Police pull over cyclist for using pavement — but did he do anything wrong?; Cyclists! Mind the pole: More cutting-edge infra; Shouldn’t have gone to Specsavers; Dropper post chat; Golf club lane; Khan urges Londoners to cycle + more on the live blog
Have we teleported to summer? Not by the looks of the feels like temperatures next week (sorry to burst the bubble)…anyway, Dan Alexander is here for your Wednesday live blog, don’t panic if he goes missing during those toasty midday temperatures…
Wed, Mar 23, 2022 09:07
SUMMARY
23 March 2022, 09:07
Cyclists! Mind the pole: More cutting-edge infra
What a pol-arising cycle lane this is…
Council bosses say the route is yet to officially open, and the pole, present for temporary overhead lighting, will be sent packing in due course. By due course I mean next year when the entire development is completed.
Local cyclists on the other hand are a tiny bit baffled by the obstacle, and called for more “joined up thinking” between the local authority and lane users. Fair enough.
New Leith Walk cycle lane.@Edinburgh_CC Why?! pic.twitter.com/5MHnBM7riw
— Sean Gray (@SeanEGray) March 13, 2022
The bidirectional Leith Walk bike lane is part of the Trams to Newhaven extension project in the Scottish capital, with the pole sending riders off the cycleway and onto the adjacent pavement, something Ian Maxwell from Spokes says is “disappointing”.
“We are disappointed with the way that the design seems to be making some very obvious blunders, it’s just not sensible,” he said.
“The design of cycle routes is well-established and we’re very surprised the people that are doing this haven’t followed suit. There does seem to be a way of thinking that is very much along the lines of a tram route taking precedence and everything else following.
“We are seeing a fundamental shift in the way people in Edinburgh travel. I’m optimistic about the future because there are some quite nicely designed spaces, but at times it still seems a bit hit and miss.”
A City of Edinburgh Council spokesperson told Edinburgh Live the temporary poles are absolutely necessary…
“Temporary poles provide necessary street lighting during construction and will be removed once the route is complete, as has always been planned. Overhead line poles will provide light in the permanent scheme but they are one of the last things to go in as part of the construction programme.
“The cycle lane is not yet open as the scheme is still under construction, and there is clear signage to notify the public of this.”
23 March 2022, 09:07
Shouldn't have gone to Specsavers...
CCTV footage from Friday night shows the moment a driver reversed into an opticians in Swansea. The jokes write themselves…
23 March 2022, 09:07
On the theme of obstacle course cycle lanes...remember this classic?
This morning’s lane–splitting pole reminded us of this classic of the genre…dubbed the Danny MacAskill lane after the bike-bending skills required to use it…
As in today’s case, we’re led to believe the offending box is to be removed as part of the construction. Until then? Good luck…
You may have seen yesterday’s story about the group of cyclists in the French city of Lyon who are so fed up with drivers parking badly, they’ve launched a competition to find the worst-parked car in their city…with bonus points for those in cycle lanes…
Who will win the Garé comme une merde? (That’s parked like crap to you or I)…
23 March 2022, 09:07
Mayor Sadiq Khan urges Londoners to cycle as high air pollution warning issued
High pollution is forecast in London until Thursday. Please look after each other by walking, cycling and using public transport instead of using polluting car journeys if you can. https://t.co/p5rbRjfSVd
— Will Norman (@willnorman) March 22, 2022
Sadiq Khan has urged Londoners to “please look after each other by walking, cycling, avoiding unnecessary car trips” as a high air pollution warning has been issued for the capital for the first time since August 2020.
Air pollution today over London v Oct 20. You can barely see Canary Wharf today. Both taken with the same iPhone pic.twitter.com/2xlBDIMKyx
— Rory McCarron (@CyclingLawLDN) March 23, 2022
The Mayor warned London is “importing pollution from the continent” alongside a build-up of local emissions, with forecasts showing the capital could see sustained import of particles on Wednesday.
The alert will be in place until Thursday at the earliest. Khan has warned of a crisis of “filthy air and gridlocked roads” unless London’s car usage is reduced.
Zack Polanski, chair of the London Assembly environment committee, said: “We now have high pollution alerts and warnings, but we cannot just wring our hands and say to vulnerable people avoid going outside.
“It is unacceptable for anyone to fear going outside.”
23 March 2022, 09:07
Ever wondered how Dutch golfers carry their clubs?
Ever wondered how Dutch golfers carry their clubs…? pic.twitter.com/PnahLqlAfU
— anna holligan 🎙 (@annaholligan) March 23, 2022
I’d pay good money to see this suggested at the AGM at Kingsknowe Golf Club in Edinburgh…
Last month, members started a petition urging the council to remove a recently installed cycle lane on the Lanark Road – so golfers can park their cars on it.
23 March 2022, 09:07
Pro riders talk dropper posts: Are they here to stay?
Matej Mohorič’s Bahrain Victorious teammate Jack Haig isn’t so sure dropper posts will catch on and become a regular sight in the pro peloton, despite the Slovenian’s dropper-assisted daredevil Poggio descent helping him win Milan-San Remo.
“They’re awesome… for mountain biking,” Haig told Cycling Weekly. “I have one on all of my mountain bikes and I think they revolutionised mountain biking, but I think for road cycling there are not many races that have a situation like Milan-San Remo where the race can be won on a downhill, so I’m not sure you’ll start seeing many people use them in many races.
> UCI confirms Matej Mohorič’s Milan-San Remo-winning dropper post is within rules
“There are certain scenarios, like the weekend, where it’s beneficial but I’m not sure you’ll start seeing it on every bike.”
Astana-Qazaqstan’s Joe Dombrowski took a break from Fire in the Booth prep to agree with Haig: “Personally I’m not sure I’d use one. It’d maybe be interesting to try in training and see how it feels. Maybe for a brief downhill section it’s faster, but I don’t think… I feel like you’d have to lower the saddle for it to have a significant impact on the descent, it’s not something you’d pedal around with for very long.”
23 March 2022, 09:07
100 days to go...
In 💯 days Tour de France will kick off here in Denmark with exciting 3️⃣ stages.
And do you know who is excited? Hint: He is part of the Royal Family in Denmark, and he loves the Tour de France; H.R.H Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark! 👑
#tdf2022 @LeTour pic.twitter.com/8cNpdNk3vp— Grand Départ Copenhagen Denmark 2022 🇩🇰 (@letourdk) March 23, 2022
100 days to go until the start of the Tour…
More importantly that means the next 100 days will be filled with classics, cobbles, Ardennes, stage races, pink jerseys, Italian mountains and more…
23 March 2022, 09:07
New bags from Zéfal
Zéfal has some new bags out, including the 27-litre Urban Backpack for “daily cycling trips”. It features an attachment to be carried on a rear rack and can fit a 15-inch laptop. Zéfal says it is “durable and practical” and has plenty of storage options including exterior front pocket with a waterproof zip. The straps allow users to carry a D-lock and there is an elastic rain cover stored under the bag.
The Urban Backpack costs €99.95.
Zéfal also has an Urban Messenger bag with 11-litres of storage space, which will also fit a 15-inch laptop, and has been designed for use on and off the bike. Slightly smaller (and lighter) than the backpack, the obvious drawback is less storage space. But that’s only a drawback if you need an extra 16L of storage.
The Urban Messenger is slightly cheaper too, costing €69.95.
23 March 2022, 09:07
Police pull over cyclist for using pavement — but did he do anything wrong?
Who said cyclists don’t get pulled up for riding on the pavement…
Even though, I only did this to reduce the delays for those travelling behind (who’d be unable to pass me for 3/4 of a mile, due to the roadworks) it buttered no parsnips with this PC. pic.twitter.com/kqwCeOCyzb
— Your Average Joe (@FrankleyMan) March 22, 2022
The Highway Code is extremely clear about cycling on the pavement: ‘Rule 64: You MUST NOT cycle on a pavement’. That’s informed by the Highway Act:
If any person shall wilfully ride upon any footpath or causeway by the side of any road made or set apart for the use or accommodation of foot passengers […] every person so offending in any of the cases aforesaid shall for each and every such offence forfeit and pay any sum not exceeding over and above the damages occasioned thereby.
So, legally at least, the answer to our question ‘did he do anything wrong?’ is clear — by the letter of the law, yes.
But many have expressed sympathy for this rider, saying it was all a bit ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’…
Stay on the road and you’ll have a string of irate drivers crawling behind as you pass through the roadworks. That’s assuming you can even make it to the other end without the light turning green and sending oncoming traffic your way. Use the pavement…well, that didn’t end well here…
These lane closures with temporary lights are far from ideal for those on two wheels, and, from personal experience often leave me weaving past cones, onto the closed lane, to let motorists through before sprinting to make it through in time…maybe we should all just be more assertive and use the lane as normal?
In this case the rider didn’t even have the option to cross onto the closed side due to the barriers, leaving them with the pavement predicament. Do you get out of the way of traffic by using the footway? Legally, no. But I’m sure more than a few of us would have done the exact same thing here…
What do we reckon?
It’s a no win situation. The cyclist gets it in the neck either way.
Given how drivers have reacted in the passed along that stretch, I didn’t think whose you’d followed me up the hill would be too pleased to sit behind me for even longer, so… but that’s not how Mr PC saw it.
— Your Average Joe (@FrankleyMan) March 22, 2022
Obviously bikes shouldn’t cycle on busy pavements, but when the footpath is clearly empty like this it seems daft to kick up a stink about it. IF a pedestrian appeared, 99% of cyclists would stop, dismount and give way (or go back on the road (you’d hope so anyway).
— You Park Like a C*nt (@YPLAC) March 23, 2022
Urgh. What was the outcome? That looks like a no win siutation for you, no matter which choice you made (other than to magically disappear or float above everyone)
— TallTim 🇺🇦 (@TallestTim) March 23, 2022
23 March 2022, 09:07
Danny MacAskill's back
23 March 2022, 09:07
Sir Chris Hoy predicts Scottish mega World Championships will be the "biggest cycling event ever seen"
Sir Chris Hoy has been announced as an ambassadoe for the first ever combined UCI World Championships, to be held in Scotland next year. It will be the first time all 13 of the UCI’s disciplines will be brought together to one championships.
“Not only will it be the biggest cycling event ever seen, it is a unique opportunity to unite the global cycling family and to showcase the incredible breadth of our sport,” Hoy told The National.
“The only time [the different disciplines usually mix] would be the Olympics and even then it’s just mountain biking, BMX, track and road. You’ve also got the para-athletes all competing at the same time and indoor cycling with all its different disciplines which is quite a niche thing. I’ve seen little clips of it and it almost looks like a different sport entirely on two wheels.
“But now they’re going to feel part of this bigger cycling family. It’s going to bring all the cycling communities together so it’s going to be such a big deal to win a world title next year. Of course it’s always important but this will be the one you want to win, the first combined championships.”
23 March 2022, 09:07
Some of your thoughts on pavement cyclist getting pulled over by the cops — did he do anything wrong?
Police fail on this one, as a cyclist, you go on green, it will change before you get to the other end, and angry drivers will drive at you, as they had a green by that point, yes you have right of way, and they should yield, but they don’t want to, and probably wont.
— Simon Colley 🇺🇦 (@si_rides) March 23, 2022
In the comments Rendel Harris made a decent point about this one…”I suspect the problem is that the light was red when he mounted the pavement; even though he may (and I see no reason to doubt it) have been thinking of his own safety and the convenience of drivers, what the police are seeing is a cyclist coming up to a red light and bypassing it by riding up on the pavement.
“Had he waited for the light to turn green and then (as I do on occasions) pulled onto the pavement and waved the traffic behind past the police would have got a far more positive visual and I suspect wouldn’t have pulled him.”
AlsoSomniloquism reckons the speed might have something to do with the action too: “I suspect if the cyclist had initialy moderated his speed down to about the pace he was doing at the end, he might have been ‘let off’.”
I’d agree the optics of the situation matter here. Would the police really pull him over if he’d done as Rendel suggests? You’d hope not…
23 March 2022, 09:07
Belgian infra so good even the pros use it
Alternatively that’s a footpath and our not-so-friendly copper is waiting at the end to hand out a notepad full of tickets…
23 March 2022, 09:07
Photo finish and mountain-top finish: What happened in the world of pro racing this afternoon?
Here’s how close Dylan Groenewegen was to winning Brugge-De Panne moments ago…Belgian Tim Merlier got the win byt the narrowest of margins. Cav never contested the finish having been quite far back in the group in the closing kilometres.
Over in Catalunya, Ben O’Connor won the summit finish at La Molina, attacking solo on the final climb, before holding off the bunch to take the race lead. Simon Yates was the first GC favourite to fall out of contention and looked to be suffering more than simply just a dose of bad legs. Promising Spanish rider Juan Ayuso was second on the stage, with Nairo Quintana third.
Away from the TV cameras Ethan Hayter sprinted to victory on the second stage of Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali. It was a 1-3 for Ineos Grenadiers and Britain too, with Ben Tulett third.
23 March 2022, 09:07
Bike shows are back! All the big news from the road.cc team at Core Bike 2022
Show stoppers: Mavic drop 1,225g carbon-spoked wheels and more from Orro, Colnago and more
Mega bike tech gallery featuring Colnago, Mavic, Giro, Orro, Michelin, Hope and more
23 March 2022, 09:07
23 March 2022, 09:07
Another normal day in the bike industry...
Bentley launches a £450 balance bike with diamond-quilted handlebars
This balance bike has a 650g magnesium alloy frame, rear disc brake and "will redefine your child’s first biking experience" according to the luxury car brand
23 March 2022, 09:07
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Dan is the road.cc news editor and joined in 2020 having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express, and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Dan has been at road.cc for four years and mainly writes news and tech articles as well as the occasional feature. He has hopefully kept you entertained on the live blog too.
Never fast enough to take things on the bike too seriously, when he’s not working you’ll find him exploring the south of England by two wheels at a leisurely weekend pace, or enjoying his favourite Scottish roads when visiting family. Sometimes he’ll even load up the bags and ride up the whole way, he’s a bit strange like that.
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Latest Comments
DJameson 51 minutes ago
The reckless behaviour may have been intentional, but can you prove beyond reasonable doubt that the specific intent was to kill the cyclist? If you charge with murder instead of manslaughter and can't convince all 12 jurors of that, you get no conviction.
kingleo 1 hour ago
The French will try anything to get a Tour de France winner.
open_roads 1 hour ago
Unfortunately convicted Fraudster Louise Haigh is unavailable to serve as Transport Minister as she has been given (checks notes) the lead role for Ethics and Propriety as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. That’s right - Burnham has appointed to an ethics and propriety role a person who not only committed fraud, but reportedly stayed silent when the person she sold one of the phones she stole to got arrested for having bought it from her in good faith.
Huw Watkins 1 hour ago
Perhaps because the riders are going to fairly fatigued at this point of the race, and with a load of big stages still to come, so more likely to be using (if indeed they are)?
quadtodd 1 hour ago
Well, "Texas law recognizes manslaughter as criminal homicide under section 19.04 of the state’s penal code. A person commits the crime of manslaughter if he or she recklessly caused the death of an individual. This differs from murder, where the accused intentionally and knowingly caused the death of someone. Manslaughter can be interpreted as an action that unintentionally caused a death, which is referred to as reckless behavior." I would say trying to hit a biker with a car so hard that she completely shattered the Honda's rear hatch window and crushed the hatch inward is severely intentional. The driver has been "booked into the Brazos County Jail 13 times since 2012...Those include criminal mischief, theft, resisting arrest, assault, hit and run, escape from custody, deadly conduct, possession of a controlled substance, and multiple driving offenses."
momove 1 hour ago
Well, the new transport secretary isn't Lousie Haigh, she's been appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Has anyone worked out what that job is yet?
Bungle_52 1 hour ago
@jh2727 I fear you may be right but if you are I find it a very unsatisfactory state of affairs. If it is an offence then they have the choice of sending a NIP, a warning letter or an advisory letter instead of NFA. All of these should be just a matter of pressing a button. In the case of the NIP, once the driver has been identified and checked for previous they have the option of a course, a fixed penalty notice or taking it to court. The first actually generates income, the second only goes to court if it's contested. I can see why they don't always use the courts but I can't see any reason not to use the others. Some on here would say that letters and courses are a waste of time but I don't. It hasn't happened to me yet but if a driver has already been dealt with in that way then the next time it's going to be very difficult to justify not taking action. I have also noticed a marked improvement in driving around me since Gloucestershire started sending advisory letters rather than NFA for close passes.
momove 2 hours ago
Also, with 8 seats and space for 6 standing, that's over 1 tonne just in passenger weight, plus the weight of the vehicle. Okay, they might not usually be at capacity, but a company is hardly likely to run them almost empty. It was vehicle weight which damaged the bridge and they're solving that with more vehicles? This report is just a press release reissued. The Barnes and Hammersmith Electric Light Transit is supposedly a grassroots community group that developed this junk?
FionaJJ 2 hours ago
@Another_MAMIL I'd say yes. I've not read up on the requirements lately, but my understanding is that while the heavy lifting of doping tests can be done after competition as it routine at the Olympics and in tennis, or as part of the whereabouts testing (athletes specifying when and where they'll be for an hour each day), the doping authorities have the right to turn up and request a test any other time, specifically to deter microdosing. They can't get into trouble if they aren't there when the testers turn up, but refusing is not an option. I have heard of testers turning up on mass at tournament hotels used by tennis players, including one time in the run up to the start of the Paris Masters event. I remember because rumour has it that one well known player had a sudden and coincidental family emergency that meant they had to temporarily leave the country. That was around the time biological passports were coming in, and they were taking blood samples. If memory serves me right, that was late at night, but not the middle of the night. While some players may have been in their pyjamas, it sounded as if all of the top players were targeted, and the tournament hadn't yet started, so much less disruptive, and harder for any player to claim they'd been victimised. As much as I support actions to catch or deter doping, it's because sport should be fair. Having just one or two competitors woken in the night is not fair.
50 thoughts on “Police pull over cyclist for using pavement — but did he do anything wrong?; Cyclists! Mind the pole: More cutting-edge infra; Shouldn’t have gone to Specsavers; Dropper post chat; Golf club lane; Khan urges Londoners to cycle + more on the live blog”
If we accept that the cycle
If we accept that the cycle path is not yet open and is signposted accordingly, it is still poor. How can a cycle path that narrow be suitable for bi directional travel?
I don’t think it’s up to
I don’t think it’s up to standard for a one-way cycle track (2m, 1m50 absolute minimum at constraints).
If it really is two-way, it’s nowhere near wide enough.
And presumably, legally, any
And presumably, legally, any cyclist would be expected to stop and dismount, walk their bike around that pole, and then remount. Riding on the footway is against the law, dontcha know? <shakes head sadly>
I’m assuming the white line
I’m assuming the white line marks the edge of the cycle lane, so there is a curb and different surfaces on the cycle lane? Makes it wide enough, but an accident waiting to happen all the same
The white line actually pre
The white line actually pre-dates the cycle lane section- there were temporary lanes all the way up Leith Walk since the start of the pandemic.
Mind you, given how oblivious the pedestrians can be, I tend to feel much safer cycling along the road than I do any of these “divided pavement” sections…
Thats what I assumed too.
Thats what I assumed too. Looks like roughly 2m to that white line. Not entirely sure why different surfaces – thats asking for confusion.
I live on the road, there is
I live on the road, there is one cycle path each side of the road going in the direction of traffic. My worry is the lack of separation between pedestrians and cyclists.
Dylanb wrote:
They’ve (mostly) designed it per how they do Over There e.g. it’s really obvious what’s meant to be a cycle path and what’s not. Different colours, different levels, occasional cycle markings, signs, there’s a (forgiving) kerb to nudge cyclists back if they drift off. There are actually plenty of interruptions in the path to – presumably – signal to pedestians / partially sighted people that this is their space to cross. I appreciate it’s a very busy street in parts but mostly there’s still plenty of pedestrian space. Yes, they could have taken more from the tram / bus / car part. Cyclists will build up speed going north downhill too (see my concerns about wiggles later). Maybe that’s why they envisige this as one-way?
My beef is that a) we’ve still allocated lots of space for motor vehicles b) the cycle path is really wiggly for little discernable reason c) side road crossings (e.g. at McDonald Road / Pilrig Street and even Balfour Road) – I’m not 100% clear on how they’re doing these as they’re not finished yet some look like they will be at best inconvenient for cyclists and also have conflict with pedestrians built-in to some (e.g. Pilrig Street) d) because it’s a PITA to cross to the other side now and if anything that will get worse people will inevitably ride “the wrong way” on the paths. I’m unconvinced that “we didn’t have the space” to make these a little wider (if not “officially” 2-way) e) The connections at the South end around Picardy place look a real dog’s dinner – although again this isn’t finished yet. This is a space big enough for a football pitch but somehow we’ve got to dedicate it to traffic. f) On the “other” side (east) the same issues are there currently e.g. “cargo-cult” versions of “continous footway” / side road crossings, conflict around bus stop bypasses.
People will take a generation to “adapt” to the idea of bikes having their own space. What’s happened here is a version of the usual “compromise and fudge”. Given that they’ve done it at all – and spent lots of our money on it – they could have been bold and said “if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing properly – we’ll just deal with objections”. After all, that’s what they did with having the tram in the first place. They were damn well going to have it regardless. Instead the council just get to say to all parties “stop complaining – no-one else is happy either”.
Not 100% on this but I
Not 100% on this but I believe this is one-way and there is (currently) a cycle path currently on the other side. That’s “mostly” and also with quite a few silly wiggles and a couple of currently ridiculous parts to the south of Picardy place where you suddenly get dumped in with pedestrians at crossings and then the cycling provision evaporates. (I’d be one of the last ones to praise Edinburgh’s infra – although they are one of the better places in terms of “understanding” cycling and walking for what that’s worth).
From the little I understand a) they’re going to move these lights to the supports for the tram power cables when those are built – but obviously that’ll take some time to get completed. b) Despite Leith Walk being really wide for pretty much its whole length and the council showing they’re prepared to repeatedly give the finger to businesses and local residents, somehow we’ve ended up with narrow and bizarrely wiggly cycle paths. Some of this is because of historic screw-ups / lack of foresight e.g. we lose some space at the centre of the road between tram tracks. (Councils don’t do “change” or “that didn’t work, let’s not do the same thing again”…) If they’d actually been realistic about the trams they’d have spotted that these would in no way replace all the buses up and down Leith Walk so they’d still have to have trams AND buses. So they feel they can’t get rid of one direction of traffic.
I’m no expert or civil engineer / road designer. I appreciate that we’ve done better than how we might in the 80s in many ways here. However looking at the design both overall and in the details (like the “forgiving kerbs” – great – which then are dangerous on corners / around drainage) it still seems like they’ve got people designing bike infra who’ve never ridden a bike. They’ve clearly looked at some modern cycle infra but don’t seem to understand the “why”. Where are these people getting their ideas from? They don’t even need to go to The Netherlands, they could just spend an afternoon on the internet in the company of e.g. BicycleDutch, David Hembrow, NotJustBikes – or (because it has to be “invented here” again apparently) Robert Weetman, the Ranty Highwayman etc.
This was all summed up for me years back when I was at a Spokes meeting with the council’s tram consultant. The chap was challenged about whether he’d taken on board any learning from European cities (plenty trams) and took offense, replying that he’d worked in Dublin, thank you very much…
Those Zefal bags look nice.
Those Zefal bags look nice. Not clear if the main material is waterproof though….
Do you think they look nice?
Do you think they look nice? I thought they looked a bit cheap.
Bags always look really nice
Bags always look really nice in product glamour shots when they’re stuffed with foam to the optimum size resulting in minimal bulges or wrinkles.
When the do not cycle on
When the do not cycle on pavement law was revised, I recall that the Secretary of State David Blunkett IIRC) issued guidance to the police that it was inappropriate to prosecute those who rode sensibly on the pavement for fear of the roads and other practical reasons.
Has that guidance been formally withdrawn from the police?
It’s still there: https:/
It’s still there: https://news.npcc.police.uk/releases/support-for-police-discretion-when-responding-to-people-cycling-on-the-pavement
It’s worth noting that the
It’s worth noting that the police vehicle was parked illegally. This was not an emergency situation and therefore the police driver was committing a traffic offence.
.
.
Yeh, but.
.
No but.
.
Cops, yeh.
.
Rules don’t apply to them.
.
If the police see somebody
If the police see somebody jump onto the pavement to bypass a red light, they’re less likely to believe this was done out of fear.
Guidance is not the same as a
Guidance is not the same as a change in the Law.
If the Law still states that cycling on the footpath is illegal – and does not mention exclusions or exceptions – then it is illegal.
Guidance can be – and often is – taken in to account and either ignored or accepted.
A fixed penalty notice can be
A fixed penalty notice can be rejected, and then it should be sent to a magistrates’ court. While it may be illegal, the fact that there is ministerial guidance on the matter can be taken into account by the court, they can accept that there is a different intent to the law than the basic wording – indeed in the higher courts they may look to Hansard and the like to divine the intent of the law makers.
In the general case (I’ve not viewed the video), I would expect that a cyclist dismounting to bypass the red light (totally legal) and then choosing to potter on at a gentle pace on the pavement for fear of meeting oncoming traffic failing to percieve a cyclist or of harassment from the rear, would be perfectly acceptable. The CPS should refuse to proceed, as not in the public interest, but if it went further, the court, most likely a magistrate’s court, would have the option of an absolute discharge (which is still technically a conviction, but would not receive any punishment). What is genuinely reasonable does rather depend on the road layout and whether there are people around.
Re: Dammed if you do.
Re: Dammed if you do.
I suspect if the cyclist had initialy moderated his speed down to about the pace he was doing at the end, he might have been “let off”. However it appears he does this alot maybe and didn’t even look behind to see what was approaching otherwise he might have realised he was “safe” from other drivers this time around.
I did say to the pavement
I did say to the pavement cyclist gentleman on Twitter that I suspect the problem is that the light was red when he mounted the pavement; even though he may (and I see no reason to doubt it) have been thinking of his own safety and the convenience of drivers, what the police are seeing is a cyclist coming up to a red light and bypassing it by riding up on the pavement. Had he waited for the light to turn green and then (as I do on occasions) pulled onto the pavement and waved the traffic behind past the police would have got a far more positive visual and I suspect wouldn’t have pulled him.
Good spot, I missed that.
Good spot, I missed that. Which rather begs the question who is posing more risk here – the pavement cyclist, or the police driver who first accelerates through a red light into a single lane section and then joins the cyclist on the pavement?
Unfortunately I think the
Unfortunately I think the cyclist made the rod for their own back. I wonder if the cyclist had waited for green, then moved onto the pavement to allow motor vehicles to pass whether the outcome would be different. It’s one of the frequent bingo calls on social media that cyclists mount the pavement to avoid red lights and rejoin once they have passed the red light.
Perhaps they need to go for malicious compliance. Just tootle through the road works at 5mph holding up all of the motorists and if anyone beeps, just stop and shout at them to say they were stopped and fined for riding on the pavement …… then carry on their way…..
When Blues and Twos are on
When Blues and Twos are on (well at least the blues part), they pretty much can do what they want (albeit investigated if reports are made / accidents occur).
On the way to work yesterday I was in a rather empty inside lane due to going straight on at the island being the other two lanes. I heard the sirens behind me and luckily there was a little side road I could duck into as they didn’t seem to want to slow much. Two cars went passed.
When they got to the island here, one squeezed in the traffic but the other one went down the left hand filter and then jumped across the island ahead of his colleague.
Being roadworks as well
Being roadworks as well arguably the worst place to jump lights, you have no idea what obstacles may be ahead.
If it were just a case of hopping on the pavement to let traffic pass I would argue the police should use common sense. This would be no different to what I do on a route where the pavement is shared use, I choose to use the road due to the speed even I can haul myself along at here being too high IMHO for using a shared pavement. Traffic calming creates pinch points for motorists trying to come past, so it makes sense to hop on the path if clear to allow them through.
So 5p off over sized,
So 5p off over sized, inefficient vehicle fuel.
Anyone seen any active travel help?
hirsute wrote:
Do you mean aside from benign neglect?
I posted this on yesterday’s blog by mistake:
Meanwhile, we have IEA’s 10 point plan to reduce oil usage (https://www.iea.org/reports/a-10-point-plan-to-cut-oil-use) including ideas such as car-free Sundays and what’s the UK’s plan? Reduce fuel duty by 5p!
And ignoring the UN !
And ignoring the UN !
https://road.cc/content/news/turkmen-dictator-inspires-un-resolution-promoting-cycling-291203?amp
hawkinspeter wrote:
Squirrels can see into the future? I suppose that’s how they know to cache nuts.
chrisonatrike wrote:
I knew you were going to say that
hirsute wrote:
No.
I’d like to see some official pressure put on employers to offer reasonable incentives and make reasonable accommodations to employees cycling to work. Somewhere to store the bike securely must be the minimum.
As part of their commitment
As part of their commitment to reducing carbon emissions, my employer introduced a Green Commuting Subsidy recently, where they give staff a small financial reward if they commute using a sustainable mode of transport.
It’s definitely made people think about how they choose to commute.
Re: Pavement cyclist. Benefit
Re: Pavement cyclist. Benefit of hindsight and you would have seen police van behind you. I would have been tempted to duck into that last driveway as if doing a delivery, then come back out and headed back in opposite direction leaving the rozzers stranded. Seriously though, when the section is that long it is safer to take the pavement because those temporary traffic lights never account for the pace of a cyclist and often leave them to deal with the drivers itching to floor it the moment the amber light changes temperature. I’d suggest the Boateng ruling of cyclist not wishing to dice with irate drivers makes it acceptable to use the pavement.
The irony being that the
The irony being that the police van would have been stuck behind the cyclist (they really nipped past so as to be able to ‘ave a word, sonny-jim”…).
Am I the only one who’d quite
Am I the only one who’d quite enjoy riding in front of the fash in primary position? That was a hell of an overtake they performed there at speed. Lucky they took that terrible, rule breaking cyclist off the road before they could give someone a momentary fright at seeing a cyclist where they didn’t expect them to be. Accelerating past them well within the 1.5m zone is the only logical response to this sort of dangerous criminal act.
I don’t have much sympathy
I don’t have much sympathy for the pavement cyclist. There was no traffic coming the other way. Nothing overtook him other than the police van. Perhaps there was a lot of traffic behind, but the video ends before we get a chance to find out.
I suspect that he went on the pavement to “avoid” the red light he jumped.
I do note the irony of the police van pulling up on the pavement to remonstrate with the cyclist, though.
If you end up having to cycle
If you end up having to cycle on the pavement then keep your speed to walking pace. Anyone coming out of their gate on foot is not going to expect a cyclist to whizz by an inch from their nose at speed.
nicmason wrote:
Agreed. This is also why I dislike certain “infrastructure” that consists of paint on a pavement.
I wonder what the police
I wonder what the police would do at the bike lane SMBC have declared that has no markings aside from an arrow painted on the road. I’ve asked the question of SMBC and they have not deigned to reply, but then they haven’t bothered to explain how they are going to enforce the compulsory bike lane.
There is no arrow on the pavement diverting you off the end, there is just the paint of a bike lane appearing on the road
IanMSpencer wrote:
Technically, if there isn’t the appropriate signage, then it’s not a cycle lane. However, if went to court, I’d expect that the ambiguous road marking would be enough to get you off.
Quote:
Precisely, and that is by design. There is zero thought given to how cyclists are expected to negotiate the roadworks. Usually there is in fact ample space for a cyclist lane within the coned off area, but instead the whole lane is coned off regardless because … I suspect because that’s just how it’s always been done.
Sure, in this instance the cyclist could have proceeded with more caution and less speed along the pavement. But that is besides the point generally, which is that there is no viable safe and legal choice open to the cyclists in such roadworks. Inevitably in such a situation some will make a poor choice out of what is left to them.
Sriracha][Quote wrote:
Doesn’t zero thought given mean it’s a lack of design?
No, just that the design
No, just that the design failed to take any account of cyclists. Just like a staircase is designed without any thought given to how motorists would use it. The difference is that cyclists do have to use the road.
But ‘failed to take any
But ‘failed to take any account of cyclists’ is just another way of saying ‘there was no design for cyclists’. It being ‘by design’ implies that that there was an intentional decision to make it far from ideal for cyclists.
There was some design (for other user groups), but there was a lack of design for cyclists. It’s a sin of omission, rather than commission.
I’m saying there is an
I’m saying there is an intentional decision to ignore the needs of cyclists, as distinct from simple oversight or ignorance. They do know that cyclists use the road, they choose to ignore the fact in their design of roadworks.
But either way, the result is cyclists are left with a multiple choice where all the answers are wrong.
Sriracha wrote:
Oh, I’m not questioning that. I’m entirely picking a nit.
If you believe it was an intentional decision then there wasn’t zero thought given. They did think about cyclists, and choose to make no provision for them.
mdavidford wrote:
??
‘Indoor cycling’.. well who
‘Indoor cycling’.. well who knew that was a UCI discipline.. in fact hands up who thought that indoor cycling meant ‘turbo trainers’ ?
Every day is a school day, apparently indoor cycling includes ‘Artistic Cycling’ & ‘Cycle Ball’, both of which are quite curious.
Of all the freaky ways we can ride a bike I do wish ‘cycle speedway’ was more popular.
That was a clear attempt to
That was a clear attempt to avoid a red light. If he had cycled through the road works at the speed he was going he wouldn’t have held anybody up and if he did they shouldn’t have been driving that fast through roadworks any way.
Rockhopper229 wrote:
You’re wrong
1) this is a long roadworks and they never allow enough time fur someone to travel through at 20
2) if he stops fur the red light he will not be traveling through at the same shed anyway.
having experienced a driver playing chicken with me because his light turned green when I was still in the rudderless having entered on green, I would not be incline to repeat the experience.