A cycle lane on a road through a park in Edinburgh is regularly being blocked by drivers parking there – with the vehicles’ owners then getting out and riding static bikes as part of open-air fitness classes they are attending, claims the person who took the above photographs.
Twitter user Dave McCraw, who says the issue highlights the lack of safe cycling provision in the city, posted pictures of cars parked in the cycle lane plus a fitness class with participants pedalling on static bikes.
“We’re struggling to reduce soaring traffic volumes in Edinburgh,” he wrote.
“Something that doesn’t help is making it legal to park over cycle lanes to do stationary bike riding in the park.”
We’re struggling to reduce soaring traffic volumes in Edinburgh.
Something that doesn’t help is making it legal to park over cycle lanes to do stationary bike riding in the park.
Peak #Edinburgh
right here.. pic.twitter.com/7wjtIcVf0l
— Dave McCraw (@david_mccraw) May 29, 2022
Others found the whole spectacle rather bizarre.
They drive to the park, park in the cycle lane, then use the exercise bikes? That is so stupid it’s hilarious. ???
— Bob (@bobajobbobby) May 30, 2022
Situated in Marchmont in the south of the Scottish capital, Melville Drive runs along the southern edge of The Meadows and the northern side of Bruntsfield Links.
A number of companies run fitness classes on The Meadows including Be Military Fit and Fitness trainers operating on the Meadows include Punk Fitness and Be Military Fit.
Fitness instructors operating in Edinburgh’s parks and other greenspaces are required to have permission from the council to hold classes there.
City of Edinburgh Council – now controlled by a minority Labour administration with the support of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats – says that registration is required to enable it to better manage such facilities.
Cycle lanes are covered by Rule 140 of the Highway Code, which governs the use of so-called “mandator” cycle lanes, separated from the main carriageway by a solid white lane, and “advisory” cycle lanes, which have a broken white line.
Rule 140 says:
You must not drive or park in a cycle lane marked by a solid white line during its times of operation. Do not drive or park in a cycle lane marked by a broken white line unless it is unavoidable.
Local restrictions on parking and waiting also apply – in this case a single yellow line, with Mr McCraw pointing out in a response to a comment on his original post that the issue was not so much people parking where they are allowed to, but rather that it highlights the inadequacy of much of the cycling infrastructure in the city.
No, I’m moaning that we’ve built cycle lanes that people can park on.
— Dave McCraw (@david_mccraw) May 29, 2022
What’s the point in a cycle lane that the very vehicles they aim to separate cycles from can (legally) make completely redundant?
— Deacon Thurston ?♂️ (@DeaconThurston) May 30, 2022
38 thoughts on “Parked cars block cycle lane – while their owners ride static bikes in park”
Very common understanding
Very common understanding there – “but it’s legal to park – what’s the problem?”
very common “as a cyclist
very common “as a cyclist myself….” (ie I once rode a Raleigh Grifter when I was 11) response to justify their car focused dumb-assery too
To be fair, there is an
To be fair, there is an argument that the council, by painting a single yellow line with defined hours of operation, have implied that outwith those times it is perfectly acceptable to park there. It shouldn’t absolve drivers of all responsibility, but (as the originally tweeter highlights) I do think the focus ought to be the fact that the council (at some point in the past) made that decision.
I should have left it with
I should have left it with Dave Maccraw’s point – “No, I’m moaning that we’ve built cycle lanes that people can park on.”
An alternative to this
An alternative to this situation is to make the cycle lane mandatory and position the parking spaces away from the kerb adjacent to the cycle lane so that they only consume the space allotted for all vehicles including motor vehicles for the times when parking is permitted. It creates other problems but would fix this problem.
Fundamentally though, cycle lanes where parking of motor vehicles is permitted are rubbish.
Pub bike wrote:
Edinburgh has a few of these but I’m often worried about being doored when riding through.
The one I use most is just up from a parking area carved out of the pavement, the cycle lane going past. As it’s outside a takeaway, there’s lots of double parking to block the cycle lane anyway.
If you build it… Bastard drivers will come and park in it.
I wonder if there has been a
I wonder if there has been a useful test case to define necessary use of optional cycle lanes… given our local council claim that motorists can use them any time they feel like it, which includes when there is no other traffic around, but preferably without a cyclist in it. As they do nothing to enforce permanent lanes, it is hardly surprising.
I’m not up on the law but no
I’m not up on the law but no consideration of this is complete without mentioning the legal fudge for even “mandatory” ones here:
https://www.cyclinguk.org/blog/underhand-law-change-undermines-mandatory-cycle-lanes
There’s a bit of digging (scroll down) here which says that they’re not absolutely legally meaningless – although for all practical purposes I’d suggest so.
https://ukcyclerules.wordpress.com/2011/03/10/do-cycle-lanes-have-any-legal-significance/
“fecking cyclists. Never use
“fecking cyclists. Never use the fecking cycle lanes. Cost me a fecking fortune in Road Tax. C++TS”
If people want to go do
If people want to go do static training in a park then… that’s them I guess. Reminds me of this a bit – maybe if they’d only occupied the “cycle lane”* with their stationary bikes…
Edinburgh is still a highly motor-vehicle addicted place. Bit of a missed opportunity for a relatively compact place so keen on tourism. However it’s actually one of the better places in the UK I’ve lived in. There’s an “almost network” of paved completely off-road paths in the North, there are starting to be some routes around the centre and connecting east / west of the city, you can find fairly safe places to roadie yourself sick (Arthur’s seat) or do some short trail riding, good cycling outside the city…
However the council shows no great urgency about doing more of this (e.g. “network” anyone?) or capitalising on the potential in a place with a high population density. For a fraction of the cost of the single tram line we could have provided low-cost private / personal go-anywhere mobility suitable for the young, old, those with disabilities (you still have to get from and to the tram…) etc.
* I don’t believe in non-mandatory cycle lanes.
The cycle lanes in north
The cycle lanes in north Edinburgh along the old rail lines aren’t bad at all. You can’t zoom along as they are shared paths so you do have to watch out for pedestrians and dog walkers and so on, but I’ve been along them many times. They’ll take you into the centre of town. You can get from Fife right into the centre of town and pretty much avoid cars the whole way. The cycle provision on Edinburgh’s south side is still a bit disconnected.
I live in the north so am
I live in the north so am very familiar with these – not “cycle lanes” at all but definitely “traffic free paved paths”. People call them “cycle paths” but they’re of course “shared use”. I’d like them to use more of the available width and have some demarcation of a pedestrian / cycling area (yeah – pointless until we’ve adapted to the idea). Currently this is about as good as the UK gets though. Gentle gradients. No traffic lights. Occasional maintenance, gritting and vegetation management. Miles better than a shared towpath.
For a moment you had me reaching for my Spokes maps to check for tunnels under the Firth of Forth from Burntisland! But yes – there’s a largely off-road route (via mostly “LTNs” where on-road) to the bridge. Not quite suitable for kids because of the section into Dalmeny but the envy of much of the UK.
Agree – lack of development in the South and then the gap in the centre. (George Street helps but I guess this year it’ll be back in business for events.) Although the long-awaited E-W route in from Roseburn is supposed to really, definitely be happening, just a minute. Council very happy to rest on its laurels.
Actually even though there
Actually even though there are a few “pro” types I’m sure that if the council could only find the money they’d immediately scrap the paths to run trams down them. I think Edinburgh’s a “cycling city” in spite of them sometimes.
“mandator” Some kind of
“mandator” Some kind of malignant robot?
eburtthebike wrote:
I thought it was some kind of vigilante cyborg going round terminating cars parked in cycle lanes with extreme prejudice.
You’re thinking of “re-psycho
You’re thinking of “re-psycho” – taking out the cars and then repurposing their materials in a less resource-intensive manner.
That is quite possibly the
That is quite possibly the silliest thing I’ve seen on the internet since.. well I’m not sure when.. it’s just so ridiculous.
Do you think the spin bikers are even aware of just irony inviolved here?
peted76 wrote:
Even more silly is as they are using concept2 bikes they could connect to zwift also although why you’d do that outside I don’t know a sensible answer to.
This reminds me of gym members who drive 5 minutes to and from a gym to use a treadmill.
Or the motorist bemoaning he
Or the motorist bemoaning he shouldn’t lose his licence because the gym was difficult to get to.
It’s a painted cycle lane and
It’s a painted cycle lane and therefore not fit or purpose.
Does anyone actually know what a painted cycle lane is supposed to do? In my experience they mean that drivers will close pass way closer than if the lane wasn’t there in the first place.
The thinking from most drivers goes something like:
So long as I don’t enter the cycle lane, then everything is OK
MTB Refugee wrote:
Allow councils to claim money and tick boxes?
Rumour has it some councils
Rumour has it some councils have a bounty on cyclists heads. Hence they try to catch us with those oh-so-tempting murder strips.
but.. how did they get it
but.. how did they get it there..
I’ve no idea but take that
I’ve no idea but take that one back and get a refund, it looks like it’s been contaminated.
And also it’s the wrong sort
And also it’s the wrong sort – you want the ones with the red wrapper.
Is there such a thing as a
Is there such a thing as a pineapple Bounty? I think that would be quite nice.
Apparently there was. In 2018
Apparently there was. In 2018. In Russia.
https://www.ok.co.uk/lifestyle/bounty-launch-new-flavour-chocolate-14357715
I feel a campaign coming on.
The original Bounty was
The original Bounty was filled with breadfruit. It never went far because of the poor ratings.
wow, peak irony!
wow, peak irony!
(it always used to make me smile at the gym – I don’t go anymore, it’s just too sterile – people HAD to drive and HAD to park as close as possible to the door!)
Do we know that the people
Do we know that the people spinning were the ones who’d dumped their cars in the cycle lane?
I would like to have that
I would like to have that confirmed too.
Isn’t it obvious? You can’t
Isn’t it obvious? You can’t use a bike to get a bike somewhere. You’ll be suggesting we do the shopping on them next!
(They could have come down from the Quartermile buildings or possibly flats just south of course but I doubt you’d want to hump them from further afield).
chrisonatrike wrote:
I think both flats (sorry, luxury apartments and duplexes [duplices?]) at Quartermile that are not AirBnBs or owned as investments through offshore trusts have unused Peloton bikes in them.
Who owns the zebra though (if
Who owns the zebra though (if still there)?
I did see a pair of bikes stored on end using some suction-cup clamps on a window there. So someone’s cut the cord.
well I do know people who
well I do know people who drive to a gym to then sit on a static bike, so anything is possible.
You couldn’t make it up.
You couldn’t make it up.
Looking ahead this road will shortly be the southern perimeter of Edinburgh’s low emission zone. I wonder if the clowncil will look ahead and foresee the large rise in traffic this road will carry as a result and act accordingly with some safe cycle provision. Despite the recent change in administration
I know what my money’s on.
The purpose of these type of
The purpose of these type of cycle lanes are to basically confine cyclists to the edge of the road during periods of high traffic volume, for the convenience of drivers. When the roads are less busy they get used for parking and the cyclists can take their chances with the now lighter, but faster moving motor vehicles.
Irony is the strongest force
Irony is the strongest force in the Universe.