A cyclist says that a contraflow cycle lane in Plymouth has been rendered useless by motorists parking in it.
The popular route, which allows cyclists to ride against the flow of motor traffic on an otherwise one-way street, links the Plym Woods to other parts of Plymouth and Plympton.
But cyclist Ceri Carter told Plymouth Live that it’s impossible to ride in the lane on Longbridge Road due to the motor vehicles parked there, forcing cyclists to move out into oncoming traffic.
She said that during the working week there are usually five or six vehicles parked there illegally and that the situation is worse at the weekends – when, moreover, there are more cyclists around.
She said that despite notifying the council and police on a number of occasions, no action seems to have been taken against motorists parked there.
And while it is a mandatory cycle lane, delineated by a solid white line that drivers must not cross, she is calling for double yellow lines to be marked on it so motorists know they cannot park there, similar to those on the contraflow cycle lane pictured above.
She told the website: “I have lived here for five years and it’s been going on the whole time,” Ceri said. Last year, I got so fed up I decided something had to be done about it.
“So I phoned up the council, thinking it would be a piece of cake getting them to put in double yellow lines down the road.
“But I was told that it was a police matter. I went to them, and they said they needed the approval of the council. It’s just dragged on and on – someone needs to be something about this.”
She added: “The lives of cyclists are being put at risk. Lots of people are aware of it – they just have to work around it, there’s nothing they can do about it.”
Labour councillor Mark Coker, who is in charge of strategic planning and infrastructure at Plymouth City Council, said that he had not been aware of the problem but would highlight it to colleagues.
4 thoughts on “Contraflow cycle lane in Plymouth rendered useless by drivers parking in it”
How about rather than yellow
How about rather than yellow lines to introduce another rule to be ignored the police actually enforce the traffic regulation that makes it an offence to cross the solid white line with a vehicle (they have to cross that to park there.
3 points rather than a parking ticket might concentrate the mins a bit
Or if changes are to be made, how about replacing the white line with a nice high kerb (with spike on the vehicle side
)
EK Spinner wrote:
Totally agree, this falls under the same legislation as a normal double white separating opposing lanes of traffic. 3 points and £60. Better yet 3 points, and tow the car away incurring lifting fees and storage charges. As the car is illegally parked and impeding traffic on the highway it’s removal should be expedited with the efficiency of Camden Council (Record from witnessing someone park in a permit bay – without realising that they had assigned the space beside the meter as a permit bay – running round to newsagent to get change, coming back 3 minutes later to see car heading off on the back of a truck)
‘…she is calling for double
‘…she is calling for double yellow lines to be marked on it so motorists know they cannot park there…‘
LOL!
What next? A sign next to traffic signals so that motorists ‘know that they can’t go through on the red’?
Motorists know fine well that they can’t park on a mandatory cycle lane. They just don’t give a fuck about doing so, because ‘it’s only cyclists’.
As infrastructure, contraflow
As infrastructure, contraflow cycle lanes are a waste of time and funds to build and maintain and regularly dangerous. In Norwich city centre, they extended and improved one including with armadillo bollards at intervals. I rode it in first week opened , several trade vehicles and Parcelforce van in it, making it unusable pushing you into oncoming traffic. As is common,cycle infrastructure looks great on paper and doesn’t work in real world. You should see what they have planned near the hospital. A massive diversion for cyclists to cross by large roundabout exit. It has to be shorter and faster to be used by commuters but they won’t listen. It may attract families cycling but I doubt it.