Thursday, 27 September 2007

Cycle-Friendly Infrastructure

If you want to know what good cycle facilities should look like then get a copy of "Cycle-Friendly Infrastructure: Guidelines for Planning and Design".



http://www.iht.org/publications/technical/cyclefriendly.asp


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Car Drivers Get Out and Push

If your local council proposed a road that you had to push your car along there would be an outcry in the press, so why do we accept cycle paths you cannot cycle on?



Councils and others who who create this kind of thing simply demonstrate that they are not prepared to do the job properly.

Cambridge signs

"bladder inflammation upset"

"The use of “CYCLISTS DISMOUNT” and “END OF ROUTE” signs should always be avoided unless there is a proven need."

Design Guidance
‘Cyclists dismount’ and ‘End of Route’ signs
These two signs have been used indiscriminately and incorrectly by many local authorities.
The ‘cyclists dismount’ sign (Diagram 966) is widely ignored by cyclists who understandably wish to remain on their bikes. With careful design it should be possible to design a cycle route that avoids the use of this sign and replaces it with a give way option to join the carriageway or another route (see also B.09 Obstruction of cycle track accesses).
Draft DfT guidance (LTN 3.03) states that Diagram 965 “Indicates the end of a cycle lane, track or route. Can be used with Diagrams 1057 and 1058. It should not be used for short breaks in the route. The use of this sign is not mandatory and it should be used sparingly”.


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Saturday, 22 September 2007

Connect2 in Croydon - Fairfield Path

I have just received a copy of a poster for Connect2, a Sustrans cycle project.

Sadly the proposed routes in Croydon are of the usual poor quality.

At a fist glance the biggest problem is that the design includes the conversion of the busy narrow and steep Fairfield Path into a cycle route. This is a dangerous proposal, since parts of the path are very steep and often slippery. Much better cycle routes could be achieved in this area without making life unpleasant for local pedestrians who use the path.



Satellite Image - steep part of the Fairfield Path

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