To feel unsafe when cyclists use pavements illegally?

[BridgeWalkingVideo]

Looking for constructive advice and views on how to handle cyclists illegally using one of the two pavements on a busy road across a bridge in London.

The video at the link below (8 mins) was taken when I walked across the bridge on the narrower 'no cycling' pavement at about 9am on Monday.

In the video there are several instances of potentially hazardous moments, and some reckless behaviour at the end (the cyclist going too fast and nearly ending up in the road). My experience of walking across this bridge on that side is that this is all too common, and cyclists should not be using that pavement.

Cyclists do continue to use this 'no cycling' pavement (in part because the signage at the start and end is confusing), but should be dismounting and crossing the road to use the pavement on the other side of the road (which is marked as shared) or indeed the road itself (but I quite understand why cyclists would prefer not to use the road at that point). I believe the 'no cycling' restriction was brought into effect in 2021 (both pavements were shared use before that).

I do also have a video (not uploaded yet) from walking across the bridge on the other side (the shared side), which to be honest despite being slightly wider is still not great (it also having a bus stop narrowing the pavement being one reason).

So which pavement should I as a pedestrian use? The narrower pavement for pedestrians that cyclists use illegally but where I would be safer if the rules were followed, or the wider shared pavement where it might be safe if everyone rode with due care and attention? Or should I just get the bus across the bridge? 😕

And what about people with mobility issues or sensory impairments that will be more at risk? Am I being unreasonable to think that these instances of a shared pedestrian-cycle space (one legal, one illegal) are inherently unsafe, or does the 'no cycling' side need to be enforced so that the design works as intended?

Would it be unreasonable of me to ask cyclists to stop cycling on the 'no cycling' pavement?

I'm disabled and hate it when cyclists use the footpath, it only takes for me to step to the side slightly because I've spotted an uneven bit of path, and a cyclist runs into me, possibly causing them to fall into the road, and me to be injured. I appreciate that it's safer for THEM to use the footpath, but why, if there are paths both sides of the road, can't they make the footpath one side for pedestrians only, and the other side for cyclists only, that would seem to make more sense to me.

I have no advice. Cyclists should not be on the pavement; but only this week a woman with cerebral palsy who waved her arms at a cyclist and shouted ' get off the ducking pavement ' has been found guilty of manslaughter because the cyclist , who proved to be elderly and unsteady, went onto the road and was hit by a car.
It was a dreadful case all round but it was clearly stated that shouting and wafting ( no touching or directing) at a cyclist was a disproportionate response, so I'm unsure how you are supposed to remonstrate with them.

Shared use paths aren’t ideal for either user or best practice for cycle infrastructure. I wonder if you can complain to the local police for enforcement or ask the council to re-sign it. I don’t think speaking to individual cyclists will have much impact.

No advice from me, I do try to make sure I’m not roadside though, as a pedestrian. I hate that cyclists use pavements which haven’t been designated as half and half for both groups - and we have a lot of cycling muggers snatching bags etc which seems to make it worse.
Our town has new cycle paths being installed, directly alongside pavements already cyclists are saying they won’t use them. So I don’t know what the answer is, except to try and not get sandwiches between cyclists and road vehicles.

Stupid off the road, on the road, off the road cycle paths don't help. Especially when you have to stop to get on the road in traffic in rush hour. Why do they put a few metres of shared use path, then Chuck cyclists into the road? Proper cycling infrastructure would help.

I always cycle on the roads, even in heavy traffic (thus incurring the wrath of drivers who think I shouldn't be there either) but I can understand why someone cycling with a baby or kids wouldn't feel safe, especially in rush hour London.

Not sure what you can do. Campaign for better facilities for cyclists? Shared use paths are a hazard anyway, as pedestrians meander about, kids don't understand, likewise dogs, they can be poorly maintained (though I can say the same for roads currently!) and some pedestrians will still moan cyclists shouldn't be on them.

I meant to say I know it shouldn’t be shared use now but has been and even if it was it’s not a good idea.

I can see why you felt unsafe. 🙄

Maybe next time do exactly the same and both you and the cyclist give each other the space to pass like you did and everyone carries on as normal

I agree. I also feel massively unsafe at zebra crossings and green lights when cyclists decide they are superior to every other human in the vicinity and they alone have the right to ignore the Highway Code and put pedestrians at risk. The amount of times I’ve seen them whizz past just an inch or two from someone on a zebra is appalling. Hilariously they often wear helmet cameras to catch everyone else’s bad behaviour on the roads but somehow they never turn themselves in.

campaign with your local council for better signage and proper enforcement. don't engage with individual cyclists. video them each time and submit the footage with your complaint

You've done a good job documenting the issue.

The signage is damaged (no cycling sign turned round) and anyway bad. There's no good indication of where somebody crossing the bridge should cycle. And if someone did go on the cycling side, it's not at all clear how they'd get back across around where the video starts if they were going that way.

I appreciate being passed unexpectedly on a pavement like that can be un-nerving, but only one of the people cycling in the video, the man on the e-bike, was really riding recklessly. A bridge like this is probably always going to be a bit of a pinch point; short of building another bridge there's no perfect solution here.

We have a similar situation where I live. It’s so dangerous. I’ve actually been hit and thrown to the floor by a bicycle travelling at speed along a pavement. I really think they shouldn’t get to share pavements with pedestrians.

Our local primary school runs cycling lessons for its students. In their wisdom they have decided to do so on a Monday afternoon 1:30 - 2:30pm on a very (27 at last count in a few meters) potholed road, at a T junction. There are five industrial estates and a busy bus depot on this road, which is also a main road into town. The industrial estates all have large goods vehicles as well as cars and vans going in and out all day.
Maybe it’s to train all these fearless cyclists for the future?

It's a tough one because it doesn't look like there's enough room for them on the road. Cars are almost touching the kerb.

My niece is 45 she is severely brain damaged it happened when she was 5 years old, she ran out of her front door and straight into the path of a cyclist who was on the pavement, she hit her head on the gate post, the cyclist a middle aged woman didn't stop even though she knew she had injured a child, luckily witness identified the woman but she didn't even get a fine so before the case recently I have remonstrated with a pavement cyclist but not now

Omg that is scary. I’m disabled so I’d feel unsafe. I need more room than the average person and can’t just change trajectory to avoid a bike.

I really don’t understand comments telling op otherwise regardless of whether or not she’s able bodied.

There was also a situation where a middle aged pedestrian was jailed for aggressively approaching and screaming, swearing and shouting ' get off the fucking pavement' and admitted to having physical contact with an elderly cyclist on a shared pathway, which resulted in the cyclists death, while the pedestrian callously walked off as the cyclist died and lied to the police....
This video/situation looks very different as its NOT a shared pathway?

Cyclists should be on the road

I agree that mixed pedestrian/cycle lanes are generally a nightmare and especially near a road like that. I thought most of those cyclists looked like they were going at walking speed and took up no more space then the other pedestrians, but the few that weren’t make it a bad experience. (Though I think where you’ve videoed there would be more injuries if cyclists were on the road than the pavement, so I think your “why don’t they just go on the road” comment is a bit ridiculous.

Most of our roads in big cities just aren’t signed for the sort of traffic we have now. Trying to fit everything on to them is a precarious balancing act that makes no one happy, but that really does look like an accident waiting to happen. They really need another bridge.

I would walk wherever felt safest and in the meantime write to the council pointing out that the pedestrian only side is being routinely ignored and asking what they are going to do about it. Maybe pointing out that the signage and the time needed to negotiate crossing the road is probably deterring cyclists from following the designated path.

I’m a hearing aid wearer and had to stop going for exercise (walks) on the promenade at Liverpool because of cyclists 🤬 I’m thinking they develop some sort of hypo mania ( similar to gym users) which makes them gangerously unaware of other road/pavement users - look at Simon O’Brien Liverpool cycling ‘Tzar’ and embodiment of entitlement re all cyclists 🤬👍🏿☘️

You mean the one who "may have unintentionally put out" her hand making "light contact" with the poor cyclist (on a shared pathway may I add) which pushed her onto the road into oncoming traffic? Yeah, not the same thing

Looks like a shared path. They exist! The case referred to above is as a shared path - for cyclists and pedestrians.

For me the key point is the speed. I think its more dangerous for everyone all round the cyclists being on the road. Wizzing past on a path is far different to someone slowing right down whilst people are walking also.

i cannot play the clip so have not seen the example. I think the nation needs to decide if we want to encourage cycling or not. We cannot go at this in a half hearted manner. If doesn’t work. So scrap the shared pavements, convert one lane of traffic into a properly segregated cycle path and make the road one way. Yes this could cause total chaos for traffic. Yes that could mean a massive round trip for cars, but we are either serious about green transport or not. The sheer amount of illiterate people that read the thread about the poor cyclist who died and said ‘she shouldn’t have been on the pavement’ shows how poorly the terrible cycle infrastructure we have is understood. It’s not working currently. Look at Amsterdam. Look at Paris. It is possible to remove motor vehicles from town and city streets. You just have to have local authorities who want to properly commit to green policies.

I might be being a bit dense but doesn't the signage (very speedy and hard to see between about 7:50 and 7:54) indicate it's a shared path? A crap shared path and one where everyone should be going slowly but I definitely saw signs pointing both in the direction you were walking and then when you span round after the bus went by, one facing the other way?

Terrible screenshot to illustrate follows: