Rule 58 Highway Code
New rule 58 (currently under consultation) plans to tell cyclists to “use cycle routes when practicable and cycle facilities … where they are provided”.
View ‘Consultations’ on www.dft.gov.uk/dsa/.
The BBC has picked up the story (see ‘In the gutter’ on BBC news website), first brought to light by the Cyclists Touring Club (CTC) about the proposed new rule in the Highway Code.
Rule 58 is likely to benefit drivers’ insurance companies fighting cyclists’ claims whilst it will be to the detriment of cyclists choosing not to use dangerous, inadequate or useless cycle lanes. View the CTC’s consultation response ‘Comments on Highway Code consultation document’ on www.ctc.org.uk.
Some Greater Manchester cycle lanes best left unused
Proposed Rule 58 has prompted us to feature a few of Greater Manchester’s cycling “facilities” which are probably best left unused.
Cycle lane in Hazel Grove Stockport comes to abrupt end when pavement becomes too narrow. It then dumps cyclists into busy stream of A6 traffic. Built by Sainsburys as part of Hazel Grove store development .
Cycle Lane, A6, near Mancunian Way stops when road space runs out, creating not so much a pinch point as a ‘completely squashed’ point.
Cycle Lane, Turves Road, Cheadle Hulme. Confusingly incoporates a whole series of stop lines, next to traffic islands and where a house driveway emerges
Cycle Lane, Turves Road, Cheadle Hulme. Confusingly incoporates a whole series of stop lines, next to traffic islands and where a house driveway emerges
Not dangerous but just completely daft. Cyclists rarely use the cycle lane (Turves Road, Cheadle Hulme) because it has a lot of stop lines, whereas the road running by it has none.Put in by Stockport MBC in 2001
Cycle lanes : good, bad and worldwide debates
Of course Greater Manchester has some cycle lanes and cycle paths that are well thought out and genuinely useful.
Follow the wordwide debate on cycle lanes on //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycle_path about whether such things really do make cycling safer or just make it feel safer.
Send us your examples. If you know of a Greater Manchester cycling facility, good or bad, that you think should appear on these pages, please mail a photo and a short description of it to BlogAdmin at gmcc dot org dot uk.
Check Facility of the Month entries on www.warringtoncyclecampaign.co.uk – ( not just Warrington examples).
