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Video: Cyclist times himself on new Bristol cycle path - and finds it's WAY quicker sticking to the road

Shared use paths and waiting at crossings meant it was two and a half times faster mixing it with the traffic

A Bristol cyclist is less than impressed with new “segregated” cycling infrastructure put in place in the city – after ‘racing’ against himself on it and comparing his time with how long it took him on the road.

It took Toby Wells, an engineer, two and a half times longer to get from Bath Bridge to Temple Way using Bristol City Council’s new Temple Gate cycle route than it did sticking to the road – clocking in respectively at 6 minutes 14 seconds and 2 minutes 24 seconds.

He posted speeded-up split-screen footage of the rides to Twitter. The two rides are level-pegging for the first 90 seconds or so – then, riding on the road, Wells catches a green wave of traffic lights across from the Peugeot dealership opposite Bristol Temple Meads railway station.

It’s a very different story, though on the cycle path – a mixture of space shared with pedestrians (as well as trees, road signs and lamp posts) and short sections of segregated infrastructure, one part of which is still under construction, although it would have made little difference to the final result.

Where the time was lost was waiting for the pedestrian and cyclist crossing lights to change to green at the two of the three major junctions Wells had to cross – around a minute and a half in each instance, and frustratingly on each of those he had to wait at the island in the middle due to the crossings not being synchronised.

Wells wrote: “Notice that on the road, once you get going it's green all the way through. The lights are synchronised to and adjusted by the flow of cars.

“For the ped/cycle crossings it's the opposite – either they are never green until button push (i.e. stop EVERY time), or they are specifically phased so you have to cross one junction in 2 goes, every time. Right of the vid is my no. of button pushes, and I was lucky at some!

“Also the sheer number of transitions between sharing/segregated is ridiculous. It's confusing and dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists,” he added, saying it “will undoubtedly lead to conflict.”

One person commenting on the video wrote: “Such a shame the opportunity to make this a cycle friendly road section has been missed.”

Another said: “It's designed by engineers who still think cycling is a hobby not a means of transport. This needs changing.”

One of the problems with infrastructure such as this is that experienced cyclists will continue to ride on the road – as of course they are allowed to by law – but the time taken to negotiate the junction using the cycle path, and the potential for conflict that Wells highlights, will do little to encourage less confident cyclists or people considering riding a bike for the first time, the exact groups such facilities should be targeting.

As a result, it leaves no-one satisfied, as this Twitter user highlighted: “Cyclists lose because they get crap infrastructure. Drivers lose because all they can see is roadway changed to cycle lanes that nobody uses. Pedestrians lose because they are sharing with cyclists. Everybody loses because the planners set each group against each other.”

The final word, though, goes to this reply: “Ridiculous. I showed a Dutch friend and he fell off his chair with laughter.”

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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23 comments

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Gary's bike channel | 4 years ago
2 likes

the problem is that most drivers have never even tried to cycle, so when they see is pedalling along in the road beside that hateful shared path siugn they get ragey. Mostly thats because they're retarded. But even some quite smart decent people i know still tell me they hate cyclists who dont use cycle paths. It is funny, in parkstone, theres a cycle lane and ped walking zone, but the council guy painted a cycle lane THROUGH and up over the tree. Im not making that up. Ive got it on this pc somewhere, video of it. I always said, if you drove a car and found someone had planted giant redwoods smack bang in the middle, and elderly ladies and children were wandering about willy nilly in the road, would you still feel comfortable going at 30 mph or even faster? Because i certainly dont. Even on our newest one, duneats road its called, yes school kids can now cycle up the pavement to school, but still i dont feel safe at even ten mph on it, let alone 30 like id be doing on that road. The junctions are give way ones, so any cars turning in or coming out HAVE to stop and give way to cyclists, but they dont, they just pull out. I think i might apply to be a councillor, seriously. I could make bike lanes that work for everyone. 

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ktache | 4 years ago
3 likes

Going to repost this, Just have to add Cyclists to the Pedestrians bit.

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ktache | 4 years ago
3 likes

Thing is, if a cycle route/shared path offers an advantage to me I will use it.

If they were to build motorways like they build cycle routes, so few would ever drive on them.

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hawkinspeter replied to ktache | 4 years ago
2 likes
ktache wrote:

Thing is, if a cycle route/shared path offers an advantage to me I will use it.

If they were to build motorways like they build cycle routes, so few would ever drive on them.

...lots of side roads and not having priority at any of them.

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brooksby replied to hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
4 likes
hawkinspeter wrote:
ktache wrote:

Thing is, if a cycle route/shared path offers an advantage to me I will use it.

If they were to build motorways like they build cycle routes, so few would ever drive on them.

...lots of side roads and not having priority at any of them.

Exactly.

On the cycle path, you have no actual priority over any side road or driveway entrance.  You have to slow right down just in case someone's coming out, because all of their attention is on the 'real' road and not on the cycleway.

On the road, you have a definite and presumed priority so anyone wanting to come out will wait before they come out into the roadway.

I tried to explain it to my wife, saying that 'imagine if you had to drive along this road but wait at every side road or driveway in case someone was coming out - you'd hate it, wouldn't you?'

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
3 likes
hawkinspeter wrote:
ktache wrote:

Thing is, if a cycle route/shared path offers an advantage to me I will use it.

If they were to build motorways like they build cycle routes, so few would ever drive on them.

...lots of side roads and not having priority at any of them.

Also:-

Being bumpy as fuck as what is good for foot traffic is as good for wheels.

Having trees, poles and other street furniture planted anywhere.

Pedestrians walking everywhere oblivious of any seperating lines etc. 

Bushes and Trees left to grow over the sides of the motorway and no road sweeping or maintanance carried out at all.

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ktache | 4 years ago
0 likes

Cheers David, there are a lot of deleted comments on that piece.

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Gary's bike channel | 4 years ago
3 likes

https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/16610340.watch-silly-cycle-lanes-captured-on-camera-as-cyclists-calls-for-better-system/         seems its just as badly planned and money wasting in other counties as it is down here.  I got beeped at and told off by a bus driver for not using it, quote'' the council spent millions on this and you dont use it, you dont even pay tax!''    the irony being, i do... probably more than him. The fact i had also just filtered past 600 cars in a traffic jam, easing the road congestion to keep his route on time, seemed to elude him. 

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Rik Mayals unde... | 4 years ago
2 likes

If you want shite, come to Lancashire. LCC are currently putting the finishing touches to a cross borough link road at Walton Park. I say putting the finishing touches, their take on a cycle path is always the same. Change the use of a footpath. Here, they are putting an extra couple of feet onto the footpath. It goes from the new bridge on one side of the road, and a little further on, it stops then continues on the other side of the road. So a cyclist must stop, cross the road then continue on their journey. Oh, I almost forgot, the new feature also comes with LCCs favourite addition to cyclepaths, lamposts in the middle! Although they do helpfully paint a little white line around the lamposts. Then the cyclists won't use it as it's quicker, and better to use the road, then the motorists will shout at the cyclists who don't use the path to get on the shite cyclepath. 

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Posh | 4 years ago
4 likes

Similar issues when leaving Guildford on the A 281 towards Shalford (approx 1.5 miles).  To move from the road to the shared cycle/pedestrian lane on the opposite side of the road requires the use of a pedestrian crossing.  From pressing the crosssing button it takes longer for the lights to change from red to green "walking man" than it takes to ride to Shalford.  Motorists on the main road are given prolonged priority over cyclists/pedestrians.................When will councils ever learn?

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brooksby | 4 years ago
8 likes

The comments stand for most if not all shared-space type infrastructure, and is the core of my complaints to my wife when she grumbles about why cyclists are on the road instead of "the cycle path" on my commute route.

It is often way more convenient to stay on the road (if your nerves are up to it) because then you don't have to slow right down for Every.   Single.    Side-road.    that's been laid out to make it easy for cars to go into and out of at speed.

And have to keep an eye out at Every.     Single.     High-wall-surrounded.    Driveway    (which the owner of will come out onto the cycle path in order that they can see onto the road, without considering whether there might be someone coming along the cyclepath that they have to cross to get onto the road).

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Municipal Waste | 4 years ago
11 likes

What this says is, "We have an obligation to install cycle paths, but we don't want to upset the voters/motorists/deniers so it mustn't impede the flow of cars."

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HarrogateSpa | 4 years ago
2 likes

As per a lot of dutch infra, increases the conflict points massively, people keep ignoring the fact that nearly a third of all Dutch cyclist deaths are at exactly the same conflict points as shown here and on much less dense traffic motor roads.

I've used Dutch cycle infra in Utrecht, and it's brilliant. What's more, 30-odd% of journeys are by bike there, compared with 2% here. They're getting it right and we're getting it wrong. It's totally wrong and counter-productive to criticise the Dutch.

If the solution is for us all to ride on the roads - most people just won't do it. Families with kids won't do it. You've got to give them segregated routes that are safe AND convenient.

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Rick_Rude | 4 years ago
3 likes

Does he not know that speeded up footage must use a Yakety Sax soundtrack?!?

I can't take his complaints seriously until he reedits the video.

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Organon | 4 years ago
3 likes

I am pretty tired of all the 'dutch' routes popping up in Manchester. In other words around the back of a bus stop. These routes do seemed aimed at forcing cyclist off the road and into pedestrian space and hoping there will be no conflict with pedestrians (which there is.) Every junction means giving way to traffic or risk getting left-hooked, that a good bike lane on the road doesn't do or shouldn't do anyway. I have had a bus tailgating me in the rain and when I called him out at the next lights he just lazily pointed at the adjacent mixed use bike lane that I wasn't using because it was dark, wet and full of people. We can do better right Sir Chris?

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CyclingInBeastMode | 4 years ago
2 likes

As per a lot of dutch infra, increases the conflict points massively, people keep ignoring the fact that nearly a third of all Dutch cyclist deaths are at exactly the same conflict points as shown here and on much less dense traffic motor roads.

This is why segregated infra in this country except piddle away a lot of money whilst slowing people on bikes down and pose more of a threat of harm, thus younger kids/older folk plus families won't use it for short journeys as it's safer/easier and quicker by car, for someone even going at a moderate pace this infra is just hateful.

be careful what you wish for!

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Gary's bike channel | 4 years ago
4 likes

i did something similar in bournemouth, our council spent millions sticking nice pictures of pedestrian and cycle symbols on a pavement, and a few traffic lights. Takes 45 seconds by road on bicycle at 25 mph average, or 4 minutes using the pavement/ shared path.  I can actually cycle faster down this road than people can drive it. If you use the shared path, youre going to end up killing a pedestrian. 30 mph bicycle versus 2 mph elderly person... hmmm. Brilliant planning, that is. Totally worth millions:/    i hate that bloody shared path sign.   

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srchar | 4 years ago
8 likes

I'm well-used to subpar cycling infrastructure, but even I'm genuinely gobsmacked that this is the standard of new cycling infrastructure in 2019.

It's beyond shit.

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hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
2 likes

Yeah, the whole area outside of Temple Meads station is a complete mess for pedestrians/cyclists. I usually go through there from west to east (the video is going from south to north) so I miss out the worst bits, but if you want to get somewhere quickly (in Bristol), then stick to the roads.

I think we should bring back the rickety fly-over.

 

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
1 like
hawkinspeter wrote:

Yeah, the whole area outside of Temple Meads station is a complete mess for pedestrians/cyclists. I usually go through there from west to east (the video is going from south to north) so I miss out the worst bits, but if you want to get somewhere quickly (in Bristol), then stick to the roads.

I think we should bring back the rickety fly-over.

Not the only place with one of these. Being on the top deck of a doubledecker was the closet we came to a roller coaster ride in Birmingham.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU8grYDQxa0

 

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hawkinspeter replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 4 years ago
1 like
AlsoSomniloquism wrote:
hawkinspeter wrote:

Yeah, the whole area outside of Temple Meads station is a complete mess for pedestrians/cyclists. I usually go through there from west to east (the video is going from south to north) so I miss out the worst bits, but if you want to get somewhere quickly (in Bristol), then stick to the roads.

I think we should bring back the rickety fly-over.

Not the only place with one of these. Being on the top deck of a doubledecker was the closet we came to a roller coaster ride in Birmingham.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU8grYDQxa0

Noice!

Here's some shaky video of the Temple Gate flyover - a "temporary" structure that lasted 30 years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT9ENXLQoPs

I remember being given a lift by a mate on the back of a CBR900RR (aka Fireblade) over it once, but he wasn't really gunning it (just as well - it's an insane bike).

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Dicklexic replied to hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
4 likes
hawkinspeter wrote:

 

I think we should bring back the rickety fly-over.

 

 

In all seriousness that would probably be the best option, but make the elevated structure the cycle lane. Works well in lots of other places and also looks ace!

 

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quiff | 4 years ago
0 likes

I'm not sure that speed (rather than safety) is or should be the main aim of segregated infra, but that is a bit ridiculous. There is some recently added segregated infra at a junction on my commute which makes the journey through that junction noticeably slower for me (what was a roundabout is now potentially up to 4 stops at segregated traffic lights), but it is at least a well worked scheme which seems to have encouraged more users, and I use it on principle. This scheme just looks crap.

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