Why don’t some cyclists use the designated cycling lanes?

[UserAlice]

I regularly drive through Leeds city centre which has recently spent millions on a sophisticated network of designated and segregated cycling lanes which are next to but separated from the road with special kerbs. Good stuff.

MOST cyclists will use them as they are extremely safe, well maintained and run alongside all the major routes. No diversions - you ride alongside the motor vehicle traffic but you are protected by this extra kerb.

So why today do I sometimes see cyclists not using them? There is literally no reason (that I can see) why they can’t use the designated lanes (e.g. needing to turn off soon etc). So they are instead in the way of the traffic and ultimately, putting themselves at risk.

The same happens in my village where there is a safe and well-maintained cycle path to the next village that runs alongside the 40mph road but many cyclists seem to not want to use it and use the road instead.

FWIW this is not a cyclist-bashing thread. I don’t cycle because I am so bad at it I would be a danger to other road users, but I always give them plenty of room and am very patient.

I just genuinely want to know why some seem to be keen to put themselves in danger by sticking to the roads when they have designated lanes. It’s like a pedestrian walking in the road instead of the pavement! What’s going on? Am I missing something?

because they are shit
because loads of drivers park on them
because there is broken glass on them
because the gutters are on them
because it entices drivers to overtake cyclists with too little distance, i.e. unsafe

often it's safer to ride on the road than using them

Because this

The road must be better or safer than the cycle path then.

Or this m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehh8ZdIMMj4

Pot holes, fallen leaves covering the pot holes, broken glass, drains, parked cars, overtaking cars who don't give you enough room so they clip your elbow with their wing mirror.

I dunno about Leeds. If I don't use a cycle lane it's b/c...

I have to give way frequently at every single junction, crossroads, petrol stations, businesses, maybe even driveways too
There are meandering pedestrians to dodge (at 16 mph?!)
It's full of brambles & glass
It's on the wrong side of the road (probably busy pain to cross for onward & previous journey)
I PAID my road tax on the car I left at home, damnit, I deserve to be out there in the road space

oh, and there's no obvious way to access if you didn't know in advance it's there; if you don't jump in the cycle lane at first opportunity then it's half a mile before you find another easy access point

There is a huge one near us - they have taken 1/3 of a really busy main road and put in wide lanes for bikes (with raised kerbs) with bike traffic lights and areas where bikes can go across traffic and along one way roads. Does anyone actually stop at the ref lights? Very few.

Traffic now crawls and very few bikes actually use the tracks. It intersects with the park road where there are cycle tracks on either side of the road and a track on the park running alongside. Most cyclists still go along the pavement or pedestrian walkways.

These are both brand spanning new, flat and wide. There is no reason for the very few bikes who are there not to use the tracks or observe their own traffic lights. But they mostly don’t.

If a lane saves one life, I’m all for it - but they have to use the sodding things, follow the rules of the road and keep the hell off the pavement where they are a flipping danger.

But they don’t go into the horse tracks - probably don’t want a hoof up the backside.

I wonder this too. Near us we had a new 60mph bypass built with a wide cycle lane separated from the traffic by a huge grass verge and kerb. We still get cyclists who choose to ride on the road with the hgvs who are coming in and out of the quarry and heading to the motorway. It literally runs the length of the stretch of road with the same access points as the road so it’s not about getting on and off it. We’ve ridden along it and it’s well maintained, no potholes, good surface etc. It’s just madness!

Perhaps I’m not being clear but these are brand new cycle lanes which are on the ROAD rather than pavement. They are brand spanking new so don’t have potholes or broken glass or brambles or pedestrians and they have are on the same traffic light system as the cars so no need to give way to anyone.

You can’t park on them and cars can’t overtake you on them. They are literally divided by a kerb so are completely segregated from the cars and lorries without being on the pavement.

As I see plenty of cyclists using them I think they must be good. It’s just the minority who don’t seem to want to us them which I think it’s a shame given the investment and clear safety benefits.

There’s been a recent thread about this.

The short answer is that you either (a) have an ulterior motive or (b) pro-never-criticise-a-cyclist posters know every stretch of cycle lane in the WORLD as are able to say with conviction all the reasons they’re definitely not being used

I googled for images of Leeds cycle lanes. Problems here: fence on right (so can't access if you missed entry point). Curb on right for approaching lane (can't access without stopping if you missed entry point). Both look like they are designed for low speed movement (not 16 mph). Both only wide enough for one cyclist going either way (unless you're moving very slow).

Have to give way to cross traffic (not sure if same rules apply to cars moving in same directions).

Mixing with pedestrians; nightmare in the making.

Whole discussion on confusing signage & permissions & unconvenient routing (Leeds Cycling Campaign).

This is a smaller version of what’s near us outer ones are a car width on either side of the road and has bike traffic lights.

Ours is a case of:

• very poorly surfaced.
• having to check (and give way to) residential roads really regularly (all of which are around blind bends, so you have to slow right down or stop entirely to check no cars are coming).
• randomly merged pedestrian moments, so the bike lane divides bus stops and the buses.
• signs in the middle of it.
• massive trees in the middle of it.
• glass on it.
• it stops halfway to town.

And I'm in a city where we're all supposed to be mad keen on cycling and saving the planet!

I still use it, as it feels safer with the kids than being out in the traffic, but I can see why serious commuter cyclists don't. However, I don't really understand why some of these lovely bespoke tracks you describe aren't getting favoured over the road... I'm jealous!

Stay on the road: don't give way any more often than cars have to.
Go on cyclepath: give way everywhere to everything.

Those are old cycle lanes. The ones I’m talking about are very different but unfortunately I can’t find any photos.

I don’t want to be arsey but would people be kicking off if pedestrians walked on the road instead of the pavements for some of these reasons.

On wrong side of road AND have to give way at everything everywhere; total pain when want to go off to a left turn somewhere.

And don’t get me on the mixed usage roads. There is one near us which is a nightmare - mixed for all users. Of course it’s next to loads of big museums, music venue, schools, university buildings and dorms and where loads of tourists mingle. There was one incident that springs to mind when a car knocked a few people over - it was initially thought to be a terror attack but no, a minicab driver got confused and flustered.

If they are that Brand New then maybe local cyclists haven't clued in to how convenient they are.

Maybe. I do think they must be half decent because they seem popular.

I agree completely that cyclists should use them if they can, however the Leeds path I drive alongside looks terrible ( kirkstall to the city centre). I think you'd only appreciate some of the design flaws once you'd ridden it for example a bus shelter in the middle of the lane at one point forces you to either mount the pavement or swerve into one of the busiest lanes of traffic in the city, plus recessing all of the give way points means that joining traffic from the side streets has no view of the road...

Don't assume they are well designed unless you have used them yourself. Even decent ones are often designed for people to pootle about on rather than to travel at decent speed on. If there were a quiet country road route and a motorway between your house and your office, wouldn't you take the quicker route?

They are not avoiding them to annoy you, they're avoiding them because they don't meet their needs.