Bob Downie said: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.
No help for your immediate problem, but it is frighteningly hard to
get things like this out once they are in. People won't pay for it,
preferring to fund new horrors.
In fact, a cycle lane outside parked cars is never a good idea, except
for contraflow in quiet roads, where it may be needed to meet
government criteria.
The reasoning is simple arithmetic:
- required clearance from parked cars: 1.2 metres
- width of cyclist: 0.6 metres
- required clearance from overtaking motor vehicle: 1.0 metres.
Total width: 2.8 metres.
Minimum width for a traffic lane: 2.8 metres, approx.
In other words, unless there's room for 2 normal lanes outside the
parked cars, there's no room for a with-flow cycle lane that will
actually help cyclists.
The best I have been able to do so far is to get the lanes moved out
and a buffer zone put in when a road was resurfaced. IF you ride
towards the outside of the lane you then mostly get a metre clearance
from overtaking motor vehicles.
Colin McKenzie
--
On average in Britain, you're more likely to get a head injury walking
a mile than cycling it.
So why aren't we all exhorted to wear walking helmets?