Review of the Highway Code
Goverment Review of HWC
This section lists issues - problems on the street network and related matters.
Issues always relate to some geographical location, whether very local or perhaps city-wide.
You can create a new issue using the button on the right.
Listed issues, most recent first, limited to the area of Cyclox:
Created by Roxanne (CEO) // 1 thread
http://www.englandseconomicheartland.com/
"About us
Stretching from Swindon to Cambridgeshire and from Northamptonshire to Hertfordshire, England’s Economic Heartland brings political and business leaders together in a strategic collaborative partnership with a shared commitment to realise the region's economic potential.
We provide the region’s voice on strategic infrastructure and services. Our leadership is focused on addressing barriers to realising our potential.
• We are the Sub-national Transport Body for the region. Our overarching Transport Strategy will be a 30 year strategic vision for our transport system that puts the needs of businesses and individuals at the forefront of investment decisions
• Our work on wider strategic infrastructure is focused on making sure investment in transport, digital and utilities infrastructure is ‘joined up’
• Our work with our delivery partners is focused on identifying investment priorities, getting the funding secured and then delivering improvements to budget and on-time.
Working in collaboration with Government and partners across the Heartland, we are committed to creating places where people and business realise their potential, and are able to compete on the global stage for UK plc.
Our 5.1m population and 280,000 business together generate around £155 billion GVA. We have a 21st century economy, particularly rich in high value engineering, science, technology and research. Most of our firms are small or medium sized enterprises with many based in rural or semi-rural areas.
Overall, our economy is successful and we’re a net contributor to the exchequer. However, the National Infrastructure Commission believes our economy could double or even triple in size. But it also warns this opportunity cannot be taken for granted.
Indeed, our success already comes at a price. Economic growth combined with underinvestment in infrastructure and services means that the pressure on our transport, digital and wider infrastructure networks has grown to the point where they operate close to capacity most of the time. The resilience of our networks has dropped, affecting business productivity and making travel for individuals increasingly challenging.
Our transport system continues to be dominated by the legacy of investment that left us with a largely radial pattern of strategic networks centred on London. Travel across the Heartland – and in particular east-west – is hamstrung by poor connectivity and poor integration.
Digital connectivity remains a challenge at a time when lifestyle and business changes mean our demands and expectations of digital infrastructure continue to increase. And economic success brings with it further pressure on wider strategic infrastructure, including power and water supplies.
England’s Economic Heartland is the response of strategic political and business leaders to overcome these challenges, with investment in strategic infrastructure and services key to realising our potential."
Created by Patrick Pawsey-Vale // 1 thread
I was cycling along the two-way cycle path, segregated, next to the road on Donnington Bridge in Oxford, on my cargo bike, with the two kids in the front carrier.
This was Monday 27/01/20.
It was raining like mad, so it took me a moment to realise the cyclist coming the other way who was waving their finger at me and saying 'You should be on the road, sir' was a Police Community Support Officer.
It's confused and disturbed me - as I don't believe there is any access restriction to the two-way cycle path, my bike is no wider than any other dutch bike (it's no wider than its handlebars) and I certainly don't want to be forced onto a very nasty stretch of road on one of the key river crossings of Oxford with my baby and 4 year old on board.
sound+fury // 1 thread
A bill is being put forward to sentence any cyclist convicted of dangerous cycling to a 14 year prison term.
Created by Matthew // 1 thread
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inclusive-transport-strategy
Lots of interesting stuff about inclusive transport regarding trains, buses, cars, public realm, streets and yes a bit about cycling too. Quotes:
Shared Space:
8.11 While we consider CIHT and DPTAC’s recommendations and how to take them
forward, we are requesting that local authorities pause any shared space schemes
incorporating a level surface they are considering, and which are at the design stage.
We are also temporarily suspending Local Transport Note 1/11. This pause will allow
us to carry out research and produce updated guidance.
Objectives regarding Cycling:
• Update Local Transport Note 2/08, which sets out the Department’s guidance to
local authorities on designing safe and inclusive infrastructure for cyclists, to take
account of developments in cycling infrastructure since its publication in 2008 and
the responses to the draft AAP consultation and publish a revised version by early
2019;
• By 2020, explore the feasibility of amending legislation to recognise the use of
cycles as a mobility aid71 in order to increase the number of disabled people
cycling.
Created by GG // 1 thread
For a long time I have wondered about a crowd-sourced cycleability map.
In this, people cycle along a link (accepting the first question of how to define the beginning and end of this) then give it a thumbs up or down. After enough people do this, then others can see how popular it is.
Some people wonder about subjectivity but I think this should be less of a problem with more voters.
The reason I am asking is because this method could apply to a potential commercial project for a Council which wants to drive around 100km of rural roads and use a panel of 4 experts to grade meaningful segments on a 1 to 7 scale according to their suitability for HGV movements.
Any views on whether this is already done within an app I am not aware of, or could be it done by anyone as an add-on to something else, or is it something CamCycle could offer as a commercial package (there may well be more than one local authority looking for this sort of thing)
Created by Hazel Dawe // 1 thread
Wherever there is a traffic island for pedestrians the cycle lane on Holloway narrows to a point where it is dangerous. The less than two foot wide remaining strip of tarmac is strongly canted.and crumbling at the edge. This is so inadequate that less confident cyclists can often be seen cycling along the quite wide pavement.
Created by Hazel Dawe // 1 thread
There is a walkway between Leafield Road and Barracks Lane chichi could be made into a good cycle cut through by the addition of a dropped kerb.
Created by Hazel Dawe // 1 thread
Cyclists crossing London Road from South to North at the Green Road roundabout are faced with an extremely tight ninety degree turn into a very narrow space because a signpost is blocking the middle of what should be a cycle lane. This sharp turn onto a narrow space is virtually impossible to negotiate without stopping cycling and using your foot to push your bike. It is also very difficult to align the bike to cross the next lane in the extremely narrow space available. it is impossible with a cargo bike.
Created by Hazel Dawe // 1 thread
The cut through from Massey Close to Churchill Drive is extremely cyclist unfriendly. As well as the notices telling cyclists to dismount, the metal restrictive posts prevent an average cyclist from cycling through - some hardy regulars can do it. A cyclist with a trailer doesn't stand a chance.
Created by Hazel Dawe // 1 thread
The Massey Close exit to Churchill Drive is cyclist unfriendly. Bollards are too narrow for an average cyclist, let alone a cyclist with a trailer. The angle from the bollards to the railings on the other side is very hard for a cyclist to navigate. From the other direction there is a cyclists dismount sign.
Created by Alexander Dutton // 1 thread
The lights should give pedestrians and cyclists priority as soon as the button is pressed to facilitate a smooth journey between Oxford and Kidlington. The toucan crossing is near the Water Eaton lights, but at the times where there might be phasing issues (i.e. rush hour) my observations suggest that the Cutteslowe and Kidlington roundabouts are the bottlenecks.
Created by Alexander Dutton // 1 thread
The lights should give pedestrians and cyclists priority as soon as the button is pressed. The toucan crossing isn't near any other lights, so there are no phasing interactions that would prevent this.
Created by TMiles // 0 threads
1. Northbound cyclists leave the main carriageway just north of Aspley Road, crossing to the left of the footway at an oblique angle. This increases the interaction (and likelihood of unintentional conflict) with pedestrians.
2. No priority or visibility across Upland Park Road. The corner radii of this junction here are fairly large, allowing left turning vehicles to enter the road without needing to greatly reduce their speed.
3. Again, no priority or visibility is provided across Davenant Road. In addition, the cycle track’s move to the right of the footway generates confusion (and likely conflict scenarios).
4. On the south-western corner of Cutteslowe Roundabout, any segregation gives way to a shared-use pavement where pedestrians and cyclists, in both directions, must mix.
5. The crossing over North Way (A40) is two-staged and not synchronised. Its layout includes sharp turns and waiting areas that are likely to become crowded with both cyclists and pedestrians at peak times.
6. On exiting this sequence of crossings, the geometry is particularly unforgiving, and the space allotted to pedestrians and cyclists very limited.
7. On the north-western corner of the roundabout, pedestrians and cyclists again mix on a second shared-use pavement.
8. In principle, the segregated cycle track north of the roundabout constitutes good practice, although its purpose is unlikely to be clear to pedestrians or motorists crossing into driveways.
9. However, unnecessary and dangerous obstacles in the form of two posts stand directly on the cycle track at the signal-controlled pedestrian crossing.
10. At the junction with Five Mile Drive, no priority or visibility is provided to cyclists, and the geometry allows left-turning vehicles to enter at relative speed. This is the third example of this difficult and dangerous design over a few hundred metres.
11. The fully segregated cycle track north of this junction is of satisfactory quality, although there may be confusion as to which surface is dedicated to cyclists and which one to pedestrians, as their relative positions have switched several times over a relatively short distance.
12. While there has been an attempt to provide priority and visibility to cyclists across Jordan Hill, the safety and effectiveness of this crossing is compromised by worn markings and the lack of give way markings on the eastern approach, in addition to a junction mouth that is multiple vehicles wide.
13. Unlike on earlier sections, no segregation between cyclists and pedestrians is provided north of this junction.
Created by TMiles // 1 thread
There is a risk of conflict between motorists and cyclists due to the narrowing of the carriageway in the vicinity of a pedestrian crossing on Headley Way southbound. As the crossing is signal-controlled, this feature provides no addition safety or comfort to pedestrians, and should be eliminated.
Created by TMiles // 1 thread
One popular route across the city centre from northwest to southeast avoiding Cornmarket Street involves a right turn into Turl Street from Broad Street. This manoeuvre can conflict with traffic exiting Turl Street and turning right.
As it would be highly impractical to force cyclists to strictly adhere to the one-way system that extends east of this junction and then turn left into Turl Street from the opposite direction, a kerb-protected space or form of mini roundabout should be installed here to make this manoeuvre safe and legal for cyclists.
Created by TMiles // 0 threads
In two locations the northbound cycle lane on Banbury Road (A4165) narrows dangerously in the vicinity of a pedestrian refuge.
The generous overall width of the streetscape along this section allows for a number of options, including realignment of the carriageway and some form of segregation (for example flexible posts) at these points.
In no case should any deviation of the cycle lane result in cyclists having to negotiate a sharp turn or chicane.
A proposed new crossing south of these two pinch points (linking the new sites of d'Overbroeck's school) presents the opportunity to undertake a general review of crossing points on this stretch.
One possibility is to merge two of the three crossing points into one signal-controlled well sited crossing, doing away with the need for physical refuges in the carriageway.
Vehicle parking restrictions on major arterial routes into Oxford are unenforced or rarely enforced, resulting in reduced road capacity and increased conflict between vehicles and cyclists.
St Clements, Westbound (No waiting Mon-Sat 07:30 - 09:30) (Obstructed 4/6 journeys)
Woodstock Road shops by St Giles Church (Mandatory cycle lane) (Obstructed 5/5 journeys)
St Clements, Eastbound (Mandatory cycle lane) (Obstructed 4/6 journeys)
(Obstructions noted during an informal survey using cycle cam video from seven days of weekday commuting.)
Reported June 2016 to my city councillor (for Headington). Comments passed on but no action taken.
Created by RichyP // 1 thread
Cycle lanes on both sides of Warneford Lane between Morrell Avenue and Cheney Lane are narrow and usually encroached by adjacent parked cars. The cycle lane being 120 cm wide, it is located fully within the car door zone.
It is difficult even for confident cyclists to use the road safely here, due to the likelihood/frequency of aggressive drivers approaching close behind and/or sounding horns.
One solution would be to locate parking on the outside of the carriageway with cycle lanes on the inside, adjacent to the footway.
Created by TMiles // 0 threads
A shared-used area runs parallel to Park End Street across Frideswide Square, fronting the Saïd Business School. This offers an alternative approach to the station, and allows cyclists approaching from the city centre to avoid manoeuvres across two roundabouts.
There is however a lack of a properly aligned, clearly marked refuge between the two streams of traffic on Hythe Bridge Street at the point where cyclists would seek to cross into this shared space.
Created by Simon here // 2 threads
Complete separation of cyclists and cars can't always be achieved. To make sharing of the road safer I would like to propose using rumble strips instead of flat paint to separate the bike lane from the rest of the road. It would act as a physical reminder for car-drivers that they are encroaching the bike lane. This happens particularly near pinch points like road bends or crossroads. So even just a selective application of rumble strips could have a very positive effect, I believe. What's the view of the cycling community? Has it been tested?
The south-west-bound cycle lane between the roundabout with Headley Way and the second side road mostly runs directly adjacent to parked vehicles, putting cyclists in danger of being seriously injured by an opening door.
Created by Kath Cochrane // 1 thread
Hythe Bridge Street - the new layout is resulting in accidents and is horrible for cyclists.
Martin Lucas-Smith // 1 thread
The government has announced a half-million pound study to explore an Oxford to Cambridge Expressway, i.e. roadbuilding scheme.
Clearly, bringing more traffic into Cambridge (and Oxford) would have effects on cycling.
Meanwhile, the proposed 'brain train' link is still not fully-funded.
This map shows all issues, whether points, routes, or areas:
The most popular issues, based on the number of votes:
Created by Simon here // 2 threads
Complete separation of cyclists and cars can't always be achieved. To make sharing of the road safer I would like to propose using rumble strips instead of flat paint to separate the bike lane from the rest of the road. It would act as a physical reminder for car-drivers that they are encroaching the bike lane. This happens particularly near pinch points like road bends or crossroads. So even just a selective application of rumble strips could have a very positive effect, I believe. What's the view of the cycling community? Has it been tested?
Created by TMiles // 0 threads
A shared-used area runs parallel to Park End Street across Frideswide Square, fronting the Saïd Business School. This offers an alternative approach to the station, and allows cyclists approaching from the city centre to avoid manoeuvres across two roundabouts.
There is however a lack of a properly aligned, clearly marked refuge between the two streams of traffic on Hythe Bridge Street at the point where cyclists would seek to cross into this shared space.
Created by GG // 1 thread
For a long time I have wondered about a crowd-sourced cycleability map.
In this, people cycle along a link (accepting the first question of how to define the beginning and end of this) then give it a thumbs up or down. After enough people do this, then others can see how popular it is.
Some people wonder about subjectivity but I think this should be less of a problem with more voters.
The reason I am asking is because this method could apply to a potential commercial project for a Council which wants to drive around 100km of rural roads and use a panel of 4 experts to grade meaningful segments on a 1 to 7 scale according to their suitability for HGV movements.
Any views on whether this is already done within an app I am not aware of, or could be it done by anyone as an add-on to something else, or is it something CamCycle could offer as a commercial package (there may well be more than one local authority looking for this sort of thing)