Bez: UK Cycling Infrastructure Guidelines
Opinion

Bez: UK Cycling Infrastructure Guidelines

October 30, 2015

The main focus of the Beyond the Kerb blog has always been the aspect of road use in general which I find—literally, in all too many cases—morbidly fascinating: people’s attitudes, which are manifested not just in people’s personal use of the roads, but also in the media and, most concerningly of all, law. But, occasionally, I mention cycling infrastructure.

For the most part, I don’t write about infrastructure because there are many people who do it far better than I could ever hope to (if you want infrastructure-rich blogs, check out A View From the Cycle Path, As Easy as Riding a Bike, The Alternative Department for Transport and Crap Waltham Forest to name but a few). But to my mind infrastructure has always been, if anything, a somewhat incendiary topic, not least because until a few years ago I’d only ever seen stuff that was dire: so dire that, unhesitatingly, I’d rather take my chances among the fast, heavy vehicles of the main carriageway than use it.

So, instead of blogging diligently about infrastructure, I tweet somewhat facetiously about it, via Bollocksinfra (and before that, it lived on Tumblr). But I thought it might be time to pick out a sort of “greatest hits” collection for an article.

So, without further ado, here are The Bollocksinfra UK Cycling Infrastructure Guidelines.

1. Don’t spoil the atmos

As we all know, cycling is not a valid means of getting to an actual destination. It’s for those days out when you’re happy to stop at every junction to whip out a map and see where you are and where you’re going. It’s all part of that image that everyone is chasing when they jump on a bike: the freedom and quiet of the 1950s British countryside. You’ve probably got a wicker basket containing either a Scots terrier or a picnic with plenty of ginger beer. If we were to put up signs telling people where routes go, your idyllic day out would be ruined by all sorts of working class people trying to get to factories and coalpits and stuff, and that simply wouldn’t do.

Obviously, sometimes the signage department slips up and lets people know where they’re headed. But don’t worry: the planning department is always there as a backup, to show these ghastly commuting types that the bicycle is wholly unsuited to purposeful transport.

2. Be concise

Never let it be said that signage is not a useful tool. Sometimes, it’s so useful that it can make up the entire of a project.

In recent times, however, the public have been more discerning, and some highway engineers consider painting just a bicycle symbol in the carriageway to be insufficient.

3. Never forget the hierarchy of provision

As everyone knows, the bicycle is the lowest form of transport. Anyone using one must always give way: to drivers leaving their driveways…

…to drivers leaving car parks…

https://twitter.com/jamesgleave1/status/463756299520708608

…to, er, parking spaces…

…and to, well, nothing at all.

It’s only fair.

4. Know your customer

All cyclists are able-bodied, fit, and love nothing more than to get off their bike and lift it into the air. No-one uses bicycles for shopping, for assistive mobility, for carrying luggage, for carrying passengers or for towing loads. No-one uses tricycles or handcycles, and no-one would ever want a safe, accessible route for a mobility scooter or wheelchair. All of which means that cycling infrastructure should take its inspiration from cyclocross courses and The Crystal Maze.

5. Less is more

Don’t think that a project has to be big in order for you to leave your mark as a designer. Sometimes the smallest projects offer the greatest freedom of expression. From tiny acorns grow mighty oaks!

6. Think inside the box

Too much freedom can actually inhibit your creativity. As a highway engineer, you’ll relish the fascinating challenge of dividing up existing bits of tarmac with some new paint.

Don’t forget that cycling infrastructure is incredibly versatile.

7. Think outside the box

You are slave to no-one. You have the power. Rules are for squares. It’s not like cyclists ever stick to the rules anyway, so there’s no point making it clear to anyone who’s got priority or what the hell’s generally going on. Draw some stuff and take the afternoon off.

8. Speed doesn’t kill

Speed isn’t important: what’s important is that everyone stays on their own bits of the tarmac. Adding infrastructure to a 70mph-limit road is fine, because if anything goes wrong, someone must have been crossing a bit of paint, which means it absolutely isn’t your fault.

9. Stick to the brand guidelines

If you call it a Superhighway, it must be good. Don’t listen to the naysayers.

10. Everyone rides mountain bikes these days

People all ride mountain bikes, and they do so because they love the adventure of cycling. They love the mud and water that their bikes are specifically adapted to, and we should make them feel as at home as possible on cycleways.

What’s more, people love the technical challenge of obstacles. It gives them a sense of satisfaction.

11. Design to prevent crime

Bicycle theft is a serious and growing problem. The infrastructure community can help to prevent bicycle theft, by making it as difficult as possible for people to park their bikes.

12. Keep the dream alive

It would be a grey day indeed if we were to let reality shackle our hopes and dreams of convincing people that bicycles are not proper transport. If we have an opportunity to spread that message, we should do so.

Don’t worry, though: once the following year’s budget comes in, we’ll be back to sort it out.

13. Carpe diem

One day, there will come a rare opportunity to demonstrate to the world your true feelings about people who ride bicycles. Seize it!

Oh, and wheelchairs? They’re just sideways bicycles. We hate them, too.

9 thoughts on “Bez: UK Cycling Infrastructure Guidelines”

  2. Luckily for Bollocks Infra, there is enough of this crap to keep their twitter feed going for some time. It’s pretty depressing that you see this kind of stuff in most towns in the UK. I hope the shaming has some effect…

  3. I think I could find a local example of every one of these types of Bollocks Infrastructure. 2x Cycling Demonstration Town money well spent.

  5. So what can we do about it?

    Is anyone pushing for a national minimum standard for cycle facilities that is mandatory for Highway authorities to follow?

    TFL had some good guidance, but I don’t think they followed it themselves!

  6. What’s is so enraging is that is OUR money those bastards are pissing away on shitty infrastructure. The ex-highways bloke in the office says none other of the Suffolk twonks ride bikes and don’t or won’t understand the issues. We end up with cycle lanes painted on service roads as they are several hundred metres of ‘facility’ that don’t require engineering but do tick the box. They also waste the budget you morons.

  9. I;m periodically harrassing my local highways officer, Transport Committee Chairman, cycling officer and LAF chairman with local examples.
    They don’t reply.

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