John Forester espouses the theory of "vehicular cycling", namely, "Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles." My own riding in different cities and countries has convinced me he is absolutely right about this, and the sections of his Effective Cycling book that relate to this topic are excellent. Unfortunately, his evidence-based approach has lost out to the bike-lanes/segregation crowd. A big part of the argument against bike lanes is that lanes are supposed to segregate urban traffic by intended direction, not by vehicle type. Overlaying some separation by vehicle type on top of the directional segregation is confusing for everyone. Drivers don't know what to do, and you see things such as drivers cutting across bike lines to make a turn, as if another lane wasn't there. As a cyclist and a driver, I think this is more dangerous for both of me.
In London the problem has degenerated several orders of magnitude. It's really taken on a brand new level of confusion. The big problem is bus lanes. As a more frequent rider of buses than a driver of my own car, I do appreciate getting places quicker on buses. However, the same problem of traffic segregation models being at cross-purposes is creating large amounts of vehicular chaos. The bus lanes can now take taxis (sometimes), cyclists, motorcycles (although they go anywhere and everywhere, regardless of where there might or might not be painted suggestions on the tarmac), and of course buses, while the large number of cars must use the non-bus lane. Cars are graciously given a few short car lengths of "free" lane at intersections to merge to turn (i.e. the lane briefly stops being for exclusive use of certain types of vehicle and allows itself to be used for directional purposes). If the lane is already filled with buses, taxis, and cyclists, a driver wanting to turn can either merge into the lane prematurely (and hope there's no traffic camera waiting to generate a fine for driving in a bus lane), or end up stuck in the wrong lane at the intersection, causing a backup and waiting for someone to leave a gap to bolt through. Even on a relatively clear road, because you are required to merge so late when making a turn, things can get inadvertently exciting if someone else has decided to pop into that bus lane prematurely and try to pass you. Buses also have the same problem in that their lanes don't perfectly correspond to the direction they want to head, either. So they have to bluster their way across traffic the other direction. When traffic gets bad around a big roundabout, with bus lanes feeding in from all directions, some buses/taxis/cyclists coming in from the left but needing to get right, cars coming in from the right but needing to get left, the whole system breaks down. And I thought it was bad enough to have to add traffic lights to many of the big roundabouts (which probably means not enough people were properly respecting the precedence rules).
And now more bike lanes are coming. I'm not sure how these will work with bus lanes & the ever-increasing list of things (aside from privately owned cars) that are allowed in them. I'd rather do away with them all.
5 comments:
YIKES! Most US driving Americans can't figure out a normal roundabout no matter how much practice they get, and ABRUPTLY stop before entering any traffic circle. I am trying to image such Yanks as deers-in-the-headlights driving on the "wrong side" in the UK AND negotiate 'bus only' lanes into and out of a roundabout. I think I am a rather adept cyclist And car Driver and I think I'd be rather challenged to make it around a bus-only laned roundabout.
The phrase "things can get inadvertently exciting" I think is an understatement, EXCEPT for the fact, that in my 1/2 dozen car rentals in urban and rural midlands, Scotland, London & Manchester, I've found the British to be The World's Most Polite drivers, on average. Maybe it was the subtle "Hertz" decal on my back window that WARNED native UK drivers, but I was always given a wide berth.
I think it all works pretty well, actually, and drivers are quite civil.
Anna and I were talking about this walking to school from Broadway Market via the canal. The canal path is a mess and the pedestrians on it are the worst, walking 3 abreast and not paying attention to someone politely trying to pass on a bike or simply walking a bit faster.
Whereas even at peak times, cars will always let a car in from a side street or somesuch. Except if you get in that right hand turn lane and need to go straight eastbound on Euston Road. Then you're doomed and stuck there forever.
As a driver who uses London's roads daily, I can empathize. You did miss just one little thing: bus stops. Cleverly placed on the left of a bus lane at the left of the entrance to a roundabout where the bus turns right!! If those pesky pedestrians could just walk the extra 50yds life would be so much less stressful. This particular gem is up there with the special idea of a bus lane on the M4 which is on the right! I sincerely appologise to any visitor of this great nation who must board a bus from the middle lane of a 60mph road, but please take splice in that morsel of hope that the guy who put it there is now a Sir!
I also get confused because bus stops are the same color as the verboten bus lanes. I do feel bad for bus drivers, though. Seems like for most it's a pretty stressful gig.
That merge onto Euston road is actually a perfect example. If you're heading north to go west onto Euston, if you don't know any better and are trying to be law-abiding, you don't go into the lanes clearly marked, in giant letters, "BUS LANE". Which means you turn the corner and find yourself in a right-hand turn lane, and you are screwed. The lanes switch from vehicle-segregated to direction-segregated much too quickly.
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