuals when constructing such schemes. However, he said he hoped the official launch of Cycling Scotland as the country’s first national umbrella body would improve the co-ordination and planning of future projects. The organisation, which is funded by the Executive, aims to help ministers meet their target of quadrupling cycling between 1996 and 2012. Mr Addiscott said cycling could help tackle child obesity, with the pursuit more popular among youngsters than football. However, while surveys have shown 46 per cent of children would like to cycle to school, just 2 per cent do so. Cycling Scotland said 80 per cent of households had access to a bike, and twice as many bikes as cars were sold in Scotland every year. -- Wallace Shackleton, Kinross, Scotland. Cycling in Kinross-shire www.cyclekinross.org.uk Perth & Kinross Cycle Campaign www.bycycle.org.uk |
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#2
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Putting cyclists at risk
"Wallace Shackleton" wrote in message
... From the pages of the Scotsman http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=304402004 ============== Cyclists put at risk from road safety schemes, claims group ALASTAIR DALTON TRANSPORT CORRESPONDENT ROAD-SAFETY measures designed to protect cyclists are putting them at greater risk from other traffic, according to a new Scotland-wide body. Cycling Scotland said the shortcomings of some traffic-calming and road "improvements" had increased the danger of cyclists being hit by vehicles or colliding with pedestrians. The group said, despite such schemes being funded by Scottish Executive grants to make streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians, local-authority officials had failed to follow design guidelines. Big snip Could apply to almost all local authorities in England as well, so this is a UK-wide problem, and has been for years. LA has funds to "do something for cyclists" and the usual response is to do something which looks good, but is highly impractical, and can be dangerous. In England, the ERCDT (English Regions Cycling Development Team) was supposed to be sorting this out, but in the SW at least, they didn't actually talk to anyone except the LAs themselves, and certainly not cyclists, which has resulted in their reports being highly biased, and of questionable use. |
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Putting cyclists at risk
On Tue, 16 Mar 2004 07:11:17 +0000 someone who may be Wallace
Shackleton wrote this:- http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=304402004 ALASTAIR DALTON TRANSPORT CORRESPONDENT "Pinch points" that narrow crossings for pedestrians also funnelled cyclists into traffic, it said. I do hope it didn't say that and The Scotsman has got it wrong. -- David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government prevents me using the RIP Act 2000. |
#4
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Putting cyclists at risk
On Tue, 16 Mar 2004 08:13:30 +0000, David Hansen
wrote (more or less): On Tue, 16 Mar 2004 07:11:17 +0000 someone who may be Wallace Shackleton wrote this:- http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=304402004 ALASTAIR DALTON TRANSPORT CORRESPONDENT "Pinch points" that narrow crossings for pedestrians also funnelled cyclists into traffic, it said. I do hope it didn't say that and The Scotsman has got it wrong. IMO any pinch point that pinches from the pavement to the centre does funnel cyclists into the vehicular traffic. Especially if there is a cycle lane preceding the pinch point, and following the pinch point, which the pinch point is effectively built over. And, again IMO, pinch points created by using traffic islands are a different matter. Cheers, Euan Gawnsoft: http://www.gawnsoft.co.sr Symbian/Epoc wiki: http://html.dnsalias.net:1122 Smalltalk links (harvested from comp.lang.smalltalk) http://html.dnsalias.net/gawnsoft/smalltalk |
#5
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Putting cyclists at risk
Wallace Shackle wrote:
From the pages of the Scotsman Cyclists put at risk from road safety schemes, claims group ALASTAIR DALTON TRANSPORT CORRESPONDENT ROAD-SAFETY measures designed to protect cyclists are putting them at greater risk from other traffic, according to a new Scotland- wide body... I worked as a Town Planner for 5 years and if there is one thing tha was made abundantly clear during that time it is that Local Authorit Highway Engineers know sweet fanny adams about designing for cyclists The vast majority of highway engineers always believe in the primacy o the motor car above all other considerations, and go into collectiv fits of apoplexy if you dare to suggest that perhaps the car should tak second stage to other concerns Until you can edify the engineers, you are going to continue to ge absolutely crap "traffic calming" that introduces greater potentia for accidents, more marginalisation of cyclists, and god-awfu residential layouts It isn't just Scotland that is suffering, it's the whole of Britain : - |
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Putting cyclists at risk
Gawnsoft wrote in
: IMO any pinch point that pinches from the pavement to the centre does funnel cyclists into the vehicular traffic. I think that's what David was commenting about. Cyclists can't be funnelled into traffic as they *are* traffic. Funnelled into *other* traffic or cars maybe, but we are valid vehicular traffic. Talking about cyclists as if they were some sort of separate entity helps reinforce opinions along the lines of "It's our road, we paid road tax for it[1], get on the cycle path!" type nonsense. Graeme [1] A statement which is itself complete rubbish. |
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Putting cyclists at risk
In article ,
Gawnsoft writes: I do hope it didn't say that and The Scotsman has got it wrong. IMO any pinch point that pinches from the pavement to the centre does funnel cyclists into the vehicular traffic. I rather suspect David was being pedantic about the definition of traffic. Correct, but probably not helpful. -- Nick Kew |
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Putting cyclists at risk
Wallace Shackleton wrote in message .. .
From the pages of the Scotsman http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=304402004 This is news? Almost all of the cycle "facilities" I know make cycling slower, more difficult, more inconvenient and more dangerous. -- Dave... |
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Putting cyclists at risk
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#10
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Putting cyclists at risk
In article ,
David Hansen writes: Correct, but probably not helpful. The idea that cycles are not part of the traffic is one of the most dangerous ideas that road builders have. It encourages the "let's In this forum, you're preaching to the choir. In any forum where correcting that misapprehension is necessary, a mere pedantic point is not sufficient. You'd have to explain. -- Nick Kew |
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