Issues

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 Cyclenation:

  • Ambiguous Junction For Cycle Path at Clift House Road

    Created by Sam Saunders // 1 thread

    Twice in recent days I have encountered ambiguity over right of way when cycling westward from the shared foot/cycle path on Clift House Road, across an entrance road and onto the new continuation path towards Ashton Avenue Bridge. Four lanes of merging traffic are travelling eastbound and occasionally one vehicle will turn off the main road into the access road. While I might assume that having started to cross this road I have right of way over a vehicle turning into it, the road markings and the sheer size of the junction make it unclear as to what ought to happen. It might be that the left turning traffic should have to negotiate a much more obvious turning, rather than the wide sweep that allows the turn to be made at full speed.

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  • Various improvements between Ipswich and Harwich International

    Created by Shaun McDonald // 1 thread

    Many cyclists won't cycle to Harwich International from the Ipswich direction due to the roads. There really should be a high quality cycle route for this to continue the cycle journey from The Netherlands, where you can ride of the ferry and on to quality cycle infrastructure. The fact people choose the train is not a good sign.

    This issue is the overall goal, and needs to be broken down into smaller sub issues of smaller more specific projects or improvements that can work towards this goal.

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  • Upgrade footway on Wherestead Road over A14 to allow cycling and sign

    Created by Shaun McDonald // 1 thread

    Improving the connectivity from Bourne Hill over the A14 to Wherestead with dropped kerbs, allowing cycling and signing as a cycle route would be a step in the process to improving cycle access south from Ipswich to various places including Jimmy's Farm (a family leisure venue, which should be cycleable to by a family with young children), Shotley Peninsula, and the land route to Harwich International ferry port for cycling to The Netherlands.

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  • Turn Dock Street entrance into continuous pavement/cycle track

    Created by Shaun McDonald // 0 threads

    The entrance to Dock Street should be turned into a continuous footway with pedestrian and cyclist priority over turning vehicles akin to this Danish junction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcnmLU1ClTo

    This would improve sight lines for pedestrians too as the dropped kerbs are away from the junction, and it would also go with the pedestrian desire line as many tend to cross closer to the junction than the dropped kerbs. It would also slow down the vehicles entering the narrow street.

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  • Junction between Pembroke Street and Trumpington Street

    Created by fh // 1 thread

    At busy times of day, it is very difficult for cyclists to turn out of Pembroke Street when turning right onto Trumpington Street. Trumpington street has priority and there are no traffic lights. This creates the following problems:

    1) Cyclists turning out of Pembroke Street right onto Trumpington street when there is not enough space/time to do so. This causes a lot of braking and it is common to see a lot of people braking or hear a car horn because of this.

    2) Build-ups of cyclists waiting to turn out of Pembroke Street get in the way of buses turning into Pembroke street (as buses need more turning space).

    This is particularly bad around 9am.

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  • Star and Garter Hill

    Created by Andrew Woodward // 0 threads

    Can we include the Star and Garter Hill in our list of shared footpaths (actually a footway in this case). Slow-moving cyclists travelling up the hill from Petersham Gate to Richmond Gate have difficulty with fast passing cars on the hill who overtake too closely. This does not occur in the downhill direction because cyclists can travel much faster. The suggested solution is to permit cycling on the footway up the hill only. There are very few pedestrians and in any case the cyclists will necessarily be travelling very slowly so they would cause no problems. The traffic signals at the bottom of the hill would need some alteration to facilitate cyclists crossing from the Petersham Road onto the footway up the hill.

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  • Northbound turning conflicts Gloucester Road / Zetland Road

    Created by christhebull // 0 threads

    The northbound approach to this junction poses a significant hazard for cyclists bearing right onto Gloucester Road, due to the poorly delineated approach and potential conflicts with traffic taking other exits, namely:

    1) Cyclists are at risk of being left hooked by vehicles turning left into Zetland Road, and adopting a more central road position may result in the unsettling experience of having faster traffic pass on both sides

    2) Cyclists using the central filter lane to access Gloucester Road are at risk of colliding with traffic continuing into Elton Road from the right hand lane - this is because there are no arrow markings painted in the approach lanes, nor any markings in the junction itself to tell road users which lanes to adopt so as to avoid this conflict.

    Therefore, I consider it necessary for this junction to have, as a minimum, arrow markings showing which movements are permissible from which approach lane, and markings within the junction to further clarify this. The left hand lane ought to be used by traffic turning left or continuing straight, and the right hand lane for continuing on Gloucester Road only.

    If the opportunity for a more substantial rebuild occurs at some point in the future, a wider filter lane should be provided, or some other solution sought.

    The other directions of travel at this junction are clearer (apart from the southbound contraflow lane which ends on a pavement, but that is probably less of a road safety issue)

    I am fully aware there are proposed changes relating to Gloucester Road under the government's Cycle Safety Fund, but the plans which I have seen do not rectify this particular issue (but if I see the relevant people in the near future, I will raise this issue with them).

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  • Petersham Road

    Created by Dylan // 1 thread

    There is a fairly good cycle lanes from Kingston towards Richmond up until you reach the Richmond Council border where Richmond Road (A307) turns into the Upper Ham Road (A307) and eventually Petersham Road (A307). At traffic lights along this route there are reserved areas for cyclists but along the roads there is nothing to remind drivers that cyclists share the road especially when the road narrows after Sandy Lane through Petersham. The road surface here is terrible and the speed bumps are pointless because some driver sprint between the bumps.

    The best solution would be to remove the cyclists from this route altogether by upgrading the Thames Path to create a proper cycle path along the River Thames towards Richmond that currently stops at Teddington Lock. If a cycle/foot bridge linking Ham with Twickenham was built over Eel Pie along this route it would create an obvious link for those want to reach Twickenham.

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  • Huntingdon Road - wider cycle lanes needed

    Martin Lucas-Smith // 3 threads

    Huntingdon Road currently has rather narrow cycle lanes, which are unnecessarily so since this is quite a wide road.

    There is space here to create really high-quality, direct, cycle infrastructure which retains priority at sideroads and which would encourage new people to start cycling.

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  • Cambridge Cycle Brochure

    Created by John Hall // 0 threads

    Cambridge Cycle Brochure

    Just a starting point

    Format A4
    4 to 8 pages
    Images and artwork
    Audience - Provide solutions for:
    school run
    commuters - better experience
    older people
    non cyclists - journey times
    improve you neighbourhood
    car free households - Zip cars
    council officers
    village residents
    - taxi drivers and our critics

    Delivery - with News and Crier?
    A test delivery could be used to assess the response to the brochure in terms of new memberships or visits to a web page

    Subjects
    off road routes to drivers such as along the Cam
    3D barcode links to video etc
    Segregated cycle routes
    Hub and spokes to villages
    The CT
    West Cambridge Development
    Why should new development contain cycle paths?
    Why should new buildings have good cycle facilities?
    What kind of bike training is available?
    Membership form perhaps with a discount for direct debits?
    Priority over side roads / platforms / set back crossing
    Build it and it will be used e.g. Shelford Path 300k users per annum
    Health benefits
    Noise pollution
    Who pays for roads
    Cargo bikes
    Go Dutch

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  • Sheen Rd / Upper Richmond Rd West - segregation needed

    Despite the cycle lanes being mandatory along this stretch the road layout is such that vehicles frequently intrude into the cyclelane - as this bus did.

    White paint does not work on this stretch and some other segregation method is needed -eg a kerb; vertical posts or similar.

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  • A316 Cycle Lane - Priority over side roads

    Created by Andrew Woodward // 1 thread

    I have serious concerns about the safety of this portion of the bike path; arising from its recent re-design. Recently my 10 year old son was in a very close “near-miss” with a car turning off the A316 into Bicester Road; and I believe many more similar incidents are likely occurring. Eventually someone will be seriously hurt or killed on it.

    However, the improvement in the track leads cyclists to feel more confident in using it – giving a false sense of security.

    In particular:
    • The segregated track makes it particularly appealing for inexperienced and more vulnerable cyclists (such as kids).
    • This track design leads to an increase in the cyclists speed.
    • The smooth/quick nature of the track leads inexperienced cyclists to believe that THEY HAVE RIGHT OF WAY across side roads.
    • There are no markings on the roads to tell drivers coming in or out of side roads that cyclists could be on the track crossing their path.
    • There is a particular challenge for EASTBOUND cyclists.

    To avoid stopping at every side road, when on the track travelling Eastbound (as per red arrow on photo) approaching roads such as Bicester road, the cyclist has to simultaneously
    (a) check to their FRONT/LEFT side to see if a car is exiting the side road
    (b) check BEHIND them on their REAR/ RIGHT hand side to see if a car is about to swing off the A316 into the side road (usually at speed) - (as per orange arrow on photo).

    This is a hard combination to perform – looking 180 degrees opposite directions at the same time. If you are an inexperienced cyclist, on an apparently safe track, it is very likely that you will not realise you have to be this vigilant and not check adequately for cars.

    Hence, my boy rode across Bicester road from the east and was very nearly hit by a car turning off the A316.

    (Note that travelling from the west is somewhat easier as both the vehicles turning in from the A316 and those turning out from the side roads are in your front field of vision).

    My suggestions for improving this situation are:
    (1) Clearly mark the bike track across the side roads so cars are aware there are cyclists approaching from the side.
    (2) Ideally, give cyclists priority across the side roads; so making cars slow to a halt and making it more intuitive for cyclists.
    (3) To facilitate this, would require some stopping space for traffic coming on/off the A316 to after the bike track crossing

    At roads such as Bicester road the bike track could be curved to the south by about 2m before crossing the side road – this curve in the track would
    (a) naturally slow cyclists down as they approach the side road
    (b) would provide vehicles moving onto the A316 a decent gap so they can separate the concerns of first negotiating the bike track then focus on getting on the A316;
    (c) for vehicles coming off the A316 the additional space would give them space to stop and give way to cyclists.

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