The introduction of contraflow cycling markings on a series of narrow one-way streets in Bournemouth has raised questions among residents and active travel groups about what the benefit of opening the route up to two-way cycling is and whether the site is suitable and safe to do so.
While the initial reports of community concern were published by the Daily Mail, and feature the usual headline-grabbing complaints from a portion of outspoken residents heard when almost any new cycling project is undertaken, there have also been comments online from a local active travel group on the matter, normally pro-active travel people suggesting that the layout could be dangerous and may spark conflict.
One comment on the BH Active Travel group from Sue Saunders, who happened to be visiting family on the road and saw the new markings, described the contraflow layout on the “narrow one-way system” as “an accident waiting to happen”.
“Why on earth would anybody want to cycle down a narrow one-way street with no segregation against the traffic?” she asked. “There is not even a painted lane so the contraflow is directly into the path of oncoming traffic.”
Richard Stannard agreed it seemed dangerous, having ridden the route, but pointed out it would be safer without the vehicles parked on the bend at the top of South Road that links to Boscombe Grove Road via the one-way system.
“It’s true,” he agreed. “I was on my bike and almost went into a cyclist coming around that corner. The concept would have been fine but that corner always has vans parked on it which makes it impossible to see what’s coming. The lack of line of sight on the corner makes it dangerous.”
“I was driving along and thankfully did not meet any bikes coming towards me because I had nowhere to go,” Sue Saunders replied. “Added to that there are a load of blue signs [communicating the one-way system to road users] everywhere on the lampposts. It’s just another opportunity for motorists to get het up about wasting money on ‘cycle lanes’ that are unusable.”
[South Road, where there are now bike markings to allow contraflow cycling]
The roads have been one-way streets since the 1970s, one South Road resident Mark Elkins saying the new markings are “a bit unclear to the uninitiated” with the different signs coming across as “ambiguous”.
“If you don’t know that area, you would look at those signs going the wrong way and think the flow of the traffic was in that direction. So you might actually be quite surprised when vehicles are coming at you in the opposite direction,” he suggested.
Another resident added: “People come round the wrong way anyway in cars. Now sending the cycle lane into the oncoming traffic is crazy – it’s a narrow road and a very busy road with a lot of deliveries. Somebody’s going to get hurt in the next few months.
“Last week I was pulling out slowly and a cyclist wouldn’t stop, he tried to go on the pavement, and he ended up falling off his bike. He thought he had the right of way.”
The Mayor of Bournemouth, Anne Filer, has even weighed in on the contraflow conundrum, calling it “madness” to add cyclists riding against the flow of traffic to already “very little roads” where “it’s almost impossible to squeeze past in another car”.
“It’s just madness for cars to be confronted by a bike coming at them,” she said. “Are they going to wait for an accident to happen before common sense prevails?”
The saga comes two years since the Daily Mail reacted to new markings, also in the Boscombe area of Bournemouth, encouraging cyclists to take a “prominent position” by asking “is there any room left for cars?”
The council explained the carriageway resurfacing project aimed to make cyclists “more visible to motorists” with painted bicycles added “where the existing width of the carriageway between constrictions is between 3.2m-3.9m”.
Elsewhere in the south of England, last week, critics of a council project to “help cyclists navigate the different routes” in Colchester said the painted bike markings had created an “obstacle course” cycle junction that is a “ruse to drive motorists out of the town”.
However, local cycling campaigners said they are “optimistic” that it will enable cyclists to travel more easily and safely across the city, while Essex County Council addressed the noise around the development and said the markings had been “reviewed as part of a road safety audit completed for the scheme”.
22 thoughts on “Contraflow cycling confusion as council paints bike markings on “narrow one-way” streets, raising fears over “accident waiting to happen” layout”
There’s a road near me that
There’s a road near me that is a two way road, but due to the parked cars there is only space for one car at a time. To get by people simply pull into spaces. How is this any different?
Shake wrote:
Because there is no way that a motorist will pull over to let a cyclist pass.
(EDIT) Looks like my natural cynicism may be misplaced, as a couple of folks have come forward with anecdotal evidence that motorists do sometimes give way to cyclists… I stand corrected 😉
West Street in Hertford is
West Street in Hertford is like that (where the driving car in the distance is is a real pinch point), but in 4 years I think I’ve only came accross one ignorant driver !
brooksby wrote:
happened to me a few times yesterday in Dorset, but not in BCP borough though. At least half the drivers I encountered on single track roads pulled over into passing places. If it wasn’t for all the potholes it would have been a utopia
Dorset Coast audax calendar
Dorset Coast audax calendar event per chance? There was quite a bad accident yesterday on the B3157, car driver held back to avoid close passing a couple of DC participants, and two motorcyclists went into the back of the car, according to local hearsay.
https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/24253618.motorbike-crash-b3157-coast-road-near-swyre/
Yes Dorset Coast 200
Yes Dorset Coast 200
I didn’t see any aftermath of that, so it must have happened behind me (not directly behind, I didn’t hear it either)
Myself and my mates always
Myself and my mates always notice when we are getting closer to Bournemouth how the driving standards drop compared with the country lanes outside of Bournemouth
I have to drive to my parents
I have to drive to my parents’ place in Poole quite often, and I notice how the std of driving drops as you pass the “England” sign north of Carlisle*. Also, where the heck do all those cars come from? 100 miles of 2 cars every couple of minutes, then pass one bridge and they’re everywhere.
* – No I’m not Scottish, I’m just lucky to live here, clean air, low traffic, friendly people, great scenery, crap road surfaces, not a lot of sun…
Bigfoz wrote:
From a population density 6 times higher?
Anyway, my experience of England/Scotland couldn’t be different – I’ve done maybe 5% of my riding in England (mostly the North) vs 90%+ in Scotland and the only drivers who’ve ever backed me up or commiserated on close passes or other driving fannydom have been in England. Most Scottish drivers wouldn’t micturate on a cyclist if they were on fire.
And some English police forces actually prosecute close passes. Good luck with that in Scotland.
It will be even safer once
It will be even safer once the council have made it a 20mph speed limit , I use this road several times each week for cycling and feel perfectly safe unless there is a BMW or a delivery driver comming the other way but then thats the same for any road in the area !
“Last week I was pulling out
“Last week I was pulling out slowly and a cyclist wouldn’t stop, he tried to go on the pavement, and he ended up falling off his bike. He thought he had the right of way.”
Hmm…
I wonder what the betting is that in this case the cyclist DID have priority…
Basically most of the issues sound like drivers expecting that cyclists will immediately yield, regardless of priority or available opportunities to actually do so;
About 100%
About 100%
And if a ped had walked out
And if a ped had walked out onto the pavement in front of the cyclist, would the latter have yielded?
Whataboutism. Why are you
Whataboutism. Why are you even posting on here?
my issue with contra-flows
my issue with contra-flows made of painted bicycles is they are usually 1) used to hide the fact there isn’t space for a cycle lane 2) just painted on at the beginning and end so unobservant drivers get enraged at the cyclist pedalling the wrong way on a one way street.
They’ve got similar
They’ve got similar arrangements e.g. in Germany, with no more than a sign at each end of the road indicating that cyclists are allowed to ride in the “wrong” direction. It’s accepted that cyclists ultimately have priority, though clearly circumstances might dictate that a cyclist has to give way to an oncoming motorist.
In Germany the general
In Germany the general population is courteous and law abiding when driving. It’s a community and society focussed way of life.
In the UK the general population is arrogant and law breaking when driving. It’s a selfish me, me, me focussed way of life.
Tbf where I live 2 way roads
Tbf where I live 2 way roads look exactly like the one pictured.
The road is an in-out No
The road is an in-out No Motor Vehicles Except Access loop with no vehicle access in the middle of the loop ie effectively a crescent.
So “heavy traffic” is unlikely. And it forms an extra quietway shortcut going over the bridge by the railway station, saving 500-600m for many.
I’d say that this is part of a learning process as places eg not-Cambridge adjust to 2 way traffic for cycling.
Obvs the Council have not been clear enough, and should have somewhat reduced parking to give more passing places plus set the limit to 20mph. Next year for these?
When someone says “It’s an
When someone says “It’s an accident waiting to happen” they often mean “I’m an accident waiting to happen”.
How would some of these
How would some of these people cope if they visited Paris or a random Dutch town.
Indeed… though to be fair
Indeed… though to be fair the Dutch have some contraflow cycling in narrow streets. Although I think increasingly they would try to avoid this (e.g. here where there was a “missing link” down a narrow road with parking… they removed parking so it could safely be two-way for cycling!)
But of course in these situations not only is the speed limit effectively “dead slow” but there is general support for that! And as you imply – it is pretty much “great” by UK standards everywhere in NL.