has cork city been ruined by bike lanes?

evilivor

daveohdave wrote: »

It's a pity they amended the law that required them to use cycle lanes where available. They wanted them, they should use them.

The reason the law was changed is because cycle were often dangerous. The strategy document acknowledged that many of the cycling facilities were "often of a poor standard" and "poorly maintained".

They are also full of bloody parked cars.

Cyclists are now only obliged to use cycle lanes when a contra-flow cycle lane is present or when there is a cycle lane through a pedestrianised area.

Max_Charger

You're wasting your time talking sense here evilivor. It's better to just sit back and laugh at the hyperbole being made of it tbh.

daveohdave

evilivor wrote: »

The reason the law was changed is because cycle were often dangerous.

I know why the law was changed. Cyclists campaigned for cycle lanes and aren't happy with what they've got. Well, tough. I'm a driver and I'm not happy with what I've got, the roads I drive every day are dangerous, both to people and cars. That doesn't give me carte blanche to drive in cycle lanes. I need to continue to drive on the roads, and address the problem via my representatives. Cyclists should do the same. They made their bed, they should lie in it.

TheChizler

daveohdave wrote: »

I know why the law was changed. Cyclists campaigned for cycle lanes and aren't happy with what they've got. Well, tough. I'm a driver and I'm not happy with what I've got, the roads I drive every day are dangerous, both to people and cars. That doesn't give me carte blanche to drive in cycle lanes. I need to continue to drive on the roads, and address the problem via my representatives. Cyclists should do the same. They made their bed, they should lie in it.

The collective cyclist hive-mind is it? Any cycling body I've heard campaigning for cycle lanes have been asking for ones that are very different to the standard implementation.

Sonics2k

daveohdave wrote: »

I know why the law was changed. Cyclists campaigned for cycle lanes and aren't happy with what they've got. Well, tough. I'm a driver and I'm not happy with what I've got, the roads I drive every day are dangerous, both to people and cars. That doesn't give me carte blanche to drive in cycle lanes. I need to continue to drive on the roads, and address the problem via my representatives. Cyclists should do the same. They made their bed, they should lie in it.

The cycle paths implemented are very much not what cyclists were asking for. Even cyclists really dislike the layout of the new system.

SomeFool

daveohdave wrote: »

I know why the law was changed. Cyclists campaigned for cycle lanes and aren't happy with what they've got. Well, tough. I'm a driver and I'm not happy with what I've got, the roads I drive every day are dangerous, both to people and cars. That doesn't give me carte blanche to drive in cycle lanes. I need to continue to drive on the roads, and address the problem via my representatives. Cyclists should do the same. They made their bed, they should lie in it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ostgakrbr3k

Jimmy Bottles

SomeFool wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ostgakrbr3k

The decision to build stupid bike lanes is very different to the enforcement of parking and bike lanes. Proper enforcement should always be put in place to ensure bike lanes are clear to be used for their intended purpose.

However, cyclists should be forced to cycle in bike lanes if safe to do so. Not doing so renders the whole exercise pointless.

Dan Dare

This two way cycle lane runs from the bottom of Shandon St to the bottom of John Redmond St. Cycling along it this afternoon, a taxi emerged from apartments onto Pope's Quay, the driver looked to his left (which was clear) and zoomed away, never checking his right side where I was peddling merrily towards him. I managed to stop just in time. A close shave Gromit.:(

Harry Angstrom

Dan Dare wrote: »

This two way cycle lane runs from the bottom of Shandon St to the bottom of John Redmond St. Cycling along it this afternoon, a taxi emerged from apartments onto Pope's Quay, the driver looked to his left (which was clear) and zoomed away, never checking his right side where I was peddling merrily towards him. I managed to stop just in time. A close shave Gromit.:(

I can see the same thing happening with cyclists using the contraflow cycle lane on South Main Street. Cars will come out of Hanover Street without drivers looking to their right.

TheChizler

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

I can see the same thing happening with cyclists using the contraflow cycle lane on South Main Street. Cars will come out of Hanover Street without drivers looking to their right.

I agree that near misses will probably increase, but we should reiterate that it's good practice for drivers to look both ways anyway! A couple if times I've come out of Hanover st to be greeted by a car going the wrong way.

Bacchus

Worst offending cycle lane I've come across so far is Proby's Quay (goes from South Main/Sullivan's Quay to St. Finbarr's Cathedral).

This road used to go like this...
- bit of a bottleneck at the start due to parking on left side
- opens up to 2 lanes of traffic and parking on right side
- left lane for traffic turning left at T-junction traffic lights
- right lane for traffic turning left at T-junction traffic lights

Now...
- bit of a bottleneck at the start due to parking on left side and cycle lane on right
- remains a single lane due to cycle lane AND (worst of all) the parking on the right (to the left of the cycle lane) has been reinstated
- all traffic going left or right is now in a single lane of traffic and the lights for each direction are not in synch (left is green most the time, right is 50/50)

Genius planning too if the Beamish factory site is developed :rolleyes:

evilivor

TheChizler wrote: »

I agree that near misses will probably increase, but we should reiterate that it's good practice for drivers to look both ways anyway! A couple if times I've come out of Hanover st to be greeted by a car going the wrong way.

It's also good practise for cyclists to expect cars to pull out of these junctions - a bit of cop on is badly needed by a lot of them.

AugustusMinimus

Bacchus wrote: »

Worst offending cycle lane I've come across so far is Proby's Quay (goes from South Main/Sullivan's Quay to St. Finbarr's Cathedral).

This road used to go like this...
- bit of a bottleneck at the start due to parking on left side
- opens up to 2 lanes of traffic and parking on right side
- left lane for traffic turning left at T-junction traffic lights
- right lane for traffic turning left at T-junction traffic lights

Now...
- bit of a bottleneck at the start due to parking on left side and cycle lane on right
- remains a single lane due to cycle lane AND (worst of all) the parking on the right (to the left of the cycle lane) has been reinstated
- all traffic going left or right is now in a single lane of traffic and the lights for each direction are not in synch (left is green most the time, right is 50/50)

Genius planning too if the Beamish factory site is developed :rolleyes:

Worse than that. The road markings were laid down in such a way that the right turn lane is way shorter than what it could have been.

They did this a few months ago at the end of O'Sullivan's Quay and the traffic is mental down there now. City Hall is absolutely clueless.

Bacchus

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

Worse than that. The road markings were laid down in such a way that the right turn lane is way shorter than what it could have been.

They did this a few months ago at the end of O'Sullivan's Quay and the traffic is mental down there now. City Hall is absolutely clueless.

Yup, and the parking is too close to the lights. There's going to be a lot of confusion there under certain conditions.

For example yesterday, there was a single car parked there right up in the spot closest to the lights. Of course, with the heavy traffic, people assumed it was just another car queueing for the turn right. Nope.

SteelyDanJalapeno

evilivor wrote: »

Cyclists are road users in law - they are are not second class road users - they are as entitled to use the streets cars, buses, trucks etc so if they are perceived to be "holding up cars" then sorry - they are traffic - no different to any other road users.

Just out of interest, are cyclists allowed use Motorways?

evilivor

TiltedBrain wrote: »

Just out of interest, are cyclists allowed use Motorways?

No.

SteelyDanJalapeno

evilivor wrote: »

No.

Interesting.

who_me

Bacchus wrote: »

Worst offending cycle lane I've come across so far is Proby's Quay (goes from South Main/Sullivan's Quay to St. Finbarr's Cathedral).

This road used to go like this...
- bit of a bottleneck at the start due to parking on left side
- opens up to 2 lanes of traffic and parking on right side
- left lane for traffic turning left at T-junction traffic lights
- right lane for traffic turning left at T-junction traffic lights

Now...
- bit of a bottleneck at the start due to parking on left side and cycle lane on right
- remains a single lane due to cycle lane AND (worst of all) the parking on the right (to the left of the cycle lane) has been reinstated
- all traffic going left or right is now in a single lane of traffic and the lights for each direction are not in synch (left is green most the time, right is 50/50)

Genius planning too if the Beamish factory site is developed :rolleyes:

My biggest concern about this area (and many others now) is that one-lane one-way streets can be completely blocked by one breakdown or accident - traffic can't even overtake on the other side of the road because there isn't one. I'd have thought emergency access would be a serious concern too - surely that would weigh heavily against the Beamish site - South Main St., Tuckey St., Sullivan's Quay, Frenches/Proby's Quay are all now one-lane one-way.

Bacchus

Good point. I know there is a whole thread dedicated to the topic but if the Beamish factory site does get the green light it is going to be a complete mess now that all the roads around it have been narrowed to accommodate cycle lanes too. Not to mention the fact that they'll all be dug up again anyway to facilitate work at the site.

AugustusMinimus

Bacchus wrote: »

Good point. I know there is a whole thread dedicated to the topic but if the Beamish factory site does get the green light it is going to be a complete mess now that all the roads around it have been narrowed to accommodate cycle lanes too. Not to mention the fact that they'll all be dug up again anyway as the current setup is a disaster

Corrected your post for you.

Bacchus

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

Corrected your post for you.

Sure at least they spent the money. Isn't that what it's all about really :pac:

Tenzor07

Are these the first ever Cycle-Lanes in Cork?

(sorry 6 pages of comments is a bit much to read all the way through)

daveohdave

who_me wrote: »

My biggest concern about this area (and many others now) is that one-lane one-way streets can be completely blocked by one breakdown or accident - traffic can't even overtake on the other side of the road because there isn't one. I'd have thought emergency access would be a serious concern too - surely that would weigh heavily against the Beamish site - South Main St., Tuckey St., Sullivan's Quay, Frenches/Proby's Quay are all now one-lane one-way.

Popes Quay is officially destroyed now too, went down there yesterday, single lane.

evilivor

daveohdave wrote: »

Popes Quay is officially destroyed now too, went down there yesterday, single lane.

Single lane for cyclists too due to dickish parking.

Flesh Gorden

evilivor wrote: »

Single lane for cyclists too due to dickish parking.

:eek: That's ridiculous,

I haven't been down that way in ages as it's not worth going through the city centre.

From what I can see in that photo, there's 1 person using the segregated double cycle lane that's twice the width of space to drive on (1 lane) which is backed up from the bridge to at least where NSG had their old premises.

Talk about the needs of the many being ignored for the wants of the needs of the few, the more of these new lanes I see the more they remind me of those ZiL lanes the Soviets had.

What an embarrassing waste of money.

daveohdave

Protest parking I'd guess.

Saw a complete langer cycling up from Mahon Point on the wrong side of the road yesterday, despite lanes on both sides. It's ahabs like that that get the rest of them a bad name.

Fiver says he went through the lights on red too, I see that in Mahon all the time.

Bacchus

evilivor wrote: »

Single lane for cyclists too due to dickish parking.

Ridiculous parking but equally ridiculous cycle lanes. Sure, 2 cycle lanes would be great but the roads are not wide enough resulting in this situation where there is only 1 lane of traffic where there should be 2 (the right lane needed for allowing traffic turning right, off Pope's Quay to progress).

The only way I can see the layouts becoming a success is if the proposed city bike scheme becomes a huge success taking cars off the road in the city center and alleviating the car congestion.

Red Nissan

Bacchus wrote: »

The only way I can see the layouts becoming a success is if the proposed city bike scheme becomes a huge success taking cars off the road in the city center and alleviating the car congestion.

They are EXPECTING a 60% reduction in vehicular traffic. It's all planned out like and they can't be wrong.

Max_Charger

evilivor wrote: »

Single lane for cyclists too due to dickish parking.

Did you email that to the council? They'll be delighted to deal with it.

evilivor

Max_Charger wrote: »

Did you email that to the council? They'll be delighted to deal with it.

I would if I had an email address to send it to.