It then opens out to go on the outside of several parking spaces.
This doesn't look too bad unless you've known someone who's been hit by a car door.
Anyone riding a bike this close to a parked car is in danger of being hit by a door being flung open, so this kind of cycle lane has real problems, since the safe place to ride is further out.
One has to wonder if the designer of this lane was aware of the danger, because a little further along the lane kinks out to a more appropriate position.
However, a bit further along the lane seems to run out, level with the estate agents' offices.
And returns only to perform this mad little kink left, to accommodate two lanes of motorvehicles at the traffic lights.
It seems little changed from the Whitworth Street West Consultation Plan see the bottom plan, except that the 0.5m buffer zone, also mentioned in the covering letter, has failed to materialize on the ground. Without that buffer zone this lane, and others along this road are far more dangerous than they should have been.
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You're knackered if you want to turn right after those lights too. If the cycle lane wasn't there you could hold your road position after the parked cars, stay in the centre of the ahead lane and after the junction get ready to turn right. As it is drivers (and road planners) are expecting you to kink left and then you have to cross the lane of traffic after the junction. Waste of green paint.
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