YOUR CYCLE TALES OF LANE LUNACY!
IT IS an issue that divides Britain: the battle between drivers and cyclists. As scores of cycle lanes are built, often taking up a third of the road, the result can be awful jams: for much of the day the cycle lanes are virtually empty while motor traffic crawls along beside them. Our story on the problem in yesterday’s Mail sparked a deluge of comments on Mail Online. Here are some of the most outspoken . . .
In London, the majority are made to suffer for the minority. The new cycle lanes have increased congestion to a ludicrous extent. I know someone whose commute by coach has been impacted so badly (his journey home went from 90 minutes to three hours because of delays caused by the cycle lane on Lower Thames Street), he bought a car so he can drive instead.
It has increased pollution, too. Transport for London are so worried they’re actually campaigning to get companies to encourage their staff to cycle. They’re offering free cycle training, free personal cycle sessions at the company with a trainer for the day ... it would be hilarious if it wasn’t so irritating. Shortie, London.
In Brighton, we had four years of a green Party-led council and they have imposed three cycle lanes on major routes in and out of the city.
one is fairly busy in the morning and afternoon as it leads to the two universities; the other two have been monitored and are barely used at all. one had a council-installed digital counter which showed how many cycles per day passed it —needless to say, it was removed when the count rarely went above 20 or 30 per day. Bill, United Kingdom.
IT SEEMS they spent millions on road-widening schemes to improve traffic flow, now they’re spending millions on narrowing them again. Terence, Norfolk.
Britain’S roads are too narrow for proper cycle lanes. Bristol is supposed to be a ‘cycling city’, which means it’s full of little bits of cycle path which force cyclists to leave and rejoin the traffic flow, endangering everyone. Chris N, Bristol.
EVEN when cycle lanes are built cyclists still use mainstream roads. Mrs R, Edinburgh.
I Travel in London most days. It is like rush hour all day because of the empty bike lanes. even after 10pm traffic is still crawling along the embankment and Tower hill. Colin, Colchester.
a lot of cyclists agree cycle lanes are a waste of money. I do. They’re usually in dangerous positions and end at any point where one would actually be useful. Rick, Manchester.
We have redways [273km of ‘safe paths’] in milton Keynes for cyclists and pedestrians, no traffic lights and underpasses at junctions, yet cyclists still ride on the road. Mick, Milton Keynes.
I am a cyclist and what infuriates me most is seeing cyclists not using the path but busy roads. They endanger themselves and hold up traffic. Colin Morris, Portsmouth.
on a quiet rural estate near us, where one or two cars drive towards the main road at any one time, Cheshire east council has designated a cycle lane on one footpath. Chris P. Crunchy.
AS a cyclist I do not pay road tax on my bicycles, so I do not expect a cycle lane paid for by the taxpayer. Peter John Taylor, Ledbury.
I’m a cyclist and I try to ignore cycle lanes — the newbury one is typical, guiding the cyclist into the blind spot of motorists at the roundabout. designed by idiots who never cycle. Ricardo, London.
LEEDS Council is installing a cycling lane from the east through to Bradford. It’s costing millions and taking ages to install, but for many stretches cyclists don’t use it and keep to the main roadway. Reader from Yorkshire.
ISN’T it about time cyclists paid something for the roads they use and problems they cause? James, Grays, Essex.
IT should be compulsory for cyclists to use cycle lanes, wear helmets and pass a proficiency test. Caron Pittman, Leigh-on-Sea.
I WELL remember sitting on a bus coming in from the Park and ride on the outskirts of edinburgh, going at the speed of a very slow cyclist because the cycle lane was part of the bus lane and there was no room for the bus to pass.
many cycleways are just tokenism by bureaucrats. ‘ Look! We’ve reated X number of miles of cycleway.’ Whereas all they have done is put some paint down. There is a right way and a wrong way of creating cycle routes. There are far too many wrong examples which appear to go unchallenged. Reader from Edinburgh.
WARRINGTON Council spent a fortune on a cycle path that runs
parallel to the main road from Walton to Daresbury. They reduced the speed limit and placed a blocked chevron area along the full length of the road, yet the Lycra clowns still disrupt traffic flow by ignorantly refusing to use it.
Ian, Runcorn, Cheshire.
AND IN DEFENCE OF CYCLE LANES ...
You’re not going to get more cyclists on the road until you have safer cycling routes — give these cycle highways a chance and it may lead to fewer cars on the road and a smoother commute for everybody. How many unnecessary car journeys are made every day where people could walk or cycle, make themselves fitter, and do a little to reduce noise and exhaust pollution?
Richden, Nottingham.
IT IS important to have a safe lane for cyclists. Some pavements are wide, and a lane for cyclists could be carved out of them. I’d love to get on my bike, but would only do so if I felt protected.
Yttap.
THEY should make electric bicycles cheaper to encourage more people to ride bikes. Fabio Carletti, London.