# New cycle lane in Ayr



## gasinayr (29 Sep 2016)

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/south-ayrshire-councillors-set-launch-8931277


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## Brandane (29 Sep 2016)

Ripping it up seems like a sensible proposition, along with all the other half baked cycle "facilities" across the UK..


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## raleighnut (29 Sep 2016)

It does appear to be an unusually crap design.


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## steveindenmark (29 Sep 2016)

I don't know how much those bollards cost to buy and fit but a lot more than a white line on the floor I would think. I don't like those blocks on the floor and the coloured surface either. They are not necessary.


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## MarquisMatsugae (30 Sep 2016)

I wonder if there is such a thing as making car drivers too aware of cyclists.
Their eyes must be drawn to it constantly,making it a danger instead of safe.


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## EnPassant (30 Sep 2016)

I'm thick. At least today I am. I genuinely cannot fathom the purpose of the bollards.
Handy reminder every 10 yards that you are on a cycle path because the blue isn't enough of a clue? Stop cyclists recklessly crossing into the opposite 'carriageway' for ludicrously dangerous overtakes? 
Nope, still don't get it.


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## User6179 (30 Sep 2016)

EnPassant said:


> I'm thick. At least today I am. I genuinely cannot fathom the purpose of the bollards.
> Handy reminder every 10 yards that you are on a cycle path because the blue isn't enough of a clue? Stop cyclists recklessly crossing into the opposite 'carriageway' for ludicrously dangerous overtakes?
> Nope, still don't get it.



Maybe the bollards are to stop people parking !?


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## EnPassant (30 Sep 2016)

Eddy said:


> Maybe the bollards are to stop people parking !?


I did wonder about that, but it's painted blue, has a white centreline and those concrete bumps between it and the cars. I know car drivers can be ar$es, but is that really necessary? I suppose it must be. But you'd still think they could maybe put them between the road and the cycleway to the same end? Ah well, I can only conclude that, as you say, anti-parking seems most likely.

A further thought then occurs as to why so insubstantial? (they look like plastic anchored on cat's eyes, but i suppose could be full of concrete, hard to tell). To allow emergency services to blue and two it down there if the road is blocked with traffic using bollards as skittles as they go? They are quite substantial enough to have you off your bike in a jiffy, but not enough to stop a determined car or van. Ah well.


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## gasinayr (30 Sep 2016)

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/watch-ayr-mans-bizarre-rowing-8900855


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## User6179 (30 Sep 2016)

EnPassant said:


> I did wonder about that, but it's painted blue, has a white centreline and those concrete bumps between it and the cars. I know car drivers can be ar$es, but is that really necessary? I suppose it must be. But you'd still think they could maybe put them between the road and the cycleway to the same end? Ah well, I can only conclude that, as you say, anti-parking seems most likely.
> 
> A further thought then occurs as to why so insubstantial? (they look like plastic anchored on cat's eyes, but i suppose could be full of concrete, hard to tell). To allow emergency services to blue and two it down there if the road is blocked with traffic using bollards as skittles as they go? They are quite substantial enough to have you off your bike in a jiffy, but not enough to stop a determined car or van. Ah well.



Theres a couple of bollards like that on a path near me , I will give them a kick the next time I go by


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## User6179 (30 Sep 2016)

gasinayr said:


> http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/watch-ayr-mans-bizarre-rowing-8900855



I always wondered what @Mad Doug Biker looked like


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## HLaB (30 Sep 2016)

gasinayr said:


> http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/watch-ayr-mans-bizarre-rowing-8900855


The word @rse springs to mind, I stopped the video the moment he opened his mouth!


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## Mad Doug Biker (1 Oct 2016)

Eddy said:


> I always wondered what @Mad Doug Biker looked like



Oi!


.... I'd use that ergo properly!


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## User6179 (3 Oct 2016)

EnPassant said:


> I did wonder about that, but it's painted blue, has a white centreline and those concrete bumps between it and the cars. I know car drivers can be ar$es, but is that really necessary? I suppose it must be. But you'd still think they could maybe put them between the road and the cycleway to the same end? Ah well, I can only conclude that, as you say, anti-parking seems most likely.
> 
> A further thought then occurs as to why so insubstantial? (they look like plastic anchored on cat's eyes, but i suppose could be full of concrete, hard to tell). To allow emergency services to blue and two it down there if the road is blocked with traffic using bollards as skittles as they go? They are quite substantial enough to have you off your bike in a jiffy, but not enough to stop a determined car or van. Ah well.



More bollards needed I think


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## EnPassant (3 Oct 2016)

Oh boy. 

Maybe that's the bollard installation van?


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## User6179 (3 Oct 2016)

EnPassant said:


> Oh boy.
> 
> Maybe that's the bollard installation van?



Apparently not against the law to park on it yet so some folk are .

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/fears-over-free-protest-parking-8917277


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## EnPassant (3 Oct 2016)




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## glasgowcyclist (3 Oct 2016)

Eddy said:


> Apparently not against the law to park on it yet so some folk are .
> 
> http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/fears-over-free-protest-parking-8917277



It's an offence to obstruct the highway, various legislation covers it so the reporter is talking crap.

What that paper wants is to encourage some drivers to deliberately block it out of spite. 

GC


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## User6179 (3 Oct 2016)

glasgowcyclist said:


> What that paper wants is to encourage some drivers to deliberately block it out of spite.



I thought that myself , I wonder where the reporter stays ?


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## gasinayr (6 Oct 2016)

http://www.ayrshiredailynews.co.uk/…/BREAKING-NEWS-Councill…
Been on the local news today, bike lane getting ripped up


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## Lonestar (7 Oct 2016)

No sign of bollards on the CS 3 just cars driving down it and parking on it.Plus joggers.


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## e-rider (24 Oct 2016)

Although this cycle lane might not have been designed well (like most cycle lanes in this country) it appears that the objection primarily comes from motorists who are not happy that taxpayers money has been spent on a cycling 'facility' - this is just another arm of the 'we hate cyclists' motoring group

If you want to see a significant improvement in cycle infrastructure and a change in the attitude of motorists I'd recommend moving to another country becasue it isn't going to happen in the UK in this lifetime!


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## gasinayr (25 Oct 2016)

It is not the motorists that are complaining about this lane. It is the householders that can't get access to their houses or visiting friends park outside them
Also the main cemetery is on this road, for large funerals cars overflow onto the road. There has been no problem with this until now, but now the whole road gets blocked. Even a bus stopping causes a tailback.
Work started ripping it up yesterday.


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## glasgowcyclist (25 Oct 2016)

gasinayr said:


> It is the householders that can't get access to their houses



I find that hard to believe. Can you show an example, perhaps via Google's street view?


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## e-rider (25 Oct 2016)

gasinayr said:


> It is not the motorists that are complaining about this lane. It is the householders that can't get access to their houses or visiting friends park outside them
> Also the main cemetery is on this road, for large funerals cars overflow onto the road. There has been no problem with this until now, but now the whole road gets blocked. Even a bus stopping causes a tailback.
> Work started ripping it up yesterday.


I followed a few of the links for this story and there were several 'motorists' complaining - the articles didn't state whether they were local residents or not. I also find it hard to believe that driveways to houses were blocked


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## gasinayr (25 Oct 2016)

The driveways were not blocked as such. Bollards were fitted on cycle lane at either side of driveway blocking any parking at houses and cars from drives had to reverse right out onto main road. Not good on a busy A road


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## gasinayr (25 Oct 2016)

( Glasgow Cyclist )I find that hard to believe. Can you show an example, perhaps via Google's street view?

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/south-ayrshire-councillors-set-launch-8931277

The photo in this link shows the bollards at each side of the driveways


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## glasgowcyclist (25 Oct 2016)

gasinayr said:


> The driveways were not blocked as such. Bollards were fitted on cycle lane at either side of driveway blocking any parking at houses and cars from drives had to reverse right out onto main road. Not good on a busy A road



Ah, okay. Reversing out of a driveway isn't clever and I'm guessing they did that even before the bollards went in. The loss of on road parking for visitors is tough luck, free parking outside your house doesn't come as standard with a car.

From what I can tell, the road was a single carriageway, two lanes, one each direction and had a painted cycle lane either side. Now, the cycle lane is a segregated two-way lane on one side of the road. All that's changed is the cycle lane is now out of bounds to cars. Road capacity is no different, it's still two lanes, one each direction.

It appears what's irked the locals is loss of the ability to abuse the old painted lanes.


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## gasinayr (13 May 2017)

These clowns are in action again, The grass verge just outside the village of Coylton is too narrow for a cycle lane so they have bought a slice of land for an undisclosed sum from the land owner. More wasted money!


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## toffee (13 May 2017)

gasinayr said:


> These clowns are in action again, The grass verge just outside the village of Coylton is too narrow for a cycle lane so they have bought a slice of land for an undisclosed sum from the land owner. More wasted money!



Why is that a waste?


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## gasinayr (15 May 2017)

Because there are plenty of C class roads going the same way but for some unknown reason the cycle lane has to run alongside the busy A70


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## gasinayr (3 Oct 2017)

http://discover-ayrshire.com/2017/09/cycle-route-ayr/
Here we go again !


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## glasgowcyclist (3 Oct 2017)

gasinayr said:


> http://discover-ayrshire.com/2017/09/cycle-route-ayr/
> Here we go again !




Why are these twits so intent on mixing cyclists with pedestrians?!


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## snorri (3 Oct 2017)

gasinayr said:


> Here we go again !


What do you mean, are you pleased or displeased? 
It would be interesting to hear a more informative comment.


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## gasinayr (3 Oct 2017)

Both options put the route to the very busy Holmston Roundabout on the A77 / A70, it is bad enough trying to get through it in a car.
On option 2, if they followed the river on the existing cycle path ( Ayr to Auchencruvie ) that goes under the A77 and open up an overgrown right of way that goes onto the A70 east of the roundabout the job would be done and the roundabout bypassed. I have tried going through this roundabout on a bike, it is dicing with death.


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## KnackeredBike (3 Oct 2017)

glasgowcyclist said:


> Why are these twits so intent on mixing cyclists with pedestrians?!


Because if done well it works.

The three cycle paths I use the most, one is wide and mixed pedestrians and cyclists. There is a subtle (slightly lighter) "line" down the middle which means people are pretty good at moving onto one "half" of the path when asked. Works really well as long as you have a bell on your bike.

The two others have two narrower, separate paths for cyclists and pedestrians. All that happens is that pedestrians just walk on both paths, I assume because the cycle path is slightly wider. This includes especially for some reason dog walkers, resulting in much slower progress.

Put the path along/adjacent to the road and it either becomes an excuse for close passes or a car park.

Quite possibly the reason why none of them work is because they are all used so inconsistently and signed even more consistently no-one really has a bloody clue what is going on.


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