"Form two lanes when cycle lane is not in use" - you cannot be serious!

Earlier this year, Manchester City Council's Highway Services published a consultation entitled "Hyde Road Cycle Casualty Reduction Scheme - Improving Cycling Facilities in Your Area".

The consultation leaflet highlighted that "over the past five years, thirteen collisions involving cyclists have been reported along Hyde Road. Locations where collisions have been reported breakdown into the following clusters:  Hyde Rd/Belle Vue Street, Hyde Road/Hengist Street and Hyde Road/Tan Yard Brow."

As part of these "improvements" an advisory cycle lane was installed on both side of the A57 in the vicinity of Tan Yard Brow (see google map) in late March / early April. It was reported that local residents and some bus operators had complained to Manchester City Council that these cycle lanes were causing peak time congestion. One local councillor Simon Ashley (who was not re-elected in May's local elections) claimed that these cycle lanes had “caused mayhem, queues and average delays of half an hour, with long tailbacks at the junction with Reddish Lane.” and welcomed "the Council's decision to remove cycle lanes on Hyde Rd”.  (Press release dated 6th April 2011).  However, it would seem that Manchester City Council had decided not to remove the cycles lanes but instead opted to install signs that read "Form two lanes when cycle lane not in use". 

Those nice people at Love You Bike were a little puzzled by these signs as it would appear that Manchester City Council Highways Service is encouraging drivers to break the Highway Code. Rule 140 of which states: 

“Cycle lanes. These are shown by road markings and signs. You MUST NOT drive or park in a cycle lane marked by a solid white line during its times of operation. Do not drive or park in a cycle lane marked by a broken white line unless it is unavoidable. You MUST NOT park in any cycle lane whilst waiting restrictions apply". (Emphasis added]. The phrase “unless it is unavoidable” would mean something like swerving out of the way to avoid danger – not forming a second lane of motor traffic when the road is busy.

It is unclear how car/bus/lorry drivers are supposed to know whether there is a bicycle ahead of them on the cycle lane or when traffic is stationary, as is often the case in rush hour periods, whether a bicycle is attempting to filter along the cycle lane. When traffic has blocked the cycle lanes, people attempting to use the cycle lanes are either prevented from doing so or (understandably but illegally) choose to cycle on the pavement. As shown in the photograph on the left. Love Your Bike asked CTC, the national cycling organisation, whether they had seen any other local authority in England using these signs or whether they conformed with any Department for Transport guidance. Their response was: "I’ve not heard of any similar sign elsewhere in England (or anywhere else in the UK for that matter).  Nor do I know of any guidance endorsing this approach."

 

Roger Geffen, CTC's Campaigns & Policy Director also highlighted that “Cycle lanes are there to encourage more people to switch from car driving to cycling, for the good of our health and that of our streets, our communities, our atmosphere and our wallets.  Bicycle are extremely efficient users of road-space: a typical-width traffic lane can accommodate 2,000 motor vehicles an hour, or 14,000 bicycles.  Asking drivers to block up cycle lanes completely defeats one of the key reasons for providing them in the first place, namely to reduce congestion on Manchester’s streets.”

These signs are not an appropriate solution as they encourage motorised traffic to drive over cycle lanes and send a very poor message to both the motoring and cycling communities.MCC Highways Service have been asked what they are planning to do to improve this situation..... updates to follow...