Thursday 14 February 2008

A design flaw

Can you spot the design flaw in this cycle facility? This question would obviously baffle a highway engineer but a cyclist should have no difficulty.

I'll give you a clue: the white heavy goods vehicle is parked quite legally.





















See the problem? Hibbert Road E17 has been blocked off at the Lea Bridge Road end, to prevent rat-running. A cycle lane has been provided through the road closure, allowing cyclists to take a quiet route through the residential back streets and avoid the dangerous junction with Markhouse Road. But the benefit to cyclists is cancelled by one simple flaw. The entrance to the cycle cut-through is not protected by a double-yellow-line 'no waiting at any time' restriction. Which means that on Sundays and at various other times in the week it is perfectly lawful to park a vehicle across the entrance and obstruct it. Why have the Council done this? I suppose because it is a biological fact that no one ever cycles on weekdays between 10 am - 4 pm, after 7 pm, or on Sundays.




















And notice the water in the cycle lane. Perfectly placed to bring a cyclist off her bike as she turns into the cut-through when temperatures fall below zero.