Someone on the CycleChat forums drew my attention to the government’s Red Tape Challenge, web site, and in particular to the section on Road Safety and Cycling. I’ve been getting pretty fed up with problems caused by poor quality cycle lane provision, so decided to put a proposal on there. As I write this, my post is awaiting moderation, but here is the content.
My submission relates to the standard of cycle lane provision in those places where a cycle lane has been provided.
Sub-standard cycle lanes may often make cycling more dangerous than it would have been in the absence of the cycle lane, because they have a negative effect on the attitudes and behaviour of drivers towards cyclists, and they often encourage cyclists to take up a road position that is in itself dangerous. Most of the cycle lane provision in this country falls well below the standard specified in the DfT’s own guidelines (http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/tpm/ltnotes/ltn208.pdf). This is particularly true in relation to lanes widths of so-called advisory cycle lanes, and I would like to propose improvements in two partcular areas with regard to this issue.
First, most cycle lanes do not meet the minimum acceptable width of 2.0m (or 1.5m on roads with a 30mph speed limit) specified in section 7.4.2 of those guidelines, and a large proportion fall seriously short of this standard, having widths of on 0.5m.
Second, in cases where there is a local restriction to carriageway width, a significant number of cycle lanes are designed to preserve the quality of the main carriageway rather than to preserve the quality of the cycle lane as specified in section 7.4.3 of those guidelines. In such cases, the width of the main carriageway should be reduced in order to maintain the cycle lane width.
Much of this seems to be the result of a misunderstanding ion the part of designers regarding the purpose of advisory cycle lanes, which is not to exclude motor vehicles from that part of the carriageway, but rather to indicate to drivers that amount of space they should be leaving when overtaking cycles, and to emphasise that priority should be given to cyclists in that part of the road.
I wish to propose, therefore, that it should be made illegal for highway authorities to install cycle lanes that do not meet the specifications set out in the DfT guidelines, and that designers should be educated regarding the application of these guidelines. In cases where these specifications cannot be met, there should be no cycle lane installed, and other measures to improve cycle safety should be considered, such as 20mph speed limits and enforcement. In addition, a timetable should be set out for the improvement or removal of all sub-standard cycle lanes that are currently in existence.
Finally, I wish to propose that it be made illegal to park a vehicle in a cycle lane, irrespective of whether it is a mandatory or advisory cycle lane.
I’ll mention here if anything happens in relation to this issue. (But don’t hold your breath!)