tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-568852931152106119.post6973328042793505235..comments2024-03-17T18:53:05.139-07:00Comments on CycaLogical: Boris - Pie in the Sky?crossriderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00896858165635612158noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-568852931152106119.post-55541411672366308352012-09-02T10:29:34.968-07:002012-09-02T10:29:34.968-07:00On a recent trip to Verona, in Italy, our hotel ov...On a recent trip to Verona, in Italy, our hotel overlooked a wide “boulevard” which was very similar to Embankment. OK, it didn’t have a river on one side, but it did have four traffic lanes (without the central median), was tree-lines and had wide pavements on either side.<br /><br />In Verona, this and similar roads had a two-way cycle lane on one of the pavements, behind the line of trees so provide with extra protection from traffic (and this being Italy, boy, do you need that protection). The cycle lane was simply marked on the pavement by yellow lines, solid either side and broken down the centre. It was in effect shared space, but I could observe no conflict, largely because people on bikes were generally riding at a fairly sedate pace – as I guess you probably have to, in a warm climate like that.<br /><br />Cycle infrastructure was no-where near Dutch standards, and as I say, Italian motorists really are best avoided, but permitted us of pavement by bicycles was in many places signed, and almost everywhere else assumed – perhaps it is formally permitted but I don’t know for sure. Not all such shared pavements were entirely satisfactory, but they did seem to manage to keep clutter such as those funny little Telecom boxes, waste bins and lamp posts out of the way, so generally they were better than they are here. There also seemed to be a generally relaxed approach to cycling with people moving at perhaps 15kph at most, and incidents which might reasonably unnerve pedestrians seemed very rare.<br /><br />Fast cyclists, of whom there were very few indeed, and they were primarily on racers, clad in helmet and Lycra and clearly out for a proper blast, generally stayed on the roads, though I do wonder whether the UK equation between road mortality and prolonging of life through exercise would apply in quite the same way there.<br /><br />Much as I would like to see cycle infrastructure up to Dutch standards here, I doubt that this is politically possible at this time. Local and national government could easily get away with dismissing it as pie in the sky, indeed they are probably afraid of how the non-cycling public would react – even if their fears are unjustified.<br /><br />But I really don’t see why we could take a step in the right direction, with shared use being much more widely permitted. Perhaps it could be achieved by setting a speed limit, say 8-10mph. Cycle computers which can read out speed cost only a few quid these days so it would not be hard to know whether you are within the limit. Vehicular cyclists could carry on barrelling down the road. I would opt for the slow road any time – I don’t actually think you get there much quicker anyway, and wearing a suit and tie on a bicycle rather precludes speed if you don’t want to be in a muck-sweat when you arrive.<br /><br />On the subject of medians, they were installed in the recent reversion to two-way on Pall Mall and ST James St, and on the reconfiguration of Kensington High Street. They may well have the effect of encouraging motorists to speed, but I suspect they are there to assist pedestrians cross the road – if you want to keep traffic flow nice and smooth, Boris style, why interrupt it with pedestrian crossings when you can just make the pedestrians step into a shooting gallery, making it to safety in two hops?<br />Paul Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07929808238663838155noreply@blogger.com