Comments on: SCC carry on installing crap cycle lanes

By: Mick

Mick — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 08:10:36 +0000

Thanks for the info Will. I’ll give it another look this weekend to see how far the red apahlat goes towards Moore St and scrutinise signage as well – I am not sure what signage there is at the shared space with peds or for traffic oncoming to cycles.
It is v complicated at Moorfoot with the needs of pedestrians, the access needs of businesses on Cumberland St, the access from Bishop St, it is a major bus/taxi route, the bus/taxi gate which other drivers do use, no cycling on the Moor (although as the Market development no longer has a residential component we are querying this rule)and so on.
I think I can ‘see’ what the lane is there for – it connects the cycle ring route around the inner ring road with Charter Row and Fitzwilliam St and all places connected to them. I use it most often for cycling up to Devonshire Green.

Mick

By: Will Furnass

Will Furnass — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 15:46:08 +0000

NB the cycle lane has now been coated with red asphalt and extends over what had previously been a projecting trapezoid at the crossing at the bottom of the moor. Much better but still too narrow.

By: What is the CycleForum and what are CycleSheffield Matters? | CycleSheffield

Tue, 12 Nov 2013 09:48:56 +0000

[…] CycleSheffield believes that the latest facilities installed at the bottom of the Moor demonstrate a lack of training and professional development with the planning and installation of cycle facilities. Our report on this contraflow cycle lane is at http://www.cyclesheffield.org.uk/2013/11/08/scc-carry-on-installing-crap-cycle-lanes/ […]

By: Pete Owens

Pete Owens — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 22:00:40 +0000

Yes, that is what you will tend to observe – at times when the space is not occupied by a cyclist – motorists will tend to keep to the centre of the lane. Of course the oncoming motorists will also tend to be closer to the opposite gutter which leaves more space in the middle to move into when overtaking.

By: Mick

Mick — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 20:55:53 +0000

Thanks for that Pete – interesting, I wasn’t aware of this study.
Given the choice of 1.2m cycle lanes or 1.5m cycle lanes i’d go for 1.5m
and we observed for about 20 mins cars moving from a section of road with cycle lane to no cyle lane and observed them all move in towards the gutter restricting space for cyclists.
we’ll ahve to collect evidence like you tho’
I like your methods though very thorough

Mick

By: Pete Owens

Pete Owens — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 20:01:39 +0000

To see how much less space drivers give cyclists when you install 1.5m cycle lanes take a look at:
http://www.warringtoncyclecampaign.co.uk/report/cycle-lanes.pdf

By: Mick

Mick — Sat, 09 Nov 2013 08:55:44 +0000

Sorry to hear that Matthew.
It’s a sad world where a person with no cycle facilities envies a person with poor cycle facilities.
The frustrating thing is that SCC can put in good cycle facilities – they have just put donw full 1.5m wide cycle lanes on a major arterail route even through pinch points and it does make a difference to the way that drivers give cyclists space.

Mick

By: Matthew Riddiough Boylan

Matthew Riddiough Boylan — Fri, 08 Nov 2013 18:44:28 +0000

Shame to see that SCC is clearly just paying lip service to the safety of cyclists. However it is many times more thanTameside council pay as in Hyde we have 0 cycle lanes and even less thought is given to cyclists when it comes to anything cycling related. Not so much an uphill battle. More a mountain to climb!!!

By: Mick

Mick — Fri, 08 Nov 2013 17:56:06 +0000

Point taken Simon.
I’m not sure what to say in mitigation other than “crap cycle lanes” is a well known phrase and even the title of one or two books.
Yes I have used sarcasm at points but not throughout the survey report. Its not an invective piece.
I could have said “Notice that the white line is inside the width of the pinchpoint. It would be more intelligent and thoughtful to have placed the white line level with the off-side of the island on which the pole stands – that’s one and a half metres”
However the point of the sarcasm is that the gap is only 1m and they still lay the line inside that which shows poor training and monitoring of work and demonstrates very unintelligent and thoughtless behaviour.

The results are poor design by people who are demonstrating poorly managed, professional incompetence and are not trustworthy with what they say. This is a forthright thing to say and its true.
We are forthright with SCC – its the only language they seem to understand, and I would argue that being sarcastic has its place too – especially when SCC seem to be going back on what they said they would do
(Perhaps I read Private Eye too much.)
However our forthright assertive but pro-active approach has resulted in a better, more professional dialogue with the SCC.
Thank you for commenting on our good work and if you really want to make a difference to our work then please join.
Its easy and inexpensive at http://www.cyclesheffield.org.uk

By: Simon

Simon — Fri, 08 Nov 2013 17:23:57 +0000

I agree with every point in this article, this cycle path is very poorly designed and IMHO will cause more confusion and potential accidents than it will mitigate against. The bit where the path crosses the footpath is very poor and actually dangerous for all road users !

That said and IMHO just as bad is the tone of the article though. If I was the council I don’t think I’d be receptive to people discussing my work in such a derogative and sarcastic tone as…

“Notice that the white line is inside the width of the pinchpoint – intelligent, thoughtful work, eh?”

“poor workmanship – it looks crap as well as it is crap and carries the meaning that cycling can be treated like crap;”

If cycle sheffield wants to be taken seriously then maybe it should drop the school yard tone and be a little more professional.

I think Cycle Sheffield is a great organisation doing really good work but I think it has to be careful how it manages its stakeholders, failure to do so will result in doors being closed.