Should park paths have clearer lanes for pedestrians and cyclists?

[tartanhaggis7]

Having recently recovered from a bad cycling accident! i have been mainly using the parks in glasgow for my exerecise . The number of people who walk in the MIDDLE of the path oblivious to cycles either because their on their phone/ cahatting or wired to the MOON amazes me! TWICE in the last week i have rung my bell totally ignored reduced my speed then get a look of anger from person's when passing , why can't council's paint a BIG line down path pedestrians cyclist's or any contraption faster than walking they do abroad and it works!!!! 😎

It doesn't work. Shared paths are always a disaster. You just have to slow down and give a wide berth.

waste of time we have a very clearly marked shared use
between off lead out of control dogs
kids running wild in the path of bikes the parents don’t bother and school mums walking 3 abreast with prams taking the entire path there unusable

Shared spaces can work in theory but rarely in practice. As someone with hearing loss for high pitched sounds I cant hear a normal bicycle bell. My husband with good hearing doesnt always hear them either. I really wish they were made loader and in a range of pitches. When i cycled I would be forced to shout a warning (as cheerfully as I could!)

It's frustrating for everyone.

You just have to cycle really slowly I'm afraid. Pedestrians have priority on shared paths regardless of any painted lines.

Between phone zombies, off lead dogs, small children zooming around and so on its just a hazard.

Even as a runner I find shared paths annoying. I actually wish I had a bell sometimes 😂

Shared paths are just that - shared. Lanes etc don't work. Faster people, whether cyclists or joggers etc just have to accept they may need to slow down and give other people more space and be ready for the unexpected. Shared paths aren't race tracks! A cyclist has no more right than a pedestrian.

If it’s not a shared use path you may not even be allowed to cycle and if you can pedestrians have right of way. Cyclists shouldn’t really be able to be on walk ways, it’s not safe. I can’t really hear bells due to my lack of hearing at certain pitches

Not enough cyclists go on paths to make it worthwhile in any place I've lived (talking cycle paths on roads, or in parks/down greens etc). A lot of people would like to cycle more, but can't, due to childcare/disabilities etc-it's rare to see more than one a day on any of them, but there's lots of pedestrians. Doubt signage would change anything.

I agree shared paths don't work well, even when clearly marked. There's a very wide, split footpath/cycle path near where I live with a massive white line down the middle and big signs and road markings showing who is supposed to go where, but pedestrians, dog walkers and joggers still use the cycle lane. It's horribly dangerous for everybody but I have to use it, as where I live it's mandatory for bikes to use designated cycle paths if they are there.

I should also add that in the polluted European city where I live, studies have just been done which show that recent investment in safe, designated cycling infrastructure - like separate bike paths - has increased cycle traffic from 1% to 10% of road users.

I've often thought that there's a gap in the market for a wrist-mounted bike-style bell to help get the attention of dozy pedestrians who have yet to discover that there's other people on the planet as they slowly drift around obliviously in their own little bubbles. It probably still wouldn't work for those who use extension leads as whole-path trip wires though. Really it would just save me the effort of trying to shout when out of breath from running.

I know a park with a clear dividing pedestrian/ bike line, but the kind of people that pay no attention to their surroundings obviously don't pay attention to lines and signage either.

what about a mini cattle prod ( low voltage ) would get their attention and think why have i just been prodded!! 🤔😎

🤔 What would happen if you did'nt use the cycle lane??,,

well in glasgow they have a cycle counter in glasgow green and every year since the introduction cycle numbers have increased as a result alot of 💵 has been spent on new cycle lanes ( hopefully they will then introduce a car free city centre also rental cycles have increased!!!!

As a deaf person I don't hear bike bells. Not dozy. Deaf.
Have a bit more consideration for people who can't hear you.

Does your deafness prevent you seeing the lane markings? Interesting, I will have to remember that next time I am forced to stop by a group who've spread across both pedestrian and cycle lanes and don't see me coming towards them because they are paying no attention to the path in front of them. Especially the group of mums who are so busy chatting that they don't notice their kids on scooters nearly knocking me into the 50mph road.

Cyclists just have to accept that pedestrians are unwilling to share even when there is clear signage, OP. It will save you a lot of frustration in the long run.

I'm refering to people not paying attention to their surroundings, not people with disabilities. I've tended to find that people with sensory difficulties pay more attention to their surroundings than average because they're not complacent about what's happening around them.

I have auditory difficulties myself, therefore I frequently check over my shoulder incase I've missed something before I do something like changing direction. I don't really want to stray into the path of an electric scooter or bike approaching from behind while I'm dodging a dog or passing an inseperable couple that can't possibly change formation in their romantic little bubble down the centre of the path. I don't trust my hearing, so I put more effort into looking around me to compensate.

I hadn't said anything against deaf/ Deaf people or other disabilities.

I used to cycle with a cow bell on my bike for this very reason.

I'mdeaf too and I agree. Amazing how, on a bike, they have the ability to tell who is dozy/selfish vs who is deaf just by looking. Quite the skill.

I might be generally more aware of my surroundings as a deaf person, doesn't mean I've grown eyes in the back of my head. Exactly how am I to guess when a random bike is next going to hurtle towards me at speed when I have the sheer audacity to look in the direction I am going? Which is exactly what happens on the single track pathway in a park I use to walk my dogs now it has become "shared". It's not even going anywhere, just a small park where I could relax and not worry about being run over. That small joy is now gone.

Shared pathways don't work but there's only one party who could end up seriously injured on them. Maybe have a bit more patience. Or use the road.

And maybe don't throw insults at people just because they happen to, God forbid, dare to be in your way, it just makes you sound like an awful person.