Death of a "cyclist"

A woman riding a bicycle was killed today.



Greater Manchester Police have released the following information:-

Cyclist dies following collision

A woman has died after a collision near the Mancunian Way.
At about 3pm on Saturday 3 August 2013, police were called to the slip road heading from Princess Road to the Mancunian Way following reports of a collision involving a cyclist and a black Seat Leon.
Officers attended and the cyclist, a 44-year-old woman, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the car, a 40-year-old man, has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and remains in police custody for questioning.
Inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the collision are ongoing.
....

The crash appears to have happened on a pedestrian crossing on the westbound slip road onto the Mancunian Way by the Redbricks flats.



When I went to have a look this evening I saw someone on a bike trying to use the same route.



The alternative is to disobey the no cycling sign and use the underpass, or risk riding on the roundabout.



This location clearly has a history of accidents.



There is even this sign on the approach to the site of the fatality.



What can you say about this - this is one death too many.


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Dangerous Bike Traffic Lights

Nasty arrangement of traffic lights - if this had happened on motor vehicle traffic lights it would have been fixed. However, because it's just bicycles, it's just left like this.

Going south-west across Dawson Street, you first see this,



Then this...



Question is, which one was your green light?

If you look carefully, you can see that the left hand lights are the same as the ones on the far side of the junction, so your light is the one on the right.

If you thought it was the one on the left you may have just ended up under oncoming traffic!

The fact is that the left hand light just shouldn't be there. Once you have crossed the first lane you CANNOT SEE the misleading lights.

Manchester City Council should remove this set of lights. They were an unnecessary additional cost.


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Is this the narrowest cycle lane in Greater Manchester?

This was a "WTF" moment this morning.

Salford Council are responsible for this one.

This is a cycle lane painted on the westbound side of A57, Eccles New Road in Salford.



Yes it really is narrower than the double yellow lines, and yes it really is intended to be a cycle lane, here is the beginning... this is NCN 55.



and here is where it goes from narrow to WTF?

Notice how you are trapped between a traffic island and a dangerous barrier.



It even continues like this across the junction with Howard Street.



I have emailed the cycling officer, lee.evans@salford.gov.uk, and sent copies of these photographs in the hope that this facility has been incorrectly painted...



and it is just as bad at this point eastbound.


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Update

The cycling officer has replied saying he will look into this lane.

Meantime I have found the Department for Transport's design guidance document which says on the topic of cycle lanes...

7.4

Cycle lane widths

7.4.1
A cycle lane offers cyclists some separation
from motor traffic. Under the National Cycle Training
Standards, cyclists are trained to ride in a safe
position in the carriageway which is usually at least
1 metre from the kerb edge to avoid gulley grates and
debris, and to ensure that they are within the
sightlines of drivers waiting at side roads.

7.4.2
Cycle lanes should be 2 metres wide on
busy roads, or where traffic is travelling in excess of
40 mph. A minimum width of 1.5 metres may be
generally acceptable on roads with a 30 mph limit. For
cycle feeder lanes to advanced stop line
arrangements, a minimum width of 1.2m may be
acceptable. Cycle lanes less than 1.2 metres wide
cannot easily accommodate tricycles or child­carrying
cycle trailers wholly within the lane.