Following on from last week’s episode, I continue up Prince Edwin Street and onto Shaw Street to look at the new cycle lane that has been built. One of the motorists also doesn’t recognise a parallel crossing and give way to me.
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Well done, van driver. Top class. Nice bit of driving that. Did you see the sign him slightly moving over? Nice. Okay, this is a little section that the road planners have just had a little fettle. with um got the cycle area here which leads to the up on the pavement with that’s okay. Always a little sketchy when you’ve got a downhill section to the road on for me with the uh curb dropping down. Sorry, I’m a little bit out of breath. Had to come up the previous hill. Um but yeah, this little area not particularly good. Road surface is poor. Cycle area is pitted for me. Could do with being a little wider, but the road restricts that really. So, not the best at this section. But at this width, it’s still better than nothing. Now, this is a new section that the planners have put into place, which is uh first time I’ve ridden up it. Much better, much safer. Got a cycle area out there. Don’t know where that one goes. Um, proper giveways at the bus stops, which there absolutely should be. Um, and it’s reasonably wellmaintained. I know there’s a little bit of rubbish and leaves here, but um, not a big deal to be honest. Now, let’s see how far it continues. So, what happens now? So, we’ve got a cycling crossing here. He should give way to me and doesn’t. Let’s see who gives me priority. Thank you, sir. Is this the cycle area now? Which way does it go? I think this is still it denoted by these um areas here on the floor. Yes, it is a shared path. So that’s okay. But uh interestingly on once they’ve I’ve not noticed this before, interestingly they have put a parallel crossing in there. Um, and the first vehicle obviously didn’t give me priority. That shows people just don’t know. Such a a poor idea. Now, is this finished now? There’s the cycle area. Was that only a shared path from the other side of the sign? Possibly. Okay, let’s dismount. And another issue with um cycle infrastructure. They spend all that money and time making that area nice and smooth, segregated, but then to chuck people straight back off onto a pavement. Like I said, where would it go from here apart from this mountain? Me, I’ll stay on the road. Thanks. Sums it up, doesn’t it? Keep safe. I’ll see you soon.
21 Comments
Interesting how the design of cycle paths take second fiddle when it comes to road layouts for motors. From poor road surfaces, to worn painted lanes, to a proper maintained surface, albeit subject to leaves and litter, though it should be quickly removed, which does not seem to be the case, then parallel crossings, shared paths, then nothing. Good for you to highlight this. Maybe if those in authority in Liverpool sees your channel, which very likely they will, then something might be done.
@3:12, Stirling has put cycle crossings in similar to that and i will admit, first time i used it i was so used to the old layout before that i didnt think to give way to any cyclists but on that day, there was none anyway. plus it is on a corner and i drive a van, so i need to be thinking of cyclists i have passed already in the cycle area as they are in my blind sopt area to my left as i turn left even though my mirrors are good at showing blind spot areas, its still possible not to pick up a cyclist in them. something i need to keep in mind and do better on.
a driving licence is a licence to learn more and improve skills.
If one is going to be generous (and it is the weekend) then you'd say it's well intentioned, but deeply flawed in its execution. C+ could do better!!
The 'route' turns right at Hope University – where you ended, and joins the cobbled / badly tarmaced Carver St – behind the SUV parked on the pavement. That then turns and crosses Islington (shared use) to head towards town.
It's almost impossible to figure any of this out…
At least the council can tick another box to say they have segregated cycle infrastructure…that'll be another £500,000 grant next year to put a road sweeper through it a couple of times!
Sometimes I do honestly feel that the councils should spend the money better rather than putting in infrastructure that either just ends or is half hearted. £1,200,000 later where I am we have two cycle lanes that on one end starts amongst traffic that is difficult to enter at busy times into an ASL with no cycle first lights and at the other end terminates straight onto the road on a bend with no warnings for anyone. A little more thought could've made those small details much better
Oh well, there is always next year when they start Phase 2 of the cycle infrastructure plan…a new cycle lane joining to nothing either end while the existing infrastructure continues to deteriorate through unkept trees, hedges and collapsed drainage
How many cyclists would give way to pedestrians at those bus stops though?
Overall that signage is bad with where the cycle area ends. Would be nicer to have more good cycling infrastructure. Especially good for kids to start being a road user.
Paint isn't protection but having said that, why didn't the planners have a solid white line the length of the on-road bike lane up to the 2:30 point? It would be a public service to the vehicle drivers – keeping them off that pitted road surface that has been handed over to cyclists.
… And at the end, there's a car parked on the pavement.
Is it owned by the person in charge of planning that cycle lane?
Remember kids – Cars trump cyclists and pedestrians.
Sorry, my mistake. Cars squash cyclists and pedestrians!
2:20 interesting that this new section of cycle infrastructure is created by removing space from the pedestrian area, rather than removing the on street parking on the other side of the road. Another example of only providing cycling infrastructure where it doesn't have an impact on motorists. Such cycling infrastructure is usually doomed to fail.
Welcome to the wonderful world of stop/start cycling infrastructure.
I accept that the authorities are always gonna build some bits of infrastructure before others. They discovered this way back when they were building Rome, and it took more than a day according to all reports.
Generally, two half-jobs is worse than one whole job, but not always. I’d prefer two half jobs at different ends of town if both half-jobs solve dangerous situations, rather than one whole job where nothing at all was needed.
The good works that that they HAVE completed here look like the start of something big, so I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.
In my area there’s a strip of cycleway through the busiest part of town. It goes for eight or nine blocks, bi-directional, full separation. Problem is it’s been two years in the building and may still be a year from completion. They won’t open it up section by section, even though each section would be very, very useful in itself. I am sure if they did open it up in stages, people would complain “Oh, it dumps you back into traffic”.
In this video, we start on a street with no cycle infrastructure – and have absolutely no issues.
Then we get a painted cycle lane, and the passes become closer.
Then we get a segregated lane that requires us to give way even though we're travelling straight on.
Then we get a cycle crossing to make a right turn, that supposedly gives us priority but doesn't in practice, where if there was no infrastructure we'd have clear priority over vehicles travelling in the same direction behind us.
Then we start sanctioned cycling-on-the-pavement and dodging pedestrians.
Then we start wondering where to go at all. And get off the bike. And, presumably, back into our car…….
For infra to be used it needs to be linked up.
Similar issues here in South Wales, cycle lanes are added bit by bit on different sides of the same road, and only when they redo it one junction at a time, many become impromptu loading bays or trash dumping ground before the next section is connected. It is better than nothing, but at the current rate, we will actually have flying cars before we have a proper cycling infrastructure across the whole region.
Correct me if I'm wrong Ashley as I'm not 100% sure, but I think those sandy pavement slabs at 3:40 denote the end of the shared use path? If the ridges on them go with the flow I think that means the shared use continues, but running perpendicular as they do means it's no longer shared use.
Whatever the answer, you would think the planners would have a few quid spare to make the signage clearer about where the shared path ends. And why have that new cycle path end in a parallel crossing like that?
It makes it seem little more than a tick box exercise to meet a quota, rather than being a genuine attempt at improving the infrastructure.
Much easier on the road mate. Did you pay a little visit to Prince Rupert's Tower while you were in the area? 🤭
What a joke
It’s why many people who would like to cycle more give up.
Its getting loads better, but this video highlights how cycle lanes and infrastructure can just disappear beneath you.
Why I never use cycle lanes the only take you from top of the street and bottom totally useless unlike roads that are endless
This is the biggest problem with cycling infrastructure in th UK . A cycle lane will finish leaving you to merge in with live traffic I find it safer to ride on the carriageway . I'll use cycle lanes if I know they cover a good distance