Seeing Red (Signs)

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If you cycle from Didcot via Harwell village you may have noticed, yesterday, new road works being planned and laid out on the Wantage Road at Great Western Park. You may have also seen the new red signs stating ‘CYCLISTS DISMOUNT AND WALK THROUGH SITE’.  Why? If the road is open and safe for motorists then, as road users, it must be safe for cyclists. This looks like another health & safety ‘cop out’ by somebody who hasn’t bothered to do a proper risk assessment. Signs like this are not needed if the road works are planned properly and are unacceptable on a main cycle commuting route (or anywhere). HarBUG will be contacting the developers and the County Council.

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    • December 4, 2014 at 8:25 am #2371
      admin
      Member

      New anti cycling signs appear at road works in Didcot

      [See the full post at: Seeing Red (Signs)]

    • December 4, 2014 at 8:35 am #2372
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      The use of these signs is causing me some concern. What is the cyclists position if they chose not to walk and are involved in an incident? What is the position if they obey the signs and are involved in an incident?
      The ongoing road works on the A4130 between Milton Road and the Hawksworth estate have plenty of anti-cycling signs. Including several signs placed in the gutter advising ‘cycle lane closed’ – there is no cycle lane. This is not a route I cycle but I saw a cyclist who diligently followed the instructions to dismount, he then waited for a green light and pushed his bike the length of the road works in the middle of the lane with a number of cars patiently following.

    • December 4, 2014 at 8:43 am #2373
      robm
      Member

      Is it worth contacting the Oxfordshire County Council (I believe they are responsible for this)?
      https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/public-site/roads-and-transport

      If they are not official road signs, then in my opinion they shouldn’t be there.
      It seems a bit like me putting my own “no parking” sign up to stop people parking outside my house.

    • December 4, 2014 at 8:46 am #2374
      robm
      Member

      Also, when I last drove through them they were quite long so they probably just don’t want cyclists riding through there.
      Mind you, last time there were road works with lights there I could easily keep up or was even slowed down by cars going through them.

    • December 4, 2014 at 9:29 am #2375
      chrisrogers1234
      Member

      Oftentimes they have a thingy on the traffic lights to detect oncoming vehicles and decide if the vehicles are still between the traffic lights to do the traffic light control – these often don’t work for bikes. Maybe this is the issue?

    • December 4, 2014 at 10:20 am #2376
      mattpritchard
      Member

      See this article regarding similar situation in London: reminding the contractor of cyclists’ legal right to use the road got them to change the signs:
      http://road.cc/content/news/130401-cyclists-dismount-no-thanks-says-rider-who-persuaded-contractor-change-signs

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