A new(ish) Cycle Lane

Dear All,

I have some serious safety concerns regarding the newly implemented
cycle lanes on Kilmarnock Road in Glasgow, which is on a route I
frequently use. As you may expect it is inadequate. I have draughted a
letter for the council expressing my concerns. Can you folk be good
enough to help as follows.

1) Cast your eyes over the letter and make suggestions for possible
improvement.
2) Does anyone know the name/address of the correct recipient at Glasgow
City Council?

Thanks for your help.

Cheers

Bob


----------------draughted letter
follows----------------------------------------------------

Dear Sir/Madam

New Cycle Lanes on Kilmarnock Road

I am writing to you about the new cycle lanes that have recently been
introduced on both the north and south routes of Kilmarnock Road (A77),
from approximately Newlandsfield Road to Nether Auldhouse Road. As a
frequent cyclist and user of this route I have concerns about them.

It is a rule of the road for car drivers that you give parked cars a
reasonable margin when passing, so that in the event of a car occupant
unexpectedly opening an offside door, no collision will occur. Indeed,
one may fail a driving test for failing to do so. A similar principle
applies to cycles. It is accepted by those working in cycle safety that
cyclists should give a similar wide berth to parked cars for identical
reasons. The government approved text "Cyclecraft"* (page 66) suggests
1.5m/5ft as a minimum clearance. In the case of cyclists the need to
maintain a wide berth is even more pressing than for cars, as the risks
of personal injury are higher than to a car driver.

In view of this simple rule of road safety, I am puzzled as to how I am
to safely use the new cycle lanes on Kilmarnock Road. These lanes are
about 1m wide and over much of the distance, the lanes are placed to the
right of parked vehicles. If one were to cycle along the centre of the
lanes, the cyclist would be approximately 50-60cm from the offside
doors. This is exactly where the cyclist should not be for reasons
stated above. To cycle the route in safety one must thus ignore the
cycle lanes, riding just to the outside on the main carriageway. In
effect, there is no point in the lanes being there.

There is another problem with these lanes. It is a fact derived from
accident analysis that most cycling accidents are associated with
junctions. Cyclecraft recommends that when cycling past a junction, the
cyclist should, if traffic allows, increase his distance from the
junction to help avoid potential collisions. If we look at the cycle
lanes in question, we find that the road markings have been changed to
decrease the distance at most junctions (e.g Calderwood Rd., Beverly
Rd., Carlaverock Rd. and others) thereby increasing the potential risks
of collision.

To conclude, I would be grateful if you would provide responses to the
following questions.

· What design guides or standards did you employ when designing
the cycle routes?
· How do you feel that the finished cycle lanes enhance the safety
of the cyclists that use them?
· Given the existing discrepancies between safe riding, as
described in Cyclecraft, and the layout of the lanes in question, how
can the lanes be improved?


Yours sincerely,




Bob Downie.

*Cyclecraft (The definitive guide to skilled cycling technique),
Franklin, J., Published by the Stationery Office

--
Bob Downie
Downie GeoScience Ltd.
please remove #n0spam# to reply directly

Bob:

I appreciate all that you say (how about some pics for our
entertainment?) but I suspect that all you'll get is a typical "We wuz
following the approved guidelines so.... on yer bike!"

Good luck to you.

Robert

Bob Downie said the following on 31/08/2006 14:11:

I have some serious safety concerns regarding the newly implemented
cycle lanes on Kilmarnock Road in Glasgow, which is on a route I
frequently use.

From your description, it sounds as if the cycle lane markings are
indicating where you should *not* be cycling. Pictures???

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

I appreciate all that you say (how about some pics for our
entertainment?) but I suspect that all you'll get is a typical "We wuz
following the approved guidelines so.... on yer bike!"

You are probably right but as I have to use the wretched thing, whether
I like it or not, I feel I have to pursue it. This one's personal!

Cheers
--
Bob Downie
Downie GeoScience Ltd.
please remove #n0spam# to reply directly

In message , Paul
Boyd writes
Bob Downie said the following on 31/08/2006 14:11:

I have some serious safety concerns regarding the newly implemented
cycle lanes on Kilmarnock Road in Glasgow, which is on a route I
frequently use.

From your description, it sounds as if the cycle lane markings are
indicating where you should *not* be cycling. Pictures???

Give me a day or 2 but I'll do some pictures. Its the usual depressing
stuff, however, the lane hard up against a row of parked cars.

You are absolutely correct, however, the lane marking are exactly where
you shouldn't be.

Cheers
--
Bob Downie
Downie GeoScience Ltd.
please remove #n0spam# to reply directly

Bob Downie wrote:

Dear All,

I have some serious safety concerns regarding the newly implemented
cycle lanes on Kilmarnock Road in Glasgow, which is on a route I
frequently use. As you may expect it is inadequate. I have draughted a
letter for the council expressing my concerns. Can you folk be good
enough to help as follows.

1) Cast your eyes over the letter and make suggestions for possible
improvement.

snip

There is another problem with these lanes. It is a fact derived from
accident analysis that most cycling accidents are associated with
junctions. Cyclecraft recommends that when cycling past a junction, the
cyclist should, if traffic allows, increase his distance from the
junction to help avoid potential collisions. If we look at the cycle
lanes in question, we find that the road markings have been changed to
decrease the distance at most junctions (e.g Calderwood Rd., Beverly
Rd., Carlaverock Rd. and others) thereby increasing the potential risks
of collision.

Perhaps you meant to say "cyclist should, if traffic allows, increase
increase his distance from the kerb", which could be put into
inclusive language as "cyclists should, if traffic allows,
increaseincrease their distance..."
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

Bob Downie wrote:
Dear All,

I have some serious safety concerns regarding the newly implemented
cycle lanes on Kilmarnock Road in Glasgow, which is on a route I
frequently use. As you may expect it is inadequate. I have draughted a
letter for the council expressing my concerns. Can you folk be good
enough to help as follows.

Are they anything like these:-

http://tinyurl.com/l52uh

(It's a link to a google maps satellite view of Sheen Road in SW
London). Cycle lanes going outside designated car parking spaces.

I checked the area you describe and the satellite photos on google
aren't recent enough to show them.

Reminds me to go and take a photo of my latest favourite cycle path...

-Alex

Alex said the following on 31/08/2006 15:46:

Are they anything like these:-

http://tinyurl.com/l52uh

Yeuch - that cycle lane going straight across the end of Peldon Court
looks dodgy. It looks as if cyclists have right of way - is that the
case in intention and practice?

(Never mind the car door danger zone problem! Still, another box ticked
in the councils "cycling facility" forms.)

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

In message . com, Alex
writes
Bob Downie wrote:
Dear All,

I have some serious safety concerns regarding the newly implemented
cycle lanes on Kilmarnock Road in Glasgow, which is on a route I
frequently use. As you may expect it is inadequate. I have draughted a
letter for the council expressing my concerns. Can you folk be good
enough to help as follows.

Are they anything like these:-

http://tinyurl.com/l52uh


Very similar but without the pink top. In the top left of the view you
can also see how they have brought the give-way lines forward on the
side road junction.

--
Bob Downie
Downie GeoScience Ltd.
please remove #n0spam# to reply directly

"Bob Downie" wrote in message
...
Dear All,

I have some serious safety concerns regarding the newly implemented
cycle lanes on Kilmarnock Road in Glasgow, which is on a route I
frequently use.

[snip]

I would advise, as well as sending your letter, getting in touch with
your local "cycling activism" group. I assume Glasgow has one.

If it does have one, the bureaucrats will probably have decided that
it is the official voice of every Glasgow cyclist, including you, and
therefore, if you disagree with the "experts on cycling" you should
be ignored.

By the nature of things those most active in the group will probably
those wanting change. They will want change because they are those
who have most difficulty in riding on the roads as they are.

Those who have trouble riding on the roads likely have trouble
because they are doing things wrongly. When they demand facilities
they will want facilities in accord with their riding style - for
example riding very close to the kerb, or on the pavement, or very
close to a car door. In effect using the facilities will make their
bad riding style compulsory.

Officialdom my well lean to one side or the other. Since officialdom
is mostly made up of non cyclists, they may favour a group of
cyclists that advocates getting cyclists out of the way of motorists.

There will be people who are not really interested in cycling at all.
There will be those who want to encourage cycling with the slogan,
"Cycling is difficult and dangerous, but it is your duty to do it
anyway, to save the planet"

Go along to a few meetings, and find out who's who. If you don't go,
you will be letting the other side win by default. If you speak,
always attack policies, never people.

In addition to dealing with people, you will need to know what
Scotland's Design Standards say. They are on the web somewhere, I
think.. If the facility does not meet design standards, you have
ammunition to help you. If the facility does meet design standards,
but is still bad, you have a bigger problem. You probably will need
to get the standards changed. Get advice from CTC Scotland.

Don't expect victories to be quick. Don't expect victories to be
complete. But if you do nothing, you have already lost

Jeremy Parker
Barnet Borough Coordinator
London Cycling Campaign.