'Rolls Royce' of cycle lane a hit with users in Hove (From The Argus)

It is fabulous - I had a go on it on Tuesday, even though I live in Brighton, and must say it is far superior to the Grand Avenue/The Drive one. Well done council. The junction with the Upper Drive is a masterpiece and the most nervous cyclist will feel perfectly safe crossing it, via the Toucan crossings. At the time of my visit (mid-afternoon) I counted just four or five cyclists using it, but there were also very few cars on the road.

Should have kept it on one side only, which would have made more sense.
There is now graffiti on the southern side telling cyclist's not to stop at the junctions, and as driver's need to see clearly they have to pull across the cycle lane.
The green cycle lights are confusing motorist's at the junction with the drive, and they start going forward on the green cycle light.
To be clear I am not against the cycle lanes, however the overall design is ridiculous and not practicable.

Hha..Just watched the video and proves the point about the design, you can see how the vehicles have to pull out into the cycle lane to get a clear view to enable to turn into the road. This is mainly down to the trees in the pavement, maybe the Green Party could cut them down.

pistachionut wrote:
Should have kept it on one side only, which would have made more sense.
There is now graffiti on the southern side telling cyclist's not to stop at the junctions, and as driver's need to see clearly they have to pull across the cycle lane.
The green cycle lights are confusing motorist's at the junction with the drive, and they start going forward on the green cycle light.
To be clear I am not against the cycle lanes, however the overall design is ridiculous and not practicable.

rubbish! its on both sides as most of the kids come from the south side of the road to the schools, and for east to west/ west to east adult users the north side is best.
Drivers do not need to pull across the cycle lane to see clearly - the stop lines are in exactly the same place as they were before the cycle lane came along - are you suggesting that before the cycle lane the drivers pulled 2 metres into the main road so they could see clearly? I thought not!
The green cycle lights are not confusing the motorists - or at least not the ones who are actually looking where they are going! At the sackville road junction when the turn right lights turn green I've often seen car drivers take that as the go sign and toodle straight over the lights. I think what you are saying is there are a selection of drivers who dont look where they are going generally!
Also regarding the junctions on the south side - the cyclists dont need to stop as the cycle lane is the true road and takes priority over the intersecting roads.
As with anything new it'll take time, but I think it's a really very good design

pistachionut wrote:
Hha..Just watched the video and proves the point about the design, you can see how the vehicles have to pull out into the cycle lane to get a clear view to enable to turn into the road. This is mainly down to the trees in the pavement, maybe the Green Party could cut them down.

the trees obscured the view before the lane was there...its nothing to do with the cycle lane.

As both a cyclist and motorist i would have rather the money had been spent on giving ALL road users a decent road surface to ride/drive upon....Brighton and Hove's roads are in a disgraceful condition and i continually get either shaken about over bumps and potholes when driving or punctures and sometimes damaged wheels when cycling. But, as our incumbent council are waging a war on motorists this is never going to happen...

graham_Seagull wrote:

pistachionut wrote:
Should have kept it on one side only, which would have made more sense.
There is now graffiti on the southern side telling cyclist's not to stop at the junctions, and as driver's need to see clearly they have to pull across the cycle lane.
The green cycle lights are confusing motorist's at the junction with the drive, and they start going forward on the green cycle light.
To be clear I am not against the cycle lanes, however the overall design is ridiculous and not practicable.

rubbish! its on both sides as most of the kids come from the south side of the road to the schools, and for east to west/ west to east adult users the north side is best.
Drivers do not need to pull across the cycle lane to see clearly - the stop lines are in exactly the same place as they were before the cycle lane came along - are you suggesting that before the cycle lane the drivers pulled 2 metres into the main road so they could see clearly? I thought not!
The green cycle lights are not confusing the motorists - or at least not the ones who are actually looking where they are going! At the sackville road junction when the turn right lights turn green I've often seen car drivers take that as the go sign and toodle straight over the lights. I think what you are saying is there are a selection of drivers who dont look where they are going generally!
Also regarding the junctions on the south side - the cyclists dont need to stop as the cycle lane is the true road and takes priority over the intersecting roads.
As with anything new it'll take time, but I think it's a really very good design

So the north side is used by adults and the south side by kids?.
With the new crossing by BHASVC and by Upper Drive surely all ages could use one cycle lane if it was on the North side, it could also be wider if that helps.
The taxi man quoted above says it's not practical,Counciloe Theobald has concerns regarding the expense and Peter Truman also has concerns.
It is not a good design, a simpilar and cheaper option would be to put it on the north side and make it wider if required.
The green lights are causing confusion, just like the set at Sackville Rd as you pointed out, so if there is a issue there with traffic lights, why would the designers not take this into consideration. Yes there is a selection of drivers who don't look where they are going, does this not go for cyclists or are they all law abiding.
The design is poor.

Well, as the video clearly shows, it's massively popular among cyclists. They are absolutely flocking there to use this vital cross-city route. How many did you spot? Give you a clue: less than two. Clearly a great use of £700,000.

As a road bike commuter travelling at very fast speeds, the lane isn't suitable for all the reasons reporter Peter Truman, another road bike user, states in his report above.
Peter, you have captured the problems facing commuting cyclists perfectly.
Good work.

From the video, not a "Rolls Royce" cycle path, but better than I was expecting. One pinch point with shared use is not too clever.

I particularly like the taxi drivers comments, he should have said in clarification that "None of our drivers have given it a favourable report"...nor anything else, ever!

However, cyclepaths do have to take into account the fast users. I have just returned from cycling in Oxford and some of the on-pavement cycle paths were unusable at a reasonable speed. I would have used the Old Shoreham Rd type of path though.

I came down there this afternoon in a vehicle, at approximately 16.00, lovely dry weather, albeit not particulaly warm, and not a single bike in sight!!
Sorry but waste of money

snaggybird051 wrote:
I came down there this afternoon in a vehicle, at approximately 16.00, lovely dry weather, albeit not particulaly warm, and not a single bike in sight!!
Sorry but waste of money

So I was going down the M1 in 1959. It was empty, no one on it. Waste of money I said!

The cycle lane is great as it has stopped the idiots steaming down the middle of the road at 50mph trying to overtake where it is too narrow. The traffic flows much better now. Should have been done years ago (and i'm not a cyclist).

Now that I have been able to see it i am even more convinced it should have been totally on the North side of the Old Shoreham Rd.If a vehicle is coming up one of the side streets to a give way sign it is then necessary for it to pull forward to look for oncoming traffic by which time a cyclist could be coming along and would have to stop.If the cycle path had been on the north side only they would have uninterupted cycling between Dyke Rd and the Upper Drive.It also wouldn't have needed to be so wide as the footpath on that side of the road could have been used instead and pedestrians could have been permitted on the south side only.KISS keep it simple stupid.

Painted lanes would have done, complete waste of time and money.

This project exemplifies the worst in the greens. Let's upset, stress out, rub up the majority in favour of pleasing. The greens got to power because brightonians have forgotten to take pride in their city and vote... They prey on the younger demographic whove moved into Brighton with little interest and pride in the fit itself, but are easy to grab a vote from. this city will be ruined, it's history, it's heritage its ambitious smart attitude. The greens having decamped here in our home town, have ripped the character heart from Brighton and replaced it with the scruffy, the unambitious, the feeders. A town of cyclists. Brightonians - dust off that mohair suit, slick back the hair - its mod time this is BRIGHTON! ps. gauranteed car crashes on old shoreham - there's no actual centre markings between vehicle lanes... what the!

Reporter Peter Truman might want to check whether it really is a '1.5km stretch from The Drive to Dyke Road'. He'll probably find the cycle lane is 750m on each side of the Old Shoreham Road.
Local knowledge and fact checking not what they were on the old Argus!?!

Why the obsession with putting cycle lanes on main roads? There are much quieter roads running parallel with the OSR. Putting the cycle lanes there would have been safer for the cyclists (less traffic), safer for pedestrians (less of them there, and few things to look out for), better for the motorist (they can keep their two lanes), and better for the city itself (visitors won't avoid it and its congested main arteries).

Sure, putting a cycle lane in a side street might annoy the people that live there, but that's a HECK of a lot fewer than the number of people inconvenienced by the current design.

tradebooker wrote:
This project exemplifies the worst in the greens. Let's upset, stress out, rub up the majority in favour of pleasing. The greens got to power because brightonians have forgotten to take pride in their city and vote... They prey on the younger demographic whove moved into Brighton with little interest and pride in the fit itself, but are easy to grab a vote from. this city will be ruined, it's history, it's heritage its ambitious smart attitude. The greens having decamped here in our home town, have ripped the character heart from Brighton and replaced it with the scruffy, the unambitious, the feeders. A town of cyclists. Brightonians - dust off that mohair suit, slick back the hair - its mod time this is BRIGHTON! ps. gauranteed car crashes on old shoreham - there's no actual centre markings between vehicle lanes... what the!

What you mean to say is that many people in Brighton and Hove are of independant thought and voted for a local progressive party and not for staid parties backed by big money and the media. The Green vote was brought about by hard work by local people over many years. I think daring to challenge the accepted norm is well within the tradition of B&H. You should look to why people did not vote in droves for the other lacklustre parties. You will not have to look far.

So what is your solution to the traffic problems of B&H? knock down a few houses to widen the roads? Yours first.

tradebooker wrote:
This project exemplifies the worst in the greens. Let's upset, stress out, rub up the majority in favour of pleasing. The greens got to power because brightonians have forgotten to take pride in their city and vote... They prey on the younger demographic whove moved into Brighton with little interest and pride in the fit itself, but are easy to grab a vote from. this city will be ruined, it's history, it's heritage its ambitious smart attitude. The greens having decamped here in our home town, have ripped the character heart from Brighton and replaced it with the scruffy, the unambitious, the feeders. A town of cyclists. Brightonians - dust off that mohair suit, slick back the hair - its mod time this is BRIGHTON! ps. gauranteed car crashes on old shoreham - there's no actual centre markings between vehicle lanes... what the!

You do talk rubbish! Who was in power when the far more poorly designed cycle lane was installed on The Drive, and at a cost of £1million I believe? Tories. So blaming a specific party for installing a cycle lane unpopular with motorists is non-sensical- your issue is with politicians whose views don't always fit your own.
And how is drumming up support/votes from any group 'preying' on them? Is David Cameron campaigning with Gary Barlow 'preying' on Take That fans? The Greens are in charge because they had more councillors elected than anyone else, get over it and stop being such a sore loser- that's democracy!

How have they ripped the heart out of Brighton? It only seems to be those who rabidly froth against greens who have noticed this apparent rapid decline in the city.

Lastly, what is wrong with a town of cyclists? It would be a healthier town that costs the local NHS less, with less congestion, less pollution, freer flowing roads which would benefit all those who need to use their vehicles- there are only positives to a 'town of cyclists'. We get it, you hate the Greens- but assuming you have genuine reasons, why on earth can't you, and all the other posters who become apoplectic at the sight of the word 'Green', attack them on actual facts instead of constant moaning about students voting them into power, and talking absolute tripe about what they are perceived to have done/not done?

P.s- hilarious that you consider all motorists to be so incompetent that without a dividing line on a 30mph road they will just drive into each other!

Would love to know why a cycle lane couldn't have just been painted on to Old Shoreham Road as it was and then use the rest of the budget to do the same on a lot more Brighton + Hove roads?

clearbluesky wrote:
Would love to know why a cycle lane couldn't have just been painted on to Old Shoreham Road as it was and then use the rest of the budget to do the same on a lot more Brighton + Hove roads?

Have you seen the 'cycle lanes' on Dyke Road? That's why. It would be a waste of paint.

Look at all that traffic choas in the top photo! There must be at least zero cars in that image.

Seriously, finally I'm glad that some cash has actually been spent on something I would use for once.

Exactly clearbluesky.

This is complete overkill for something that isn't quite the Rolls Royce of cycle lanes. I could have painted it myself over a few weeks, at night and avoiding 10 weeks of road closure.

PaulOckenden wrote:
Why the obsession with putting cycle lanes on main roads? There are much quieter roads running parallel with the OSR. Putting the cycle lanes there would have been safer for the cyclists (less traffic), safer for pedestrians (less of them there, and few things to look out for), better for the motorist (they can keep their two lanes), and better for the city itself (visitors won't avoid it and its congested main arteries).

Sure, putting a cycle lane in a side street might annoy the people that live there, but that's a HECK of a lot fewer than the number of people inconvenienced by the current design.

strangely enough as a cyclist I want to be able to go the most direct route to get to where I'm going!

tradebooker wrote:
This project exemplifies the worst in the greens. Let's upset, stress out, rub up the majority in favour of pleasing. The greens got to power because brightonians have forgotten to take pride in their city and vote... They prey on the younger demographic whove moved into Brighton with little interest and pride in the fit itself, but are easy to grab a vote from. this city will be ruined, it's history, it's heritage its ambitious smart attitude. The greens having decamped here in our home town, have ripped the character heart from Brighton and replaced it with the scruffy, the unambitious, the feeders. A town of cyclists. Brightonians - dust off that mohair suit, slick back the hair - its mod time this is BRIGHTON! ps. gauranteed car crashes on old shoreham - there's no actual centre markings between vehicle lanes... what the!

The Old Shoreham cycle lane process was started by the Tories in the last adminstration......

graham_Seagull wrote:

tradebooker wrote:
This project exemplifies the worst in the greens. Let's upset, stress out, rub up the majority in favour of pleasing. The greens got to power because brightonians have forgotten to take pride in their city and vote... They prey on the younger demographic whove moved into Brighton with little interest and pride in the fit itself, but are easy to grab a vote from. this city will be ruined, it's history, it's heritage its ambitious smart attitude. The greens having decamped here in our home town, have ripped the character heart from Brighton and replaced it with the scruffy, the unambitious, the feeders. A town of cyclists. Brightonians - dust off that mohair suit, slick back the hair - its mod time this is BRIGHTON! ps. gauranteed car crashes on old shoreham - there's no actual centre markings between vehicle lanes... what the!

The Old Shoreham cycle lane process was started by the Tories in the last adminstration......

Which may explain why they are no longer in power...

Bob_The_Ferret wrote:

graham_Seagull wrote:

tradebooker wrote:
This project exemplifies the worst in the greens. Let's upset, stress out, rub up the majority in favour of pleasing. The greens got to power because brightonians have forgotten to take pride in their city and vote... They prey on the younger demographic whove moved into Brighton with little interest and pride in the fit itself, but are easy to grab a vote from. this city will be ruined, it's history, it's heritage its ambitious smart attitude. The greens having decamped here in our home town, have ripped the character heart from Brighton and replaced it with the scruffy, the unambitious, the feeders. A town of cyclists. Brightonians - dust off that mohair suit, slick back the hair - its mod time this is BRIGHTON! ps. gauranteed car crashes on old shoreham - there's no actual centre markings between vehicle lanes... what the!

The Old Shoreham cycle lane process was started by the Tories in the last adminstration......

Which may explain why they are no longer in power...

So whats wrong with spending a little tiny bit of money on road users other than motorists?

What do you have against trying to get more cyclists out there to allow more room for you on the roads?
Please enlighten us.....

Fercri Sakes wrote:

clearbluesky wrote:
Would love to know why a cycle lane couldn't have just been painted on to Old Shoreham Road as it was and then use the rest of the budget to do the same on a lot more Brighton + Hove roads?

Have you seen the 'cycle lanes' on Dyke Road? That's why. It would be a waste of paint.

I put it to you Fercri Sakes that a city wide network of 'just ok' cycle lanes painted on the roads that all link up and allow cyclists to travel safe and sensible routes to their destination would create greater benefit than a sporadic smattering of expensive 'Rolls Royce' cycle lanes? Surely the former would be a more effective way to spend money than the latter?

clearbluesky wrote:

Fercri Sakes wrote:

clearbluesky wrote:
Would love to know why a cycle lane couldn't have just been painted on to Old Shoreham Road as it was and then use the rest of the budget to do the same on a lot more Brighton + Hove roads?

Have you seen the 'cycle lanes' on Dyke Road? That's why. It would be a waste of paint.

I put it to you Fercri Sakes that a city wide network of 'just ok' cycle lanes painted on the roads that all link up and allow cyclists to travel safe and sensible routes to their destination would create greater benefit than a sporadic smattering of expensive 'Rolls Royce' cycle lanes? Surely the former would be a more effective way to spend money than the latter?

nice thought, but take a look at the cycle lanes which are 'advisory only'. Everyone parks in them and they are absolutely useless for cyclists. So 'just OK' would have to be more than white lines.

graham_Seagull wrote:

Bob_The_Ferret wrote:

graham_Seagull wrote:

tradebooker wrote:
This project exemplifies the worst in the greens. Let's upset, stress out, rub up the majority in favour of pleasing. The greens got to power because brightonians have forgotten to take pride in their city and vote... They prey on the younger demographic whove moved into Brighton with little interest and pride in the fit itself, but are easy to grab a vote from. this city will be ruined, it's history, it's heritage its ambitious smart attitude. The greens having decamped here in our home town, have ripped the character heart from Brighton and replaced it with the scruffy, the unambitious, the feeders. A town of cyclists. Brightonians - dust off that mohair suit, slick back the hair - its mod time this is BRIGHTON! ps. gauranteed car crashes on old shoreham - there's no actual centre markings between vehicle lanes... what the!

The Old Shoreham cycle lane process was started by the Tories in the last adminstration......

Which may explain why they are no longer in power...

So whats wrong with spending a little tiny bit of money on road users other than motorists?

What do you have against trying to get more cyclists out there to allow more room for you on the roads?
Please enlighten us.....

Please enlighten us as to why you think it is such a "TINY" bit of money are you a eccentric millionaire that designs cycle lanes?.

would be interested to know how many cyclists are actually using this lane - cycled along dyke road on way to town and back a few times recently and only seen one cyclist ?? i do believe this is a waste of money, even as a cyclist, our infrastructure just hasn't been designed to incorporate these lanes - it will just make drivers more annoyed as in this instance half of old shoreham road (between the drive/dyke road) has been taken away, thus slowing traffic down as it is now ALL in one lane ??