More Speed Limits for Bikes

Seweryn

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Today's Indo reporting that there are proposals to introduce a cycle speed limit on the Clontarf track. :eek:

Not sure how it could be enforced though.

There are no speed limits for bicycles, as they are not equipped with speedometers. How am I going to know if I break the limit? Surely, this would be against the law.

P_1

I'd presume that they'd put up those annoying kissing gates similar to the ones on the Grand Canal cycle lane

Spook_ie

Seweryn wrote: »

There are no speed limits for bicycles, as they are not equipped with speedometers. How am I going to know if I break the limit? Surely, this would be against the law.

What law are they breaking by imposing a safety standard?

Wishbone Ash

Spook_ie wrote: »

What law are they breaking by imposing a safety standard?

As current prosecutions for exceeding a speed limit can only be applied to drivers of vehicles constructed with a speedometer, I presume he means that cyclists could not be legally prosecuted.

monument

Does everybody know the wooden bridge at Bull Island?

Maybe the city council could hire a troll to hide under it and have him or her jump out any wrong doing cyclists?

Stollaire

Please, oh please let this come into law. I love a good laugh.

Jawgap

Spook_ie wrote: »

What law are they breaking by imposing a safety standard?

OK, I'll bite - what safety standard?

Like a car - a slow moving negligently ridden bike will cause more injury than a fast moving competently handled one.

......and who is going to enforce this?



I think all that would happen is a proportion of the cyclists who use the track would shift to the road.

Diarmuid

Jawgap wrote: »

I think all that would happen is a proportion of the cyclists who use the track would shift to the road.

That's not necessarily a bad thing

Raam

I just don't see the need for a limit on the track.

I can ride on the road where sometimes there is just a white line (like the one on the track) separating me from cars which can pass me at high speeds. Some times there isn't even a line :O The potential for carnage on the road is much greater, yet the council won't impose a reduced speed limit of 30kph on it to keep me safer.

BTW, I am fine with that.

I've no problem riding on the road anyway.

Cookie_Monster

Diarmuid wrote: »

That's not necessarily a bad thing

it is given the terrible state of the road surface along there. One of the few places where the cycle lane is preferable to cycle on despite the breaks in it.

Lusk_Doyle

Diarmuid wrote: »

That's not necessarily a bad thing

Here's a purpose built cycle track for all you cyclists. Due to the fact that pedestrians, joggers, dogs, etc can't read signs we now have to take it away from you. Sorry, but you know it is easier for us to punish rather than educate.

Jawgap

Diarmuid wrote: »

That's not necessarily a bad thing

generally, I'd agree with you, but this is one of the few stretches of decent track around.

I don't mind if they introduce speed limits because - let's be honest - there's cock all chance they'll be enforced, but I hope they don't push on from their inevitable failure to put physical obstructions on the path to deter 'speeding.'

Wishbone Ash

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

Here's a purpose built cycle track for all you cyclists. Due to the fact that pedestrians, joggers, dogs, etc can't read signs we now have to take it away from you. Sorry, but you know it is easier for us to punish rather than educate.

It's a pity they can't place a fine on stupid people - it could be a nice little earner for DCC.

Pigeon Reaper

Any argument they use to impose a low speed limit can be equally applied to the road beside the cycle path which is currently 60kmph in parts and has had multiple fatalities. I'd love to see the council try to justify not putting a reduced speed limit on the road when brought to court and sued after a crash if they apply speed reductions to a cycle path where the vehicles are slower and have much less momentum.

Dermot Illogical

Problem: Pedestrians, dog-walkers, skateboarders, picnickers and people wheeling bicycles are straying onto the cycle track despite having two footpaths and a large green area set aside for their purposes.
Solution: Impose restrictions on the rightful users of the cycle track so that the situation may continue.

Wonderful logic indeed. That local fookwit Finian McGrump is behind it I'll wager!

DirkVoodoo

I've never seen someone have to "dart across the path" to get from one side to the other. Any time I've cycled there I've tried to be very aware and courteous of other people, speed has never been an issue (even with a mighty tailwind).

Seriously, if we are taking tips from Sydney on how to manage cyclists, we are truly f**ked! That place is the most anti-bike city I've ever been in. I've never felt as unsafe here as I did there. Near misses were a daily occurrence.

Let's ban flexi-leads for dogs instead. In fact, I ditched that lead because they are just stupid: attaching a extendable trip wire to the collar of my unpredictable dog? Sure, why not.

Lusk_Doyle

+1. Dogs should stay beside the owner. Off the cycle track.

circular flexing

I was recently in Vancouver where they have a long shared path that runs a long the seafront. I used it extensively when I was over there and it was great to use as both a cyclist and a pedestrian.

I think the reason it works is that there's frequent signage reminding cyclists and pedestrians which side is which and also signage reminding cyclists to look out for stray pedestrians and vice versa.

Having said that, you wouldn't be doing race training on it either. Most serious cyclists I saw there stuck to the road.

Maybe, if DCC put up more prominent signage that might alleviate whatever issues are there at the moment.

Jawgap

circular flexing wrote: »

I was recently in Vancouver where they have a long shared path that runs a long the seafront. I used it extensively when I was over there and it was great to use as both a cyclist and a pedestrian.

I think the reason it works is that the place is full of Canadians, not Irish, who can read and understand signsthere's frequent signage reminding cyclists and pedestrians which side is which and also signage reminding cyclists to look out for stray pedestrians and vice versa.

Having said that, you wouldn't be doing race training on it either. Most serious cyclists I saw there stuck to the road.

Maybe, if DCC put up more prominent signage that might alleviate whatever issues are there at the moment.

FYP

Beasty

Jawgap wrote: »

......and who is going to enforce this?

Simples - they will have someone scrutinising your Strava records. Anyone found breaking the limit will be duly prosecuted ...:)

Presumably "traffic laws" do not apply to the track at present? If they did I would guess they would not need to impose a speed limit but could rely on "dangerous/reckless driving" laws to deal with anyone considered to be going faster than is considered safe in whatever circumstances prevail at the time

JayRoc

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

+1. Dogs should stay beside the owner. Off the cycle track.

Nearly came a cropper the other evening, on the shared path going through Booterstown/Blackrock park, when some daft aul' one let her dog wander across the bike track on an almost-invisible extendable leash. I probably would've been okay but the poor madra would have been in some grief had I not swerved onto the grass.

People are dumb****s

DD Mikasa

Dermot Illogical wrote: »

Problem: Pedestrians, dog-walkers, skateboarders, picnickers and people wheeling bicycles are straying onto the cycle track despite having two footpaths and a large green area set aside for their purposes.
Solution: Impose restrictions on the rightful users of the cycle track so that the situation may continue.

Wonderful logic indeed. That local fookwit Finian McGrump is behind it I'll wager!

Tis three footpaths actually, if you include the one the other side of the road!

John_Rambo

It's all a bit silly, but I guess casual cyclists, (slow) commuters and parents with kids could use the cycle track and the speed junkies can use the road. I drive and cycle the route a lot, I live near the seafront. (I cycle on the cycle track).

Realistically, the quick cyclists almost match traffic speed, I'd often cruise behind a cyclist at 40kph, there's no point in overtaking, they are only going to be ahead of me at the next traffic lights or traffic build up. If they are going to enforce this, they are going to have to repave the road properly to accommodate quick cyclists, educating drivers how to behave overtaking cyclists and respecting their space is another matter and has been done to death here.

rollingscone

monument wrote: »

Does everybody know the wooden bridge at Bull Island?

Maybe the city council could hire a troll to hide under it and have him or her jump out any wrong doing cyclists?

But sure Finian already gets a state salary?

Diarmuid

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

Here's a purpose built cycle track for all you cyclists.

Except it isn't. Someone painting a white line down a wide footpath doesn't make a purpose built cycle track

Chips Lovell

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Any time I've cycled there I've tried to be very aware and courteous of other people, speed has never been an issue (even with a mighty tailwind).

But it isn't the considerate cyclists like yourself that's the problem. It's the guys treating it like an open road who are.

Lusk_Doyle

Diarmuid wrote: »

Except it isn't. Someone painting a white line down a wide footpath doesn't make a purpose built cycle track

So what's its purpose then?

NeedMoreGears

If there's going to be a speed limit, then it has to be part of a wider package to address the safe interaction of pedestrians, cars and cyclists along the track.

I'd like to see

1 - NOBODY except cyclists on the stretch from about 250m after the Alfie Byrne road through to the junction with the wooden bridge. There are two footpaths and a wide grass area for other users.

2 - Removal of the bushes etc near the two car parks. I've been hit by a car that went through the stop sign at that location. Visibility for the car driver was likely a contributing factor.

3- Relocation of the various posts with cycle track signs on them out of the middle of the track

4 - Properly block off the unofficial parking area about 1km from the Alfie Byrne road so that cars cannot illegally cross the track

5- On the shared used Howth section. Swap over the footpath and cycle track (i.e. put the track on the seaward side) - There are seats located on the current cycling side and the surface is full of pot holes, glass and weeds growing out of the wall. It would also reduce the glare from on-coming traffic in winter. It would also reduce the potential for accidents when pedestrians wish to acces the route by removing the need to cross the cycle track

6- Plenty of signs re who can go where

7 - No extendable dog leads allowed

cdaly_

I mentioned this in work today and one chap piped up:

"Oh yeah, it's awful. Those cyclists bombing along. Sure the other day a little old lady got knocked down and injured along there. She was walking her dog. She was on one side of the path and the dog was on the other side on an extendable lead. The cyclist fouled the lead, came off and was injured. She was knocked over and the dog was nearly strangled. Oh, it's terrible how fast those cyclists go..."





So lemme see...

An old woman out walking her dog, failed to keep it under proper control, caused a passing cyclist to crash and sustain injury
and you blame the cyclist?!... :eek:

Raam

Just put up a few signs which say "Don't be a c0ck", directed at no particular user group. It's entirely possible to go fast when it's safe and clear to do so and then slow down when conditions merit it.