Has anyone else used the exciting new nelson street contralow painted cycle lane, yet?
The contraflow used to be up on the footway (separated by a painted line) but there are building works, so they've moved it out as a contraflow painted lane on the carriageway instead.
Except I'm not convinced that they've told any of the bus drivers, nor have they considered actually enforcing the double yellow lines along there.
What this means is that I'm riding in the contraflow cycle lane, a bus is approaching (did I forget to say its more-or-less a single lane road, one way, but a main bus route?); the bus moves to go around a van parked unloading to the Chinese supermarket, not paying attention, then brakes as he sees me and another bloke riding a trike coming toward him.
Now, I was riding in a marked lane and was actually at the pinch point caused by the parked van before the bus was, which from my point of view gives me priority so the bus ought to have waited until the road was clear of oncoming traffic (ie. me and trike guy!).
Instead, the bus kept right on coming and then stopped about five feet away from me so the driver could practice his swearing and rude hand gestures.
I shouted that it was a contraflow cycle lane. He shouted back that the cycle lane was on the pavement (you know, behind the builders' big metal fence) and that I should have been up on their or out of his f-ing way, or anywhere else.
He could only proceed if me and trike guy left the contraflow lane and went around him (which I'm pretty sure would have been illegal?).
The builders (who'd put the fence up and closed the cycle lane in the first place) all thought it was hilarious.
Yes, dear reader, me and trike guy both did indeed (illegally) ride around him and then carry on.
So, my questions - (1) if I reach a pinch point first (and am actually in the pinch point) then sureluy the bus ought to have waited? (2) is it worth me complaining to the council that when there are illegally parked vehicles all along the other side of the road from the new cycle lane, the road is not wide enough for a bus and a bicycle to safely pass each other?, and (3) what f-ing idiot thought that this was a good idea to sign it off???
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In my mind, if you guys were clearly visible and got to the pinch point first, then he should have let you go and in any case, certainly not just carry on. That said, if you had sight of the bus and anticipated the pinch point, then it might have been good to have let them through first (HC advice apart from anything else). I normally try to give extra allowance for PSVs and similar whether i'm in a car, on a bike or as a pedestrian and (HC aside) that is mainly that i'd prefer to slightly delay me, or a maybe a couple of others, rather than lots of other people - often in a time and resource constrained service. Greater good and all that. Blah blah. That's just me though.
I hadn't actually noticed that, haven't been down there for a while. But I thought it was called Quay Street (where Roll for the Soul used to be)? Mind you, I get the names of all those streets in the centre mixed; as you can tell!
The law does allow delivery vehicles to park on double yellow lines under certain conditions. I quote from the insurer Direct Line; "Loading or unloading your van? It's OK to stop briefly on double yellow lines to do so, but you must be continuously loading or unloading the whole time you're parked. There's also a time limit – 40 minutes for heavy goods vehicles and 20 minutes for light goods vehicles. Be prepared to prove to a parking attendant that you're loading or unloading something you couldn't carry from a legal parking spot. If you can see waiting restrictions or signs in place – including kerb dashes – you'll need to adhere to these."
Haven't tried it myself.
I'd go with the first vehicle that reaches the pinch point should have priority, but some drivers don't see it that way. With the cycle lane being blocked, it's less clear and I can see why the bus driver might think that you were in the wrong place.
Isn't there some law/by-law that building works that block cycle infrastructure for a significant time have to provide an alternative?
They have - the lane painted on the road, that I was using. Unfortunately, the road is only wide enough for the cycle lane and oncoming motor vehicles if there aren't any vehicles parked up delivering goods to the Chinese supermarket or amazon packages to the student flats... I think I'll try to use a different route until they've finished (which is really annoying) - my experience was at lunchtime, so I dread to imagine what it'd be like after dark.