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Safer cycle infrastructure possible after signage rule changes

Changes to signs regulations - six years in the making - mean councils can legally introduce dual zebra crossings. This crossing was technically installed illegally by one frustrated council.

The Department of Transport (DfT) has made long-awaited changes to infrastructure regulations, meaning mandatory bike lanes and low level traffic lights can now be used without a special application to central government, while parallel pedestrian-and-cycle zebras can be legally introduced for the first time, making Dutch-style roundabouts possible in the UK.

Changes to the TSRGD (Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions), which take effect on 22 April, were finally approved six years after the signage review began. At least two councils, frustrated by lengthy delays, illegally introduced cycle-friendly infrastructure in the interim.

Phil Jones, of Phil Jones Associates, is a transport planner and traffic engineer who trains councils on cycle friendly infrastructure. He calls the changes “significant”, and says there is no reason, from the 22nd April, why every new bike lane shouldn’t  be mandatory, rather than advisory, giving cyclists legal protection against encroaching traffic, and says people should be asking for these improvements from their local councils.

Jones said: "Local authorities have been chomping at the bit to put in that style of [pedestrian and cycle] crossing even though it wasn’t lawful. Personally I think that is one of the most significant things because you can put them in for cheap and you can put them all the way around a roundabout - so you can have a Dutch style roundabout."

“In the past people have put in dashed (advisory) cycle lanes because it doesn’t need a special traffic order. Although it is just paint, a driver is legally committing an offence by entering a mandatory cycle lane, unless in a situation where a large vehicle has to cross the lane because of its size. As of the 22 April there is no reason now why all of the lanes going in shouldn’t be mandatory.”

What has changed?

  • Parallel pedestrian-and-cycle zebras will finally be allowed in the UK. These were introduced in Hackney and Norwich – technically illegally – as the councils anticipated the long-awaited changes. Changes mean Dutch-style roundabouts – where pedestrian and cycle crossings are positioned around the outside of a roundabout, giving people on foot and bikes priority over turning traffic – will finally be possible in the UK
  • Mandatory cycle lanes – marked with a solid white line – can now be introduced without councils applying for a special Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) from the DfT. Jones says councils will now have no excuse for not installing these bike lanes, which offer legal protection to cyclists against motor vehicles entering in the lane, rather than advisory cycle lanes, marked with a dashed line, which offer no such protection.  
  • Low level traffic lights for bikes – these will now be allowed without councils having to make a special application to the Department for Transport. They are already in use on many of London’s recently upgraded Cycle Superhighways, and common on the Continent, and allow separate light phases for cycles, and early release from traffic lights, potentially reducing conflict and the risk of collision with motor traffic.
  • Green filter light will now be allowed without a special traffic order. This allows an early release for cycles in the same way a green arrow lets turning traffic move at different times to other traffic lanes
  • Red bike symbol on traffic lights can now be used for the first time. Previously only green and amber bike symbols were allowed on cycle crossings, with a normal red circle for a stop light. The change will make cycle crossings clearer to understand when the light is red
  • Cycle lanes can now continue through zebra crossings. Where previously cycle lanes had to stop at zebra crossings, now the zig-zag line can be moved out from the kerb, to the width of a bike lane - so bike lane markings can continue up to the zebra. Cycles will continue to give way to those crossing on the zebra.
  • “Elephant footprints” - large white squares marking a cycle lane crossing a junction or road – can now be used in the UK. These are common on the Continent.

Jones said: “Some of these things are tools that other countries have used for years. These are now part of the everyday tool bag that traffic engineers can use". 

He said though the changes may take a while to reach council engineers, and whether or not the changes are used at local level depends on political will, it's also about councils having the confidence to use those tools.

 “Campaigners need to be aware of this stuff now because there’s an inertia in the industry - it takes time to filter through,” he said. “People tend to do things the way they have always done, and if so campaigners need to ask [councils]: ‘why aren’t you considering this?’”

Jones and colleagues are producing a leaflet explaining how to use the new designs, ahead of changes to the DfT’s TSRGD document.

In the DfT’s release Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, focuses on the benefits to motorists of the changes, which also mean “unnecessary” road signs can be removed, including signs repeating the speed limit, after the number of road signs in the UK more than doubled from 1993 to an estimated 4.57m in 2013.

He said: “Road signs should only be installed on our roads when they are essential. Our common-sense reforms will help get rid of pointless signs that are an eyesore and distract drivers.

“These new rules will also save £30 million in taxpayers’ cash by 2020, leaving drivers with just the signs they need to travel safely.”

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23 comments

Avatar
HKCambridge | 7 years ago
0 likes

"As of the 22 April there is no reason now why all of the lanes going in shouldn’t be mandatory."

 

There is a reason: sometimes you can have a wide advisory lane where a madatory one would have to be a lot thinner.

 

For example, councils are often reluctant to reduce road width to less than 3m on bus routes. If the road is, say 3.7m wide, that means you end up with a 0.7m mandatory lane, which is close to useless anyway, and encourages close passes. Wheras you might get a 1.5m advisory, which suggests the space you should leave for cycles, but can be encroached by large vehicles if necessary. Which doesn't really help you if there is a large vehicle, but means drivers of smaller cars are likely to give you more space.

 

I have yet to be convinced most drivers have any idea of the difference between a mandatory and advisory cycle lane anyway, so the ability to legally enforce, which will never be taken up, is hardly relevant.

Avatar
Al__S | 7 years ago
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Technical/legal terminology is often really quite different to everyday useage- and everyday terminology is often used in consultations etc! "Pavement" is a classic example- it's always "footway" in legal terms, which is a different thing to a "footpath". Indeed, a "cycleway" and a "cyclepath" are quite different.

 

And I do dislike the term "mandatory cycle lane". It'san awful term. The other one, "advisory cycle lane" is just as bad. It's not mandatory to use a cycle lane, an it's often advisable not to... Plus paint on the road won't save us anyway

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Guanajuato | 7 years ago
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The biggest issue with cycle lanes is that most drivers appear to take them to mean that's the safe passing distance.  Even worse is accompanied by a double-white line, which invariably seems to mean 'safe to pass as long as you don't cross the lines' - that you're doing 60mph overtaking a cyclist at 20mph, round a blind bend leaving about 6" of space, it still must be safe.

Motorists should all be taken out and shot in front of their families. angel

Avatar
fukawitribe replied to Guanajuato | 7 years ago
0 likes

Guanajuato wrote:

Motorists should all be taken out and shot in front of their families. angel

Yeah that's what the world needs more of...

Twat.

Avatar
Guanajuato replied to fukawitribe | 7 years ago
0 likes

fukawitribe wrote:

Guanajuato wrote:

Motorists should all be taken out and shot in front of their families. angel

Yeah that's what the world needs more of...

Twat.

Sorry. keep forgetting t'internet is full of people who've had a sense of humour (or should that be humor?) bypass.  The clue is in the laughing icon. angry

Avatar
fukawitribe replied to Guanajuato | 7 years ago
0 likes

Guanajuato wrote:

fukawitribe wrote:

Guanajuato wrote:

Motorists should all be taken out and shot in front of their families. angel

Yeah that's what the world needs more of...

Twat.

Sorry. keep forgetting t'internet is full of people who've had a sense of humour (or should that be humor?) bypass.  The clue is in the laughing icon. angry

The little devil icon that's often used as an evil laugh ? Doesn't read as casual amusement regardless, at least to me, does it ? What was it supposed to be a funny view of, your previous comment ? Some things just aren't funny....

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nowasps | 7 years ago
0 likes

Also. In the photo, there's a cyclist on the zebra crossing, and a pedestrian on the cycle crossing!

No wonder drivers take the law into their own hands to dish out retribution.

 

Avatar
nowasps | 7 years ago
1 like

The word "mandatory" is going to lead to trouble. To many (motorists), it will give the impression that cyclists must be in them, and nowhere else.

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Al__S replied to nowasps | 7 years ago
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nowasps wrote:

The word "mandatory" is going to lead to trouble. To many (motorists), it will give the impression that cyclists must be in them, and nowhere else.

It's been the term for many, many years.

Avatar
fukawitribe replied to Al__S | 7 years ago
1 like

Al__S wrote:

nowasps wrote:

The word "mandatory" is going to lead to trouble. To many (motorists), it will give the impression that cyclists must be in them, and nowhere else.

It's been the term for many, many years.

Alas probably won't make it any less confusing to some - perhaps something like "exclusive" would have been less potentially ambiguous ?

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spen | 7 years ago
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"But I see no mention of ASLs in this document !"

 

Diagrams pages 469 - 71 text is probably in there somwhere

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CanAmSteve | 7 years ago
1 like

And in only a few generations, car drivers may understand what the new rules actually are...

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I love my bike | 7 years ago
1 like

Will the general public be informed of these changes?

Or only learner drivers, when they buy a copy of the Highway Code?

 

Avatar
horizontal dropout | 7 years ago
1 like

“Elephant footprints” - large white squares marking a cycle lane crossing a junction or road.

What is the priority at "elephant footprints"? Vehicle coming down side road waits to cross cycle lane or just a warning but still has right of of way?

 

Avatar
Eric D replied to horizontal dropout | 7 years ago
0 likes

horizontal dropout wrote:

What is the priority at "elephant footprints"?

"Elephant footprints" just show where the cycle lane is - not priority.
If there's no 'Give Way Triangle' painted on the tarmac,  no-one knows who has priority!

I love my bike wrote:

Will the general public be informed of these changes?
Or only learner drivers, when they buy a copy of the Highway Code?

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/updates
just links to the current version, not explaining changes

Best resource I know of is
http://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/changes-and-answers/category/changes-and-...
- banned substances
- HGV national speed limit
- Updated rule 147 about throwing things out of a vehicle from 'should not' to 'MUST NOT'

https://despatch.blog.gov.uk/2015/11/20/better-driving-hits-the-shelves/

Test your knowledge of recent changes to The Highway Code on BuzzFeed.

https://twitter.com/HighwayCodeGB
https://www.facebook.com/HighwayCodeGB
Email Updates

What I want to know is - does TSRGD2016 let us use ASLs legally ?
The problem:
http://thecyclingsilk.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/metropolitan-police-letter-to-cyclists.html
It was suggested here
http://www.theihe.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/10-30am-Sally-Gibbons-Cycling-measures-Presentation-2.pdf

"Removing the need for a lead-in lane/gate at ASLs – cyclists can cross 1st stop line anywhere"

But I see no mention of ASLs in this document !

Avatar
Al__S replied to Eric D | 7 years ago
0 likes

Eric D wrote:

"Removing the need for a lead-in lane/gate at ASLs – cyclists can cross 1st stop line anywhere"

But I see no mention of ASLs in this document !

Page 440:

Quote:

Meaning of “stop line”

30.—(1) Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) and (3), “stop line” in this Part means—

(a) in relation to any vehicle except a tramcar, the road marking provided for at item 46 of the Part 2 sign table; and

(b) in relation to a tramcar—

(i) the road marking provided for at item 47 of that table; or

(ii) where that marking has not been placed, the road marking provided for at item 46.

(2) Where the road marking provided for at item 48, 49 or 50 of the sign table in Part 2 has been placed, “stop line” means—

(a) unless (b) applies, the first stop line; or

(b) in the case of—

(i) a pedal cycle; or

(ii) a vehicle which has proceeded beyond the first stop line,

the second stop line.

And pages 469-471 have the diagrams for items 48, 49 & 50. The phrase "Advanced Stop Line" is not used.

Avatar
Eric D replied to Al__S | 7 years ago
0 likes

spen wrote:

"But I see no mention of ASLs in this document !"

Diagrams pages 469 - 71 text is probably in there somwhere

Al__S wrote:

30 (2)(a) unless (b) applies, the first stop line; or

(b) in the case of—

(i) a pedal cycle; or

(ii) a vehicle which has proceeded beyond the first stop line,

the second stop line.

And pages 469-471 have the diagrams for items 48, 49 & 50. The phrase "Advanced Stop Line" is not used.

Thanks both!

I was indeed searching for 'advanced'!

Avatar
ibike | 7 years ago
1 like

Good news. Look forward to seeing these changes everywhere.

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horizontal dropout | 7 years ago
1 like

Cool thanks very much atgni. Sending it to my local highways department.

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levermonkey | 7 years ago
2 likes

Whatever happened to 'Tiger Crossings'?

For those who don't know they were like Zebra crossings but Black & Amber instead of Black & White and were intended to show where a cycle-route crossed the road with the same priorities as a pedestrian route at a zebra crossing.

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bikebot replied to levermonkey | 7 years ago
0 likes

levermonkey wrote:

Whatever happened to 'Tiger Crossings'?

For those who don't know they were like Zebra crossings but Black & Amber instead of Black & White and were intended to show where a cycle-route crossed the road with the same priorities as a pedestrian route at a zebra crossing.

The parallel ped/zebra using elephant footprints is the approved form of the "Tiger Crossing".  The black & amber version was an early form that was only trialed briefly almost a decade ago before being abandoned.  The nickname remains to confuse people!

Avatar
horizontal dropout | 7 years ago
1 like

Big improvement. A link to the rules would be nice.

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