Kicking the day off with some crazy images from Wokingham Borough Council’s head-scratching experiment of painting “leaf patterns” on the road to “encourage drivers to move slowly and make the area better for pedestrians” has got cyclists, motorists and pedestrians — well, pretty much everyone tied in knots.
First of all, cyclists raised concerns about the swathes of paint on the California Crossroads in Finchampstead, part of a series of improvements to the village centre being a big no-no for cycling safety in the rain. Dan Swain commented on Facebook: “Ooh lots of white paint in the road. Lethal for those on two wheels in the rain.”
According to the council, “the leaf pattern is part of the design to slow traffic and make it clear to drivers that they are approaching an area where they don’t have priority,”. And well, some motorists haven’t taken to this well…
One person wrote: “I’m a professional driver and I can’t believe this.. The most important thing on any road is clear instructions more so when children are in the vicinity.. Stop trying to reinvent the wheel and put safety first every time.”
But the loads of (more than 600, to be precise) comments on the council’s Facebook and Twitter posts makes us believe that the early arrival of autumn wasn’t taken to very well by a lot of people.
And there were some people who raised genuine concerns for pedestrians, especially children — with two schools in the neighbourhood near this quirky paintjob. Maybe it’s time for a comments roundup?
“Any reason why we’re part of an experiment, why not use a Zebra crossing, you know the one that’s in the Highway Code ? I looked up leaves but nothing in the Highway Code about leaves on the road!”
“Looks like a playground!! So deadly for children who are going to think they can play in the road.”
“Dangerous for those with visual impairment, and for children who might think this is a new playground game. Did you consult Guide Dogs for the Blind, for example, to see if they are training their guide dogs to navigate random pretty patterns and know this is where their partner crosses?”
“This is bizarre to say the least. Drivers should be focusing on the road and potential hazards not being confused and distracted by leaves painted onto the surface. It should be painted as a normal roundabout that people are familiar with and know how to deal with when approaching. This is plain daft and I can’t believe highways approved such a scheme.”
“Who the heck signed this off? This is an accident waiting to happen with pedestrians particularly children put in needless danger, looks like a children's playground not a busy [when there is traffic on it] set of main roads.
“It must be changed back to the markings as in the highway code and road traffic rules before anything horrible happens.
“Also this is close to two schools -- were they consulted Wokingham Borough Council over these changes, what do the schoolkids think and their parents/guardians and also the teachers of the schools as well, of the changes and the leaf designs and colourful dot to dots etc.
“Please let us not read of kids or adults with visual limitations or the elderly or anyone else being seriously injured or killed because of these fancy leaf and other designs that no one seems to understand.
“What will it take to get it changed to something sensible? How many people have to be injured or worse?”
Interesting.
Some, however, found reasoning in the council’s decision to paint the road with leaves. One person replied on Twitter, saying: “People here totally missing the point - it's not meant to look like a normal roundabout or road, it's meant to look like an area that's also used for other purposes, including pedestrians. It certainly makes you think carefully before driving into it.”
Another person noted that the road safety audit status is available on the council’s project page, and that it “looks fab”, before adding: “As with any new layout it will take a little time and extra care and attention until it becomes familiar.”
Which reminds me, if anyone else is wondering how the junction used to look before:
After all the attention (something something no press is negative press), Wokingham Borough Council said: “There is clearly a lot of interest in this new junction design. The scheme has gone through an independent road safety audit stage one and two, in line with the Department for Transport standards, prior to work commencing. There will be a further independent road safety audit (stage three) when the work is fully complete. This is standard practice for any new system delivered on the public.
“We would ask that all drivers, cyclist and pedestrians take extra care while everyone gets used to the new layout. The ‘hierarchy of road users’ places those road users most at risk at the top of the hierarchy.”
“On the junction, drivers should give way to pedestrians, as per the Highway Code, but we would also ask pedestrians to be sensible and wait for a break in traffic or for vehicles to stop before crossing.”
What do you all think about this? Will the painted leaves help improve road safety or is it going to distract or confuse drivers and add more risk for pedestrians and cyclists?
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37 comments
When did the Worlds get moved to November?
That's me out of pocket as I thought they were next week...
Singletrack had some of the Problem Solver's P nuts, to tighten tubeless valves and remove them trailside, in their FGF. So I had to have a look at what else they might have though of. Some may be interested in this
https://www.ison-distribution.com/english/product.php?part=PDWIDS
I'd fancy something more aggressive, if I rode SPDs, my Saint's are still incredibly scratchy.
You have to be a right sweaty betty to corrode an aluminium stem to that level. It doesn't appear to be cracked though, that's just the paint peeling off due to the corrosion
It looks dented to me, in the centre at the top, at the end of the long crack.
Shock, horror - a sympathetic article in the Mail about poor cycling infrastructure. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13868295/town-brthplace-bike-da...
But don't worry - the comments are as you'd expect.
That Tegan Phillips reminds me of Alice Roberts the archaeologist…
Struggling for news content? Only taken two weeks to report on these overgrown hedges, I hope shes still not stuck on the pavement waiting for them to pass.
https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/24596808.bucklesham-overgrown-paths-means-sc...
Come now, granted it's Friday afternoon but still, standards...
I feel for Yanina Kusova, a talented young rider who was very much carrying that team by herself. Hopefully a better funded Continental or development squad will sign her, to finish alone at the Tour and with a reasonable GC ranking is no mean feat. Shame on the Uzbek federation. I wouldn't blame her for withdrawing from the Worlds based on her treatment.
Wouldn't use that "cycle lane" anyway, so no loss.
I knew they were tall in that there Dutchland, but I didn't realise this was why.
Natural selection - there's pressure on pedestrians to have longer legs to cross the deadly cycle paths more quickly (or just be large enough to scare off cyclists)...
Given some of the shit bike mechanicery out there, it's a bit rich that they (deliberate sweeping generalisation) think they can criticise anyone.
Is there an equivalent "shit jobs by bike 'mechanics' " on soshul meeja?
You can find it by following #halfords
Quite, My last trip to the LBS my bike came back with bits missing and a nonsense of a re-cabling job, and they charged me double what they quoted up front for it.
I do my own bike repairs thesedays.
On repair cafe jobs, I see instances of bikes left out in the rain or almost barn finds and bikes where some bodger has tried and failed at a repair : the gear cable hooked-up backwards, V-brakes with a return spring missing or an adjuster missing, the 8s gear selector that seemingly cannot ever have worked, the seized, gunged-up front derailleur, a chain so rusted and seized I had to cut it off in sections, the open-ended stays that dribbled out water when I up-end the bike. All that said, a lot of superficially sad components do come back to life with some GT-85 or oil on them. I'm close to figuring out how to centre V brakes.
You can pop the spring out and add tension with a little bit of bending.
World Car Free Day: 200 London streets to close - BBC News
Right - everyone get down (& bingo cards at the ready). Incomiiiiiiiiiiiing!!
Shock horror, the comments are open on the article..
Yep - shameless clickbait photo used in the article too.
I do find the comments entertaining though, especially the ones calling for a "world bike free day". Sure I'm up for that. The coronaries given to frothing drivers due to the increased congestion when we all jump in cars instead will be worth the "getting held up" alone.
The comments are almost parody like, as if non-motorists have got in first and put exactly what they expect the typical commentators to put.
Favourite comment ( out of many) - '' London is finished ''.
KHAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNN!!!!
Have a look at the the thumbs up/down on the comments, though - generally more encouraging.
I'm in a mildly anarchic mood, so this looks like it could be some fun
As is usually the case they are missing the point. "Looks like a playground" - yes, there are lots of kids in the area, it is near two primary schools, so slow down and pay attention!
per the BBC article "Andrew Rock, a driving instructor from the area, told BBC Radio Berkshire he would be getting his students to "approach with caution" and believed the crossing was "potentially dangerous"." Yes you understand!
I like the look of it.
It's interesting (as a pattern).
Proof in the pudding (maybe they only have a hundred "careful, competent, law-abiding" drivers slowly pass through an hour?
But... without already having "tamed the car" (I'm not seeing that they have) it's just a new riff on the "shared space" concept (e.g. here, UK article here).
Lots of attempts have shown that this at best just becomes "car space" at levels of above a handful of motor vehicles. And below that level it's not really needed (just have a cycle street!). Shared space is a failure from the perspective of vulnerable road users at least.
No amount of paint hides the fact that it's still a giant sea of hard tarmac under it - apparently multi-lane! Is "the road we have, but with more paint" what the cyclists, shoppers and schoolkids etc. asked for on the form?
So did Wokingham suddenly discover a lock-up full of white paint at near its expiry date?
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