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Birmingham adds 'cyclists dismount' lanes

Cyclists a little nonplussed

When is a bike lane not a bike lane? When it’s a 15m long ‘cyclists dismount’ warning, apparently. Birmingham’s got paint and it’s not afraid to use it.

The Birmingham Mail reports that a new not-a-bike-lane in the city centre has left local cyclists puzzled.

Here it is in all its glory.

 

 

Two such lanes have appeared on Corporation Street, at the junctions with Cherry Street and Bull Street.

Pictures on the Birmingham Mail site make it look rather like they’re designed to encourage people into Poundland, but a spokesman for the city council explained that the work was intended to warn cyclists away from the tram tracks.

“This is not a cycle lane. This marked area is just the advance warning to a point where cyclists will be asked to leave the carriageway and dismount. This is because part of Corporation Street is not suitable for cycling, as the new tram platforms will encroach fully into the gap between the kerb line and the tram track. We do not want cyclists trying to cross the tram tracks at a shallow angle, getting caught in the rails and falling off their bikes.”

Tram tracks have caused issues for cyclists in many cities around the UK. Last month, one Nottingham resident even saw fit to spray the words “unsafe bike lane” onto the asphalt to highlight what many in the area believe to be an unsafe stretch of road. At least one cyclist has been hit by a car there having got his wheel caught in tramlines.

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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12 comments

Avatar
Christopher TR1 | 8 years ago
2 likes

Cyclists dismount? WTF?! I thought it was fashionable to encourage cycling in these enlightened days. Cycling being riding the bike, rather than walking along pushing it!!

Avatar
muppetkeeper | 8 years ago
5 likes

Only 15m long and still an idiot in a white van parked in it...

 

Avatar
TomHammersley | 8 years ago
0 likes

If it's not pointing you into poundland, if I remember right the road to the left there is a narrow, tight street chockablock with pedestrians, and stalls eructing up from the pavement like bushes of tat.

Not really a direction to make emphatic progress.

Avatar
mrmo | 8 years ago
1 like

why trams? Go to Geneva and yes there are trams but there are also trolley buses that don't need the tracks and still run on electricity so no local pollution.

Avatar
Bob's Bikes replied to mrmo | 8 years ago
4 likes
mrmo wrote:

why trams? Go to Geneva and yes there are trams but there are also trolley buses that don't need the tracks and still run on electricity so no local pollution.

Because trolley buses rely on a driver being able to STEER the thing in straight lines and round corners, which sadly appears to be far too difficult for the average driver.

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harrybav | 8 years ago
0 likes

How come everywhere is suddenly getting trams?

Avatar
kil0ran replied to harrybav | 8 years ago
5 likes
vbvb wrote:

How come everywhere is suddenly getting trams?

 

Because our town planners love the integrated European approach to mass city transport like they have in Copenhagen and Amsterdam 

Avatar
sanderville replied to harrybav | 8 years ago
1 like
vbvb wrote:

How come everywhere is suddenly getting trams?

Kickbacks.  Lucrative kickbacks.

Avatar
earth replied to harrybav | 8 years ago
2 likes
vbvb wrote:

How come everywhere is suddenly getting trams?

 

Because instead of nurturing a vision of how we want our nation to be, commiting to it and making it a reality, we just dither about with pots of paint in an attempt to ape other countries.

Avatar
fukawitribe replied to earth | 8 years ago
0 likes
earth wrote:
vbvb wrote:

How come everywhere is suddenly getting trams?

 

Because instead of nurturing a vision of how we want our nation to be, commiting to it and making it a reality, we just dither about with pots of paint in an attempt to ape other countries.

Trams are made of paint ? Who knew...

Avatar
wycombewheeler | 8 years ago
4 likes

If you do not want cyclists getting stuck in the tram tracks, use the purpose designed gap filler product, or run the cycle lane round the back of the tram stop.

Since cyclists dismount signs are so over used they are ignored a seperate warning about the tram tracks would be more useful.

Avatar
bikebot replied to wycombewheeler | 8 years ago
4 likes
wycombewheeler wrote:

...or run the cycle lane round the back of the tram stop.

I'm sure they've considered that, but were left with no option due to narrow pavements

//pbs.twimg.com/media/CgZOfNPWQAAXpY3.jpg)

Hmm...  OK, so maybe they're just trying to force people into Poundland.

 

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