When Not To Double Up....

[G-Zero]

Thanks for that Red Light.

Quite complex isn't it.... Wouldn't you think they would standardise signage across the country and make it blatantly obvious to cyclists, no matter where they are.

We're a University city and have students from all across the UK and further afield; and it's non-sensical that they may be able to ignore "No Entry" signs in one part of the UK, due to local TROs, but be put at risk in another part of the UK, by applying the same logic to the same signs.

Can't ever see me cycling this route, but if I ever did, commonsense and the will to survive would prevent me from cycling beyond the no entry and cyclist dismount signs, into a street that when coaches are parked up is too narrow to accomodate me squeezing past oncoming traffic without going head on with it; and if I were to survive so far, I don't think I could comfortably continue to cycle against that flow of traffic, in the middle of their lane, into a sharp bend that has very restricted views due to a large concrete bridge support column, alongside another cyclist, effectively reducing my ability to swerve to my left.... in the dark !!

Signage aside, I still think this cyclist was in the wrong

 

[summerdays]

I use several cycle contraflow lanes (some marked with the solid line), but I have frequently found that I need to move out of the cycle lane more into the on-coming traffic, when there is a car/lorry etc parked there (yes often on double yellow lines), or workmen put their signs in it etc. However I do tend to treat it like a parked car and check it is clear before moving around the obstacle. I don't have a problem with cycle contraflows though they need to be sensibly designed which this one doesn't sound as if it is.

 

[Red Light]

That whole thing is an oddity. It is clearly signed at the top as both 20mph and having contraflow cycling so nobody should be either driving fast enough to be surprised by a cyclist nor unaware of them.

But the contraflow cycle lane stops short of the top of the hill with a cyclists dismount sign. Presumably you are supposed to walk the last few yards to the top. Further along I notice there are multiple repeats of the No Entry signs coming the other way which tends to indicate that the road is two way and traffic is constrained to one way by the No Entry signs. That also means you could push you bike past the sign and get back on just as if it had a cycle bypass.

 

[Dan_h]

Well, I have learned something (ah the educational power of cyclechat!)... Had I not read this thread I also would have thought that the cycle lane was the contraflow part and straying outside of it would have meant that the cyclist was illegally going against the flow of traffic. Even though they may be wrong I can see why a driver may be annoyed at this.

 

[G-Zero]

That whole thing is an oddity. It is clearly signed at the top as both 20mph and having contraflow cycling so nobody should be either driving fast enough to be surprised by a cyclist nor unaware of them.

But the contraflow cycle lane stops short of the top of the hill with a cyclists dismount sign. Presumably you are supposed to walk the last few yards to the top. Further along I notice there are multiple repeats of the No Entry signs coming the other way which tends to indicate that the road is two way and traffic is constrained to one way by the No Entry signs. That also means you could push you bike past the sign and get back on just as if it had a cycle bypass.

You must have better eyes than mine, I can't recollect the area being signed down to 20mph.

I always presumed the repeat No Entry signs were for vehicles coming out of the carparks both sides of the road, backing up the One Way Street signs.

I agree that the contraflow lane signs and the advance warning signs, should alert drivers to the potential presence of cyclists in the area, but seeing as the cycle lane ends on the apex of the bend, not many motorists would anticipate a cyclist being in the middle of their lane, in the dark and coming out of a tight bend before that cycle lane begins.

In fact, I wouldn't credit some drivers with being sufficiently aware of their surroundings, to even realise there is a cycle lane on the hill and that is reason that I believe this cyclist will soon become a statistic if he continues.