Last month I wrote a rather controversial post about the importance of making cycling not only actually safer, but also making it perceived as being safer. In that post I argued that our current tendency to focus on providing cycle lanes in a bare minimum manner – generally by just slapping on a bit of green paint and putting up a few road signs – may be nice for the stereotypical ‘lycra-clad road warriors’, but it’s unlikely to really help expand the proportion of the population that chooses to cycle. In effect, while this minimal upgrade approach might actually help make a particular road safer, it is less likely to make the road feel safer – because you’re still in the same environment as big scary cars and buses. Who’s seriously going to let their 12 year old kid cycle to school along Mt Albert Road, even if it does have a bit of green paint at intersections and a few “cycle lane” signs?
A problem with taking my approach – the “if you’re going to do a cycle lane, get it off the road” approach – is that typically it’s likely to be pretty expensive on a per metre basis and involve a fair amount of disruption. Finding a cheap, easy and quick way to install proper separated cycle lanes seems like quite a challenge – which is why I find the following video pretty damn exciting:
It is entirely feasible to see this type of cycle lane being introduced along a number of arterial roads in Auckland I think. While there are likely to be some safety concerns regarding visibility of cyclists to cars turning in and out of driveways, I think that getting the cyclists out of the road environment and ‘protecting them’ through having a buffer of parked cars has some pretty significant safety benefits – particularly when it comes to improving the perceived safety of cycling. One can imagine a Ponsonby Road dieted to one lane in each direction, with the space saved dedicated to a top class cycle lane. It would be pretty awesome.
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The need to prioritise buses on Ponsonby Rd [until such a time as we can get light rail back on that route] does make it tricky to fit it all in. Taking the general traffic down to two lanes, gives us an opportunity to create bus lanes the length of the road. And if connected with the rest of the Link route [and real integrated ticketing] offers a fantastic chance to build a Ponsonby/CBD/Newmarket/Parnell PT route that would be faster than any other mode [except perhaps for our friends in lycra]. This would do wonders for transforming the choices made by many for all sorts of local journeys as the bus would then be the quickest and cheapest and therefore most efficient option. The numbers of cars this could take off the road is huge.
But accommodating bike lanes as well as bus lanes looks tight. Buses and bikes are not a good mix, and …. Is there a need to select some arterials to be bike laned and others bus laned? There is no obvious alternative to Ponsonby rd though, or to many on Auckland’s ridge-and-valley topography.
Whaddayareckon?
Here’s a possible Ponsonby Road Diet scenario that I put together: http://img688.imageshack.us/i/ponsonby.png/ Clearly, bikes and people space are number 1 priority in this scenario and there is little room for dedicated bus lanes. I would argue though, that it is not the cycle lanes denying the bus transit, but rather the luxuries afforded to cars such as parking, turning bays and the median strip. Perhaps we should pit buses against cars rather than cyclists?
JB that’s all good for cyclists, but how can that design make the PT option the better choice than the car? And that is an aim that I feel we must pursue not only to reach PT growth but to strongly improve quality of place and quality of movement in the CBD and inner suburbs [and as a test for other areas too]. By reducing car movements while improving interconnection.
I think buses and bikes could get along very well if they weren’t both trying to share infrastructure designed for cars.
really? as a cyclist are you really happy to tangle with a lane of buses? overtaking you only to stop again…. it’s anightmare they’re just much bigger more erratic cars….
“as a cyclist are you really happy to tangle with a lane of buses?”
I’ve never found cycling in a bus lane to be much fun. Bus exhausts are seriously horrible and they tend to stop frequently.
Nice video clip. I wonder why the cycle lane isn’t raised a bit over the road surface? That would reduce any temptation for parked cars to stray in to the cycle lane and also force turning vehicles (whether at junctions or driveways) to slow down and give way. I also notice that many cyclists aren’t wearing helmets. One of the best ways to make cyclists feel safer is to stop telling them that it is so dangerous that they’ll be forced by law to dress up in protective clothing.
in the end, bike lanes and on-street parking do not go well together. where i live, there are no on-road bike lanes, but secondary arterials tend to be good for cyclists because there is a painted shoulder. and on-street parking is illegal. which is not to say that no one does it, but it’s mainly delivery vehicles and not prevalent.
I meant like an unconventional long-distance relationship so they are not in each others face all the time, not the traditional mould we are use to in NZ.
Do you think that the frequency of buses on Ponsonby Rd would allow bikes to successful use the bus lane…. at least it would be car free, except at intersections?… I think parked cars have a high utility and a good speed reduction effect so not considering their removal.
I would like something like this tested on a Saturday. Cone the parking lane off and shift all the users out one lane (and remove one travel lane).
[except perhaps for our friends in lycra].
Have you realised that fewer and fewer cyclists are using lycra? Or more to the point: There’s probably about the same number of lycra-wearers around, but more and morre who just use a bicycle to get from A to B, not to train for the next triathlon, or make a statement about sustainability.
We just want to be able to ride safely, thanks.
[in the end, bike lanes and on-street parking do not go well together.]
Actually they do, but they need extra space for the door opening zone.
why do shopkeepers in auckland expect ratepayers to provide parking space for their customers?
same reason motorists expect no delays