[Closed] Another piece of great cycle infrastructure planning...

You've got to be kidding.
That's a new lane?

That's a beauty. Looks like it stops at the zebra crossing immediately after anyawy. Why not end it before the lamp post?

Should be well lit though

That 'bike' looks suspiciously hand-drawn....

Quality 👌

Stuff like this really annoys me.

Someone, somewhere signed off what is basically a waste of public money because they couldn't be arsed doing it properly.

Alternatively view as a piece of modern art which neatly encapsulates the shallow tepid pool of mediocrity that is 2020 Britain.

I walked past one the other day the cycle lane is fenced off and just ends with no way to continue.
The no cycling sign is a good 20-30' inside the point where the lane is fenced off from one side...(in the opposite direction its at least where the fence starts).

Umm not the best description.... basically you have to cycle into a no exit for bikes but at the point you can see the sign you are prevented from getting onto the busy A road alongside by a fence.

Someone, somewhere signed off what is basically a waste of public money because they couldn’t be arsed doing it properly.

Probably had a target to meet but didnt want to inconvenience any car drivers.

Obviously terrible but the segregation between footpath, cycle path and road is pretty good. Better than just painting lines. Five steps back, but one tiny step forward.

it's only there so drivers can shout "get in the bike lane!"

Tick box exercise

Boils my piss what a waste of cash

it’s only there so drivers can shout “get in the bike lane!” have somewhere to park

And the parking will be well lit!

Someone will probably say "Well it's better than nothing"

Actually it worse than nothing. At best is a waste of money as no one will use it. At worst it empowers dickheads in car to shout "Get in the cycle lane" and close pass people who don't want to dodge lampposts.

Not putting a cycle lane in would have avoided both.

Obviously terrible but the segregation between footpath, cycle path and road is pretty good. Better than just painting lines. Five steps back, but one tiny step forward.

Disagree. That cycle "thing" ( I won't legitimise it by calling it a lane) is an utter travesty.

Obviously terrible but the segregation between footpath, cycle path and road is pretty good.

Yeah it stopped that pedestrian near the crossing walking in the cycle path and wont be much good when the cyclist plays slalom into the footpath.
Still keeps the cyclist out of the way of the drivers.

The really frustrating thing about that is the fact that the road and footpath ar both pretty wide, this means that there should be enough room to build a proper, high quality lane.

it's worse than nothing

Absolutely this. It encourages the "get off the road" attitude because there is a cycle lane. The car driver won't notice the lamp post bang in the middle of it and won't care to listen to your pleading that the cycle land is a hazzard. It will one validate their feelings that cyclists are entitled and don't care for the rules.

We can only hope that the lamp post is going to be moved, but don't hold your breath.

Someone will probably say “Well it’s better than nothing”

Actually it worse than nothing. At best is a waste of money as no one will use it. At worst it empowers dickheads in car to shout “Get in the cycle lane” and close pass people who don’t want to dodge lampposts.

Not putting a cycle lane in would have avoided both.

Absolutely this ^^

Not far from me, the council did another tickbox exercise and painted [url= https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3558977,-2.0509549,3a,75y,50.69h,63.63t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sQiC3MMwn9NpGB1XFNNH1Bg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 ]THIS (Streetview)[/url]

The parked cars are fairly normal by the way. Sadly this was filmed in Spring - if you try and ride it now in Autumn, the cycle lane is filled with wet leaves, puddles and debris. Dare to put your wheel an inch the other side of it and it's an invitation for a close pass and a yell of "USE THE ******* CYCLE LANE!!"

Remove the lane altogether and you'd be fine.

Anyway that pic in the OP is worthy of inclusion in the Crap Cycle Lanes compendium:
http://wcc.crankfoot.xyz/facility-of-the-month/site-map.htm

We were supposed to get a new cycle lane along the A59 into town from two new housing developments. What's actually happened is that the developers have added shared use signs along the narrow pavement, "dismount" and "give way" signs at the roundabout, and where there's no pavement three 10m strips of paint.

It's even more galling because they've had temporary traffic lights along almost the whole road for a year now so they had the opportunity.

The whole thing is so blatantly corrupt it makes me furious. Wouldn't be surprised to see the local councillors in new Range Rovers this year.

The kerb a bit further along at the zebra is barmy too. You sure it's not a photoshopped bike?

Looks like it stops at the zebra crossing immediately after anyawy. Why not end it before the lamp post?

Actually no it continues, and across the face of the crossing so potential for pedestrian / cycle interface is big.   Not only that, these lane are built in front of bus stops so this brings two more issues:

a) A stopping bus now takes space up to the road centre line, there is no choice but to wait behind it regardless of vehicle.

b) People waiting for, or embarking/disembarking the bus are in the cycle lane as you approach, this being an argument waiting to happen.

However where the lane is not passing a parade of shops (this is that A110 Hertford road from Waltham Cross to Edmonton so fairly lengthy) or bus stops its merely a serrated-by-white-lines lane on the side of the road but with bollards between the lane and the main carriageway which is very good.   Although they are wide enough apart to allow people to park in the lane still....

The kerb a bit further along at the zebra is barmy too. You sure it’s not a photoshopped bike?

Yes I took the photo this morning myself whilst walking with Jnr to school, to send to the council.

Not putting a cycle lane in would have avoided both.

To be fair, pre-cycle lane that was all parked cars with people crossing the road randomly between them, its a lot better to cycle along this way despite the flaws.

Was it jointly-funded by The Spectator and the Telegraph?

That's a great pic crazy-legs. I especially like the way the parked cars have managed to block off both the cycle lane and the footpath, so as not to give other drivers even the slightest inconvenience.

Literally the first thing that came to mind when I saw the pic was the phrase of our time.

"World beating."

You should ride straight in to the lamp post and then sue the council.

That looks just like any cycle lane in Reading.

I actually tried a ride using the provided paths only. It took forever to get anywhere. Give way everywhere, street furniture, bus stops, travel twice as far and regular swaps to which side of the road the path is on.
My favourite is the 'cyclists dismount' sign.
100m of cones for roadworks or a railway bridge and a sign saying, cyclists **** off.

London has signs saying 'Narrow lanes do not overtake cyclists'.

Dare to put your wheel an inch the other side of it and it’s an invitation for a close pass and a yell of “USE THE ******* CYCLE LANE!!”

Had one of those in the week. Useless path marked as cycle lane, no actual way to get on it without practically stopping. Yet, they think they have the right to tell you where to ride!

I've been out of London for 10 years, so I'm going for a wild stab in the dark: Hertford Road, junction of Turkey Street❓

Further to funkmasterp’s comment above, What would happen if someone did ride into that post and seriously injure themselves? Surely the council would be liable?

I’ve been out of London for 10 years, so I’m going for a wild stab in the dark: Hertford Road, junction of Turkey Street

100% correct.

What would happen if someone did ride into that post and seriously injure themselves? Surely the council would be liable?

You would hope so, but my guess is that the defence would say something like:

This is Britain, our cycle infrastructure is nearly always shit. The cyclist should have been aware of the possibility of there being deadly steel black objects in tha middle of the "cycle" lane. It was their responsibility to foresee this and take necessary precautions.

That road looks like a perfect opportunity for a Road Diet.

Thanks @DezB for confirming I'm not the only one who swears at drivers and incriminates myself on my camera footage 🙂

You would hope so, but my guess is that the defence would say something like:

This is Britain, our cycle infrastructure is nearly always shit. The cyclist should have been aware of the possibility of there being deadly steel black objects in tha middle of the “cycle” lane. It was their responsibility to foresee this and take necessary precautions.

Apparently completely black objects lurking in the gloom are no less visible than day-glo clad blinky light covered ones*, It's entirely your fault if you hit one of them...

TBH 90% of the time I dismiss pavement painted lines and stick to the road, I can deal with the occasional clarksonite yelling at me to get in the cycle lane far better than I would hitting an earphone wearing ped or innocent lamp post...

(*Slight exaggeration)

https://twitter.com/russiankiwi3/status/1330512892303642629?s=20

That one above is appalling.

Just for balance they may be waiting for someone else to move the lamppost. We had a bus layby installed for the local school a few years back, and it tooko a couple of months for the lampost that had been on the pavement to be moved back to where the pavement now was, from the middle of the layby.

Thanks @DezB for confirming I’m not the only one who swears at drivers

I actually only swear at ****s