Little changes we can make to normalise cycling and encourage its uptake

In fairness its traffic complaining about traffic. Their solution? More traffic.

I agree with the cycle lanes being often very poorly designed and implemented. They are box ticking.

100% the biggest thing that could be done to change our traffic culture is enforcement (we saw that briefly when penalty points were introduced before people realised still little chance of being caught). Hopefully a dashcam/ bike cam/ camera portal will help drive that change, along with the change in law to allow more video evidence.

However, it's still a false equivalence to compare rule breaking by cyclists and pedestrians to that of motorists. The numbers of cyclists, apparently a major safety issued, breaking lights/ cycling on footpaths isn't overwhelming A&E's or causing massive spikes in road deaths. Vulnerable road users killed by other vulnerable road users is a tiny percentage, with zero most years. I can only think of 2 in maybe 10+ years - 1 cyclist v pedestrian, and 1 pedestrian v cyclist. There's been a number of pedestrians killed by motorists only in the last few weeks.

A perfectly good example of why the plastic bollards are necessary. Thanks.

You know right well, the function of plastic bollards is to facilitate cyclists to overtake on the left without encroachment of motorists into the cycle lane. If the scenario you described above allowed for the installation of said bollards, then the cyclist would have had no need to mount the pavement. This scenario plays out in countless junctions the width and breath of the nation. Thanks you again for emphasizing to us yet another reason why the bollards are a necessary eyesore. Believe me, I would like nothing more than to confine them to the history books. Unfortunately, too many motorists are unwilling to share the road fairly with other more vulnerable road user so we are stuck with them.

You didn't need to mention a cycle lane. Your anecdote equally describes similar scenarios across countless junctions all over the country where either a cycle lane does exist or motorists are just too selfish/entitled/bitter to leave adequate space for a passing cyclist. Believe me. I encounter the behaviour daily. Thank you again for highlighting the need for physical barriers to prevent motorists from hindering cyclist trying to go about their daily business.

Really? If some driver got behind the wheel after five pints, and mounted the foot path, killing one of your loved ones, your reaction would be "there (but) for the grace of God go I"? You wouldn't think the driver was responsible? It was just an unavoidable accident? You wouldn't consider that this driver had 'killed' your loved one by their selfish actions?

There is still plenty of opportunity to make space for an emergency vehicle in this photo. The bollards only extend for maybe 25 metres. There is an empty bus lane ahead with space to pull in. Looks like the road to the RHS provides more space to pull in. All of the cars shown can move some small distance to the left. There may be less space than before. But I am not buying it that an emergency vehicle won't get down that street. Again, if emergency vehicles were getting delayed to any significant extent, we would be hearing a lot more about. But we aren't.

No one justified any of the above. Please come back with any quote that supports what you are claiming in relation to defending the cyclist in your anecdote.

There is a bus lane or left turn l inside of the cycle lane. Not sure what difference it makes anyway, both the cycle lane and bus lane provide space to pull in for an emergency vehicle.