Traffic calming

Danny Colyer

Does anyone have any references to hand concerning good practice when
implementing traffic calming measures? I'm particularly interested in
the effects on cyclists of road narrowing and speed cushions.

The road adjacent to the one that I live on is about to have a 20mph
speed limit applied (a good thing). In preparation for this, over the
last couple of weeks pavement build-outs have been installed, to narrow
the road. I'm not entirely happy about them, but can live with them.

This evening I was shocked to find that speed cushions had been
installed between the pavement build-outs, leaving me the choice of
riding along the middle of the road to go between the cushions, or
squeezing through the gap between the cushion and the pavement. There
was no way I was going to try riding over them.

I'm babysitting tonight, so won't have time to hunt for references. But
I'm off work tomorrow, so should have plenty of time to do some research
and write a letter.

--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
<URL:http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

Adrian Boliston

"Danny Colyer" <danny@speedy5.freeserve.giggle> wrote:

> Does anyone have any references to hand concerning good practice when
> implementing traffic calming measures? I'm particularly interested in
> the effects on cyclists of road narrowing and speed cushions.

I don't mind narrowing as long as it does not involve the dreaded glass
filled "cycle bypass" that some motorists might expect us to use!

Any sort of ramp or textured surface (eg block paving) is serious bad news,
as they affect cyclists far more than motorists.

Richard Goodman

"Danny Colyer" <danny@speedy5.freeserve.giggle> wrote in message
news:cpa5t9$14o$1@news7.svr.pol.co.uk...
> Does anyone have any references to hand concerning good practice when
> implementing traffic calming measures? I'm particularly interested in the
> effects on cyclists of road narrowing and speed cushions.
>

If there is, they don't seem to use them in London!
....
> This evening I was shocked to find that speed cushions had been installed
> between the pavement build-outs, leaving me the choice of riding along the
> middle of the road to go between the cushions, or squeezing through the
> gap between the cushion and the pavement. There was no way I was going to
> try riding over them.
>

Yep, sound just like the ones all over the place here. They're a nuisance,
but just chicanes - go left, go right, go over the top if necessary. You'll
get used to it after a while.... there isn't much choice

Of course, if you do find a way of forcing a change, short of taking direct
action with a JCB I'm sure everyone would like to know.

Rich

Tony Raven

Danny Colyer wrote:
> Does anyone have any references to hand concerning good practice when
> implementing traffic calming measures? I'm particularly interested in
> the effects on cyclists of road narrowing and speed cushions.
>

The best guide is Section 7 of Cycling Friendly Infrastructure:
Guidelines for Planning and Design (available from CTC) and Traffic
Advisory Leaflet 1/97 (available from DfT) together with Cycle Audit and
Cycle Review (on-line) that requires that off-road provision is at the
bottom of the hierarchy and only for when on road provision is not possible.


http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/grou...ads_504721.hcsp
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/grou..._504706-01.hcsp

Tony

findaddress@thebikezone.org.uk

Hi Danny,

Try this to start with,
http://www.thebikezone.org.uk/thebi...inchpoints.html

Danny Colyer

Tony Raven wrote:
> The best guide is Section 7 of Cycling Friendly Infrastructure:
> Guidelines for Planning and Design (available from CTC) and Traffic
> Advisory Leaflet 1/97 (available from DfT) together with Cycle Audit and
> Cycle Review (on-line) that requires that off-road provision is at the
> bottom of the hierarchy and only for when on road provision is not possible.
>
> http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/grou...ads_504721.hcsp
> http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/grou..._504706-01.hcsp

Thanks Tony. Interesting to see that the leaflet advising on cyclists
at road narrowings has no problem with narrowings in 20mph zones:
"Where average speeds are below 20mph, cyclists and motorists should be
able to comfortably share space. The maintenance of low vehicle speeds
reduces the need for specific provision for cyclists."

"In 20mph zones, a narrowing will normally need to be 3.5m or less to be
effective in controlling vehicle speeds."

I couldn't find any mention of speed cushions, though. I wouldn't
object too strongly to either a narrowing or speed cushions, given that
the speed limit is to be 20mph, but I think the speed cushions within
the narrowing are dangerous.

I'll have to go and take some photos tomorrow.

--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
<URL:http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

Danny Colyer

findaddress at thebikezone.org.uk wrote:
> Try this to start with,
> http://www.thebikezone.org.uk/thebi...inchpoints.html

Thanks. From the address that you posted from, I guess you're involved
with this site. FYI, there's a dead link in the above page.
<URL:http://www.roads.dft.gov.uk/roadnetwork/ditm/tal/cycle/01_97/index.htm>
should now be:
<URL:http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_roads/documents/page/dft_roads_504706.hcsp>
(one of the links posted by Tony).

It's an interesting page, anyway.

--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
<URL:http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

Paul Luton

In message <41b8a7fb$0$65926$14726298@news.sunsite.dk>
"Richard Goodman" <rsk@NOSPAM.homechoice.co.uk> wrote:

> "Danny Colyer" <danny@speedy5.freeserve.giggle> wrote in message
> news:cpa5t9$14o$1@news7.svr.pol.co.uk...
> ...
> > This evening I was shocked to find that speed cushions had been installed
> > between the pavement build-outs, leaving me the choice of riding along the
> > middle of the road to go between the cushions, or squeezing through the
> > gap between the cushion and the pavement. There was no way I was going to
> > try riding over them.
> >
>
> Yep, sound just like the ones all over the place here. They're a nuisance,
> but just chicanes - go left, go right, go over the top if necessary. You'll
> get used to it after a while.... there isn't much choice
>
Just do not go over the sloping sides in icy conditions - you will end up
horizontal. (been there got the sore side).

--
CTC Right to Ride Representative for Richmond upon Thames

Sniper8052

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sniper:
The purpose of traffic islands is not to provide a safe area for pedestrians, excepting at pedestrian crossings, or to denote the difference between two speed limits or mark the entrance to a village, although they may be used for any of the above. The purpose of a traffic island is to seperate opposing traffic which might otherwise come into conflict.
Whilst the page is interesting it proceeds from a mistaken premisis in the first few lines.

Sniper8052

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

dkahn400

Danny Colyer wrote:

> Thanks Tony. Interesting to see that the leaflet advising on
> cyclists at road narrowings has no problem with narrowings in
> 20mph zones:
> "Where average speeds are below 20mph, cyclists and motorists
> should be able to comfortably share space. The maintenance of
> low vehicle speeds reduces the need for specific provision for
> cyclists."

The problem is that there's a difference between a road in a 20 mph
zone and a road on which average speeds are below 20 mph.

--
Dave...

Colin McKenzie

Sniper8052 wrote:
> The purpose of traffic islands is not to provide a safe area for
> pedestrians, excepting at pedestrian crossings, or to denote the
> difference between two speed limits or mark the entrance to a village,
> although they may be used for any of the above. The purpose of a
> traffic island is to seperate opposing traffic which might otherwise
> come into conflict.
> Whilst the page is interesting it proceeds from a mistaken premisis in
> the first few lines.

Well, I know a couple put in to stop motor vehicles hitting each other
head-on by cutting corners. They act as pinch points for cyclists to
be cut up in, since the gap is 3.0m and most drivers speed at 35-40.

There's no room to widen the gaps, and the islands have to stay, so
the only hope is to reduce speeds with cushions.

On kerb build-outs, most are to improve pedestrian visibility at
crossings. this means they could only go where there is a high level
of kerbside car parking. I.e where cyclists will already be far enough
out to miss the build-outs without changing course.

Colin McKenzie

Mike Causer

On Fri, 10 Dec 2004 20:46:50 +1100, Sniper8052 wrote:

> The purpose of traffic islands is not to provide a safe area for
> pedestrians, excepting at pedestrian crossings, or to denote the
> difference between two speed limits or mark the entrance to a village,
> although they may be used for any of the above. The purpose of a traffic
> island is to seperate opposing traffic which might otherwise come into
> conflict.

In that case why is a new island being constructed this morning on a
straight road 200m from the nearest bend and 100m from the nearest road
junction, in the middle of a village? Oh, and why is it right opposite
the village hall? For that matter, why is there a half-built island on
another straight section of the same road, opposite the Sports & Social
Club, and yet another older one opposite the child nursery? They are
there in a vain attempt to get the cars, vans and lorries to slow down as
they go past these points. And to present a new hazard to cyclists of
course :-( At a place where there _is_ a serious danger of conflict
there is no room to put an island, so there isn't one.

Luckily there is a back route along narrow lanes -- which at the moment is
full of rat-runners avoiding the temporary traffic lights on the High
Street.


Mike

Richard Goodman

"Sniper8052" <Sniper8052.1h1lly@no-mx.forums.cyclingforums.com> wrote in
message news:Sniper8052.1h1lly@no-mx.forums.cyclingforums.com...
> Sniper:
> The purpose of traffic islands is not to provide a safe area for
> pedestrians, excepting at pedestrian crossings, or to denote the
> difference between two speed limits or mark the entrance to a village,
> although they may be used for any of the above. The purpose of a
> traffic island is to seperate opposing traffic which might otherwise
> come into conflict.

Well, they often put motorcyclists and cyclists into potential conflict with
opposing traffic when they have to go round the wrong side of the island to
pass queuing traffic, instead of proceeding uninterupted down the middle of
the road Of course, they aren't the only ones that do it - I've also
been passed by cars that way on occasions, because I wouldn't let them
squeeze me into the kerb at the pinch-points they create.

Does anyone ever bother to monitor the 'before' and 'after' effects of all
these islands scattered liberally even along otherwise straight and
junction-free sections of road? Or do the planners just put them in because
they have some vague idea that they are a 'Good Thing'?

Rich

Dave Larrington

Richard Goodman wrote:

> Does anyone ever bother to monitor the 'before' and 'after' effects
> of all these islands scattered liberally even along otherwise
> straight and junction-free sections of road? Or do the planners just
> put them in because they have some vague idea that they are a 'Good
> Thing'?

Dunno, but just up the road from Larrington Towers they're actually taking
one away and putting in a zebra crossing in its place.

--

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
World Domination?
Just find a world that's into that kind of thing, then chain to the
floor and walk up and down on it in high heels. (Mr. Sunshine)