Council Intensifies its War On Cycling.

[Solocle]

2018ish I was stopped in York, was probably lucky not to be fined. I'm in favour of reasonable enforcement, perhaps giving people a warning at first. But this approach in Grimsby especially if they are ignoring some people in favour of those they view as a easy target is wrong.

I was stopped in Oxford on Cornmarket Street once - timed restriction and it was less than an hour on the wrong side.

No fine, though, the council guy who approached me approached me because I was riding at walking pace. Meanwhile the deliveroo chap who went flying past at 15 mph? No attempt made to stop him - it would have been futile.

Had the council chap tried to fine me I'd probably just have ridden off at 20 mph, though.

Yes, we know the letter of the law, but frankly I'm more likely to shin somebody with a pedal if I'm dismounted and walking in cleats, rather than riding in a pedestrian manner.

The law also says that you must not ride on these hatchings. One would hope a bit of common sense would be applied.

 

[albion]

Things are a bit different here Germany sadly,

So is Grimsby.

 

[steveindenmark]

I don't look on this as a war on cycling. I look at this as a clear message. "Dont cycle in what is clearly a pedestrian area." Just because we ride bikes, I dont expect to be exempt from the law.
That said. The fine is steep.

 

[Drago]

I don't look on this as a war on cycling. I look at this as a clear message. "Dont cycle in what is clearly a pedestrian area." Just because we ride bikes, I dont expect to be exempt from the law.
That said. The fine is steep.

I don't really disagree with that, provided...

1. The reasons for the order are evidence based, and not just a response to moaning. Only a court should grant an order, and they should be demanding compelling actual evidence, and not merely accepting hysteria and anecdote as justification.

2. The penalty is appropriate.

3. Those that caused the original problem are targeted, and not just easy pickings like pensioners tootling along who were never a risk or problem in the firet place.

4. Enforcement is left to the police, and not council appointed nobodies with a Hitler complex. Of course, the carncil won't like that as unlike the dibble they get to keep the income.

It's more about the manner in which it is being done, rather than the fact that it is being done.

 

[mjr]

I don't look on this as a war on cycling. I look at this as a clear message. "Dont cycle in what is clearly a pedestrian area." Just because we ride bikes, I dont expect to be exempt from the law.
That said. The fine is steep.

Why is that a clear message? The guidance from gov.uk to local councils since the bleeding 1980s has been that considerate cycling should be allowed in "pedestrian" areas, especially where there is a clear desire line through it and the alternative is a busy/fast A/B road. There were a few refusenik councils which made illegitimate (because they reduced safety for the displaced cyclists while offering no significant increase in safety for anyone else) Traffic Regulation Orders that went against that national policy, but most complied sooner or later. Even Norfolk allows cycling in Norwich's city centre shopping streets now.

Then some bright spark created Public Space Protection Orders which can be issued by more councils (not only highways departments), have a much less rigorous consultation and legal process (it's something like post it on the council website for 6 weeks and approve it at a council meeting), higher fines and can be enforced by random council officers. Initially, there was a prohibition on using a PiSPO to regulate traffic (and thereby bypassing the better TRO publication and consultation process), but I think that may have been removed in some red-tape-reduction measure. Now almost any tinpot council with a bike-basher on it can fark over active travel, hurt their town's public health and get some negative press to deter tourists.

 

[mjr]

The law also says that you must not ride on these hatchings. One would hope a bit of common sense would be applied.
View attachment 723538

Ahhhh, hatchings. There's no better way for highways departments to say "we'd rather spend money painting this bit of road to make it uncomfortable to cycle on, than paint bike symbols and put in some posts to turn it into a half(?)-decent bike lane".

 

[Solocle]

Ahhhh, hatchings. There's no better way for highways departments to say "we'd rather spend money painting this bit of road to make it uncomfortable to cycle on, than paint bike symbols and put in some posts to turn it into a half(?)-decent bike lane".

I mean, they weren't particularly noticeable slogging up the hill at 10 mph... They do serve some purpose in that hard shoulders aren't actually particularly regulated on an all purpose road, so in theory legal to park or even drive on (as they're not part of the carriageway, they're not part of a clearway unless it's a red route or otherwise stated).

Bike lanes/symbols, there's really no logic to it tbh on trunk roads. At a guess they wouldn't want to encourage cycling here .

(The motorway ending there is the M25)

 

[Sallar55]

They encourage cyclists here, main road down to the ferry for Lisboa.

 

[Solocle]

They encourage cyclists here, main road down to the ferry for Lisboa.
View attachment 723575

View attachment 723576

View attachment 723577

View attachment 723578

The above road though is... something else.

 

[Sallar55]

And you need to have I have a camera sticker, I wonder why?

 

[Drago]

And you need to have I have a camera sticker, I wonder why?

It's a dating recognition symbol.

 

[mjr]

Bike lanes/symbols, there's really no logic to it tbh on trunk roads. At a guess they wouldn't want to encourage cycling here .
View attachment 723570
(The motorway ending there is the M25)

And yet...

A number of narrow bike symbols in shoulders is National Highways's worse-than-useless contribution to cycling city Milton Keynes. It doesn't comply with their Design Manual, but it was built about 40 years before the first Design Manual edition that was half-decent for cycling. As far as I know, National Highways still no plans to upgrade or remove (actually, remove would be a minimal upgrade) their old tiny narrow bike shoulders. It's not like it's worked well in other countries where the national government leads on cycling, is it?

 

[albion]

Grimmer than Grimsby.
https://road.cc/content/news/cyclists-slam-councils-biased-survey-307115

Hit and run stats mentioned.

 

[Drago]

Christ, it looks like they've copied the Fair Fuel survey.

And a nice effort from them trying to defend the indefensible.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Grimmer than Grimsby.
https://road.cc/content/news/cyclists-slam-councils-biased-survey-307115

Hit and run stats mentioned.

I've completed the survey, answered honestly too