See
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4789146.stm
"In the gutter
The new highway code advises cyclists to use bike lanes where provided. But
cycling organisations say this will make travelling on two wheels more
dangerous. How come?
Shattered glass. Strewn rubbish. Parked cars. Deep drains. Jarring potholes.
Lanes barely wider than a bike (sans rider). Lanes of a few metres. Or that
switch from one side of the road to the other.
Such is the state of many of the cycle routes that criss-cross our towns and
countryside. Yet these are the very facilities intended to encourage people
onto their bikes.
And now the Driving Standards Agency, part of the Department for Transport,
has released a draft highway code advising that cyclists should use bike
lanes where provided.
The CTC, the UK's national cyclists' organisation, has collected thousands
of signatures in a campaign to try to get the new wording changed. They fear
that this advice could actually put cyclists at risk; that drivers'
insurance companies will try to avoid paying damages to cyclists injured
after riding in the road rather than a nearby cycle path.
But cyclists have told BBC Radio 4's PM that they have good reason to ride
in the road, as bike lanes are often badly designed, even dangerous.
"In Battersea there is a cycle path on the pavement which has a beautiful
tree in the middle of it."
"A cycle facility near me has five gates to negotiate in half a mile
(involving slowing down, stopping, opening the gate, going through, shutting
the gate, back on the bike etc)... or I could use the road."
"Our cycle lanes offer poorer visibility than the road, run dangerously near
lamp posts and road signs, and are not respected by pedestrians."
"In 2003 I rode from John O'Groats to Lands End and attempted to use cycle
lanes where possible. On too many occasions I found myself in situations
which were potentially more dangerous than staying on the road, where
cyclists have a legal right."
Among the most controversial is on London's Blackfriars Bridge, which leaves
riders exposed in the middle of the road, sandwiched between three lanes of
traffic. Near-identical replicas have been rolled out across the country.
Within two weeks of the lane opening in 2004, a cyclist died after being hit
by a bus. The cycle lane has since been remodelled and a consultation
process begun. A further redesign is on the cards which will move cyclists
to the side of the road.
Click here to send us your photos of questionable bike lanes
Pedal power
A Department for Transport spokeswoman says that the new highway code is
open to consultation and cyclists are welcome to make their views known. In
addition she says the government is committed to making cycling a safe and
attractive option for everyone, and that it is best practice to use cycle
lanes and to wear a helmet.
This year local authorities plan to spend more than £35m on dedicated
cycling initiatives, she says. Other money is available for cycle training
in schools, and schemes to improve local cycling networks.
Emily Thornberry MP, chairwoman of the all-party parliamentary cycling
group, says she herself has come a-cropper in a cycle lane - a cab bumped
into her from behind, knocking her off her bike.
One of the complaints about cycle lanes is that motorists no longer notice
bikes. Drivers will typically give a cyclist a wide berth, or give way at
intersections; where there's a bike lane, the motorist will drive close to
the line (as with any road marking), squeezing the cyclist into the gutter.
"Most bikes are a metre wide, yet most cycle lanes are only about that - if
not less," says Howard Boyd, the CTC's transport policy adviser.
Tight squeeze
Another cycling MP, Conservative Andrew Robathan, supports the campaign to
change the draft highway code.
"What I'd like to see the highway code say is what it said when I passed my
driving test - that every motorist should give a cyclist a six-foot berth,
so that if a cyclist falls off, the motorist doesn't hit him."
Lanes that take cyclists away from traffic, whether parallel to roads or
dedicated routes, often have the effect of the rider no longer being
regarded as traffic, says Mr Boyd.
"At intersections drivers are less likely to give way. Then there are the
personal safety issues - is it lit, swept, a risk of people being mugged?"
Rather than put money into expensive cycle lanes, he says there are better
ways to encourage more people to cycle, more safely.
"When London introduced its congestion charge, overnight there were more
cycle journeys made and few accidents involving cyclists. It's schemes like
that we should be supporting."
He adds that cycle lanes only provide comfort to inexperienced riders. "The
money would be better spent on cycle training for adults and children so
they no longer need this false sense of security."
And therein could lie the rub. If cyclists don't like to use bike lanes,
will local authorities question whether it's worth throwing money at
facilities few will use. For cycle lanes don't come cheap, costing up to
£60,000 a mile. "
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Cheers, helen s
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