Sub-Standard Cycle Lanes - Letter to Bolton Council

[MrHappyCyclist]

The most frequent comment I see on my YouTube channel is along the lines of "what a crap cycle lane/ death strip" or something like that, so I've just sent this email to the Highways Dept at Bolton Council.

Hello,

As a cyclist living in Bolton and working in Salford, I typically cover more than 100 miles each week cycling to work and back.

It has for some time been a concern that I feel my safety is being put in jeopardy every day by sub-standard cycle lanes in Bolton which are dangerous if I use them, but cause conflict with some motorists if I do not use them.

Sub-standard cycle lanes may often make cycling more dangerous than it would have been in the absence of the cycle lane, because they have a negative effect on the attitudes and behaviour of drivers towards cyclists, and they often encourage cyclists to take up a road position that is in itself dangerous. Most of the cycle lane provision in this borough falls well below the standard specified in the DfT’s own guidelines, which are set out in their publication: "Cycle Infrastructure Design" (accessible online at http://www.dft.gov.u...otes/ltn208.pdf). This is particularly true in relation to lanes widths of so-called advisory cycle lanes, and I would like to propose improvements in two partcular areas with regard to this issue.

First, most cycle lanes in the borough do not meet the minimum acceptable width of 2.0m (or 1.5m on roads that are not busy and have a 30mph speed limit), which is specified in section 7.4.2 of those DfT guidelines, and a large proportion fall seriously short of this standard, having widths of only 0.5m or less in some cases.

Second, in cases where there is a local restriction to carriageway width, a significant number of cycle lanes are designed to preserve the quality of the main carriageway rather than to preserve the quality of the cycle lane as specified in section 7.4.3 of those guidelines. In such cases, the width of the main carriageway should be reduced in order to maintain the cycle lane width. Examples of these problems include all of the cycle lanes in both directions on Manchester Road between Bolton and Farnworth (but these are not the only examples).

I would like, therefore, to see an undertaking from our highway authority that it will not install cycle lanes that do not meet the specifications set out in the DfT guidelines. In cases where these specifications cannot be met, there should be no cycle lane installed, and other measures to improve cycle safety should be considered, such as 20mph speed limits and enforcement. In addition, I would like to see a timetable set out for the improvement or removal of all sub-standard cycle lanes that are currently in existence in the borough.

An additional problem that exists is that a significant number our cycle lanes are frequently blocked by cars that park across the lane, and in some instances are compromised by the existence of adjacent park spaces, thus requiring cyclists either to ignore the cycle lane altogether, or ride through the dangerous car door opening zone. Again, these lanes need to be improved by means of changes to the parking regulations in those places, or improvements to the design of the cycle lanes to eliminate these problems. Examples of these problems include all of the cycle lanes in both directions along the A6 from Farnworth through Kearsley toward the boundary with Salford (but these are not the only
examples).

A number of cycle lane arrangements also need to be addressed at junctions, where the cycle lane has the effect of forcing the cyclist to move out across the flow of traffic in the first lane, which tends to cut across the cycle lanes. Example of this problem include Blackburn Road (Northbound) at the junction with Halliwell Road, and Moss Bank Way Eastbound at the junction with Smithills Deane Road (but these are not the only examples). Again, these junctions, which have only recently been installed in the two cases mentioned, are in dire need of a rethink.

I have video evidence of the types of problems that occur in every one of these locations, and would be happy to show you those video clips to illustrate the problems that I have described above.

Thank you for your attention, and I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Yours Sincerely, etc.

I'll post here again if anything ever happens about it.

 

[400bhp]

The most frequent comment I see on my YouTube channel is along the lines of "what a crap cycle lane/ death strip" or something like that, so I've just sent this email to the Highways Dept at Bolton Council.


I'll post here again if anything ever happens about it.

That's a well structured letter, by far the best example I have seen here. Only problem is you don't state you commute oby bicycle.

Why not write to the local MP, or is that the next step?

 

[Angelfishsolo]

That's a well structured letter, by far the best example I have seen here. Only problem is you don't state you commute oby bicycle.

Why not write to the local MP, or is that the next step?

As a cyclist living in Bolton and working in Salford, I typically cover more than 100 miles each week cycling to work and back.

Er, he does.

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

Why not write to the local MP, or is that the next step?

Councillors and the Mayor next, then the MP.

To be honest, I don't think the MP will be much help. I've written to him several times. He just forwards them to the DfT, gets a fob-off reply, and then forwards that to me. In this case, the DfT will just say that it's the Local Authority's responsibility.

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

I got a very prompt, if unsatisfactory, reply from the Highways Department, which follows:

Thank you for your e-mail regarding cycle lanes in the borough.
It is current Bolton Council policy that if on-carriageway cycle lanes are provided they should be a minimum of 1.5m wide or 2.0m wide for busy roads or where the speed limit is 40mph. Short lengths of lane 1.2m wide can be used to maintain continuity of cycle lanes for example on the approach to the advanced cycle box at a traffic signal junction stop line. This policy is in accordance with most good practise guidance including the Department for Transport's Local Transport Note 2/08, 'Cycle Infrastructure Design'. Where these widths cannot be achieved, cycle lanes are not installed.

The cycle lanes and traffic calming features on Manchester Road between Bolton and Farnworth and A666 Bolton Rd / Manchester Rd between Farnworth and Kearsley were installed around 1999 - 2000, before the latest guidelines were produced. However the majority of the cycle lanes along these lengths of road are at least 1.5m wide and would meet the current guidelines. Where the lanes are substandard they are reviewed when maintenance work, such as resurfacing, is carried out or other schemes are implemented and either rectified or removed if necessary. I can give you no indication of a timetable for such works because as you may be aware the funding available for such schemes has been either greatly reduced or suspended completely.

There are, as you state, lengths of cycle lane along these roads which are permanently blocked by parked vehicles. These lengths of cycle lane would not be installed nowadays unless an appropriate parking lay by could be created with room for a cycle lane on the outside with enough room to avoid opening car doors. Simply implementing parking/waiting restrictions is not the answer as on the majority of lengths of road where this occurs many of the vehicles belong to residents of adjacent houses and do not have any alternative parking provision.

The two issues you mention at the junctions of Halliwell Rd / Blackburn Rd and Moss Bank Way / Smithills Dean Rd are on the inside radius of a bend in the carriageway and some vehicles do encroach onto the cycle lane. Although it is quite legal for a vehicle to enter an advisory cycle lane if it is safe to do so, we have added green road marking paint to help to emphasise the presence of the cycle lane at these locations.

We do monitor how our roads are operating with regards to all users and I would be interested to view your videos if you would be willing to either send them to me via e-mail (if they are not too large!) or on a DVD to the address below.

I have put together a video for the chap at the Highways Department to view, but I thought I might seek comments before sending it.
[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_qWIFB7cPw[/media]

I should mention that a lot of these videos are old ones, and I often just don't use the cycle lanes now in many of the cases, although there are still some that I do.

 

[Ian 74]

It looks like a bit of a nightmare. Parked cars in the cycle lanes, people cutting you up, cars at junctions with their front ends in the on flowing cycle lane. Buses driving too close parked cars right next to your lane, as you say any moment a car door could open close lining you off your bike. Commuting seems like urban war.

I am originally from Bolton and I take my hat off to you and hope that you get some kind of satisfactory response, the video eloquently highlights your concerns. Is that St.Peters Way starring in some of the vid? Cycle lanes are more of a bother than they are worth. If I have a choice I don't use them, in Carlisle as most of them are on the pavement or would involve me stopping at every junction to make sure that I don't get cut up and knocked off my bike.

The sprawling urban conurbation is not a friend of the commuting cyclist. I await the councils reply with interest.

 

[Parrot of Doom]

Ah Bolton council. The one that replaced much of the Bolton arm of the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal with a dual carriageway. Who demolished a nearly 200-year-old stone aqueduct with explosives, because it might have been dangerous (it wasn't). The one that allows public rights of way to fall into disrepair, and who refuses to fix them (two river crossings near Nob End, just southeast of Moses Gate County Park, both blocked for years, both rather cheap to fix). The one that has excellent potential public footpaths (the old Burnden Viaduct), but chooses to do nothing with them. Not to mention the general state of the roads - anyone who's gone through Farnworth can be considered lucky to still be alive. Smithills Dean Road is horrifc and entirely unsafe to cycle on, let alone take your vehicle's suspension along.

But so long as the town centre has some nice pavements, everything is ok.

 

[ohnovino]

That's a brilliant video. I think you've done an excellent job of highlighting the problems in a very calm, considered and eloquent manner.

 

[growingvegetables]

That's a brilliant video. I think you've done an excellent job of highlighting the problems in a very calm, considered and eloquent manner.

+1

I was thinking of doing something similar for one of my commuting routes (aye - but that's all changed; long story, don't ask). Like you, lots of bits of footage accumulated. Adding a couple of things though. It's fairly obvious council roads engineers (and First Bus drivers) don't understand the concept of measurement, lack the ability to read specifications, and quite probably think the bike line is perfectly adequate for the 1-2 inch width of a bike tyre! [Cynical? Me? Naaaaaaaaah!]

Some quiet Sunday afternoon (as if!),

• for the door-zone cycle lanes, I was going to borrow my son and his 3-door car; and set up a short sequence showing how much of his door intrudes into the cycle lane; and film it.
• I was thinking about wrapping something really bright orange/yellow round my handle-bars, standing the bike upside down in some of the narrowest cycle lanes, and taking a short film/couple of still photos - to make the lack of space and clearance stand out graphically? Me? I'd also cheat and borrow my other son's mountain bike - his handle bars are a good 2-3 inches wider than my 24 inches

Just ideas to make the problems stand out graphically? Feel free to borrow, beg, steal, or otherwise purloin

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

I sent this response to the Highways Dept. last Thursday.

Thank you for your speedy response to my message; that is appreciated.

I have to say, however, that I was rather disappointed with your response. It contains a number of statements that I believe are untrue (e.g. "the majority of the cycle lanes along these lengths of road are at least 1.5m wide and would meet the current guidelines"). It also contains statements that suggest that you do not see safety of road users in practice as the concern of your department (e.g. "... some vehicles do encroach onto the cycle lane. Although it is quite legal for a vehicle to enter an advisory cycle lane if it is safe to do so, we have added green road marking paint ...).

As you requested, I have put together a compilation of some video clips with a commentary. You may find this on YouTube at the following address:
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_qWIFB7cPw


If you are unable to view this, then please let me know and I will try to arrange some other means to get it to you.

You will notice that, contrary to your statement, most of these cycle lanes are much narrower than 1.5 metres, being as little as 0.5 metres in places.

I do feel that, should a cyclist be involved an accident in one of these lanes, there is a possibility that the council could be considered to be at least partly responsible given that there are clear guidelines published by the DfT, which are not being applied here.

I may have come on a bit strong here, but I do think their earlier response was just not acceptable.

 

[Alun]

Good luck with that Mr HC, have you seen this website?

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/pete.meg/wcc/facility-of-the-month/

 

[snorri]

Simply implementing parking/waiting restrictions is not the answer as on the majority of lengths of road where this occurs many of the vehicles belong to residents of adjacent houses and do not have any alternative parking provision.




This is the bit that annoys me, convenience apparently takes priority over safety.

 

[Richard Mann]

Good luck with that Mr HC, have you seen this website?

http://homepage.ntlw...y-of-the-month/

This one is really silly. If you follow the location link, and have a look at it in Google, it's quite clear it's a central turn lane for a side road that's out of shot. A side road that forms a quiet link to the centre of the village.

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

This one is really silly. If you follow the location link, and have a look at it in Google, it's quite clear it's a central turn lane for a side road that's out of shot. A side road that forms a quiet link to the centre of the village.

Yes, a bit misleading that. It damages the credibility of the site when there is even one misleading example like that; a shame.

 

[Red Light]

Yes, a bit misleading that. It damages the credibility of the site when there is even one misleading example like that; a shame.

But it invites the interpretation it got by virtue of the white lines going up either side of the central island. If they had stopped short and curved the left one round it would make it obvious what it is but as it is it looks like someone's dumped an island on the cycle right turn for the t-junction.

But I don't think it damages the credibility - CFoM has always had a slightly tongue-in-cheek approach and it is humorous.