A Step In The Right Direction?

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The new Fermi Avenue entrance to the European Space Agency looks like it may be ‘cycle friendly’. It has Zebra crossing marking across the carriageway, this means that pedestrians have priority over cars, can we assume it is the same for cyclists? If the idea is that cyclists also have priority then it is a step in the right direction. The junction probably needs Give Way markings either side of the crossing point similar to the photos shown in the previous post about the Thomson Avenue entrance. HarBUG has a meeting with the Campus management in September so we will ask whether this is a deliberate change (for the better) in policy.

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    • August 20, 2015 at 8:21 am #2593
      admin
      Member

      Could the entrance to the European Space Agency be the first ‘cycle friendly’ crossing point on the Campus?

      [See the full post at: A Step In The Right Direction?]

    • August 20, 2015 at 8:31 am #2594
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      One might hope so, but the lack of signage might make it the most dangerous!!

    • August 20, 2015 at 8:44 am #2595
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      My thought was that our European colleagues might be particularly vulnerable. If a Dutchman or Dane were to use that crossing as they would in Amsterdam or Copenhagen, they could well be taken out by a Brit Cage Jockey, using the tactics usually employed to negotiate Hyde Pak Corner!

    • August 20, 2015 at 9:21 am #2596
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      The trouble with the zebra crossing model is that pedestrians only have right of way once they have already stepped on the crossing. This rather invites drivers to only look a relatively short distance either side of the crossing, meaning that cyclists can only safely make use of the priority if slowing to walking speed. This negates much of the advantage, therefore still making it preferable to just cycle on the road.

      In any case it could be argued that the zebra crossing markings only apply to pedestrians, so that if cyclists want priority they have to dismount. This interpretation is particularly reinforced by the fact that the zebra crossing near the main road has signs telling cyclists to dismount to use the crossing.

      So if it is to be treated as a normal give way, where drivers have to be prepared to give way to bicycles travelling at normal road speed, it really needs proper give way markings (double dashed line and triangle). Then there can be no argument about it. It is still helpful for sake of pedestrians to have the zebra crossing markings there as well, but the priority for cyclists would not depend on them.

      (“Drivers” used above for convenience to refer to all intersecting traffic. Can of course include cyclists.)

    • August 24, 2015 at 8:42 am #2597
      chrisrogers1234
      Member

      Just so you know, quote from Highway Code:

      “Do not ride across a pelican, puffin or zebra crossing. Dismount and wheel your cycle across.”

      https://www.gov.uk/rules-for-cyclists-59-to-82/crossing-the-road-79-to-82

    • August 24, 2015 at 9:28 am #2598
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      Indeed, but I think the main thing is for them to decide whether or not the *intention* is for allow cyclists to ride across with priority.

      If so, then proper give way markings are imperative, and also for the reason you mention it would have been better to only draw the zebra crossing markings across the portion of the width that is to be used by pedestrians, though realistically I can’t see them changing that now.

      Or if not, then so be it, but in that case it offers next to no extra incentive to use the path rather than the road.

    • August 24, 2015 at 9:39 am #2599
      NP
      Member

      I’d be interested to know what the split is between road/path cyclists. Certainly among the group of 6/7 cyclists I work with it’s definitely weighted to the road largely due to the lack of priority on the roundabout. I don’t think uncertainty over this crossing is going to change any attitudes on that.

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