on the A50!!!!??????
Campaign to ban cycling on the A50
- Thread starter downfader
- Start date
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Hilldodger
Guru
- Location
- sunny Leicester
Yep, on the A50 near Derby. Morons.
well, it takes all sorts.
If you look at the BBC interactive road death thingy you see that rural A-roads feature heavily. And, if you want a really quick fix the answer is distressingly straightforward - reduce speed limits and enforce them. I realise that these roads are not constructed for cyclists, but for our sake, as opposed to anybody else's reducing the speed limit of narrow-lane dual carriageways or two lane A-roads to 40 would do the trick.
I suspect that removing the painted line between lanes 1 and 2 would in many cases be a good thing too, by encouraging people to think about their road positioning and move out for overtakes instead of thinking "must stay in lane, I can squeeze past that obstacle". That's just a gut feeling, though, I'd be interested to know of any research
mark barker
New Member
- Location
- Swindon, Wilts
I think that a ban on cycling (and other slow moving vehicles) on certain roads isn't a bad idea. I'd like to see the introduction of a minimum speed limit on dual carriageways, and a ban being introduced for vehicles unable to sustain that speed. If you've got a potential speed differential of 50 or 60mph then thats never going to be safe.
subaqua
What’s the point
- Location
- Leytonstone
and then you have B- Roads that have a National speed limit ,yet are narrower.
where do you draw the line?
Hilldodger
Guru
- Location
- sunny Leicester
It would be a good idea if cyclists stuck a flashing LED on the back if they really want to ride down a fast dual carraigeway. Slow moving motor vehicle have to and it gives drivers a lot more notice and time to react.
mark barker
New Member
- Location
- Swindon, Wilts
In a perfect world I'd reduce the limits on single carriageways. We have to accept that dual carriageways are not there for enjoyment, they're there to move people and things around as quickly as possible.
Its all fine people jumping up and down defending their rights to be where ever they want (and recently the "we were here first" line seems to be popular), but a little responsibility and thought for everyone else is also in order.
There seems to be an assumption in this (on the face of it entirely reasonable) argument that the cyclist is on that road for fun or for bloody-mindedness. I think it's more likely that he also is simply there to get from A to B as fast as possible (there are no sensible alternative routes, or the cycle path is coated in glass, or he doesn't know the local area, or he missed his turning or whatever). There is no need to ban slow vehicles from dual carriageways if the vast majority of them would be elsewhere anyway given a sane alternative that meets their needs, just to provide (and inform them about) the said alternative.
Er except they frequently don't turn them on...
John the Monkey
Frivolous Cyclist
- Location
- Crewe
On my commute, once traffic filled the "new" road, everyone started rat running on the "old" road - the end result is that both are about as busy as each other now.
Dunno whether that's true of the road in the op mind.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
According to posts on a similar thread on BikeRadar, the old A50 road and a cycle path are a pleasant way of avoiding that stretch of the new A50.
John the Monkey
Frivolous Cyclist
- Location
- Crewe
Fair enough. A part of me still bridles at the idea that the solution to cretinous driving is to move vulnerable[1] road users out of their way though.
[1] Although I'd imagine a family car, or motorcycle to be fairly vulnerable to a poorly driven LGV also.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I feel the same way!
I'd ride the old road and cycle path though - I only use fast, busy dual carriageways when there is no realistic alternative. Even if it was safe, I wouldn't enjoy cycling on a road like that.
The old A50 is pleasant enough, depends where you're trying to get to. I wouldn't say the cycle path was. The cycle path bit is there as there is no way of crossing the river otherwise. There's virtually nothing you can do about this. Banning cyclists and peds off the A50 would still have the rerouting problems I talked about, it's just as with most cycle schemes it's just assumed that 'no cyclists live there' or 'they wouldn't go that way' which is nearly always wrong.
