Should all bus lanes be full-time?

[Bletchleyite]

If there is a risk from doors, that is not a place anyone should cycle!

Best not cycle on any urban road, then!

 

[ashkeba]

Best not cycle on any urban road, then!

I do, but I do not cycle in the door swing.

 

[edwin_m]

If there is a risk from doors, that is not a place anyone should cycle!

Deliveries OK in general, but why punish bus riders and cyclists to enable people to save money on car parking? As is often said, I may not store other private property blocking part of the road and have to get permits to park skips during construction work, so why do cars get special permission to narrow roads?

That particular genie was let out of its lamp 50+ years ago. You may be able to get residents of new developments to agree not to park a car but applying it to existing ones is another matter.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

One option for this, where there's room, is to create loading-only bays inside of the bus lane. In very busy bus lanes I'd similarly like to see "taxi stops" - there are quite a few areas of London where this would be sensible. They could serve both purposes in some places.

Absolutely - if that’s achievable then that’s the best compromise

 

[ashkeba]

That particular genie was let out of its lamp 50+ years ago. You may be able to get residents of new developments to agree not to park a car but applying it to existing ones is another matter.

How long must we suffer the mistakes of the 1960s and before? This seems like saying that no rail route closed by Beeching must ever reopen and no bus route lost during National Bus Company formation can ever run again.

 

[Bletchleyite]

How long must we suffer the mistakes of the 1960s and before? This seems like saying that no rail route closed by Beeching must ever reopen and no bus route lost during National Bus Company formation can ever run again.

There are ways to improve the situation, such as by marking out herringbone style parking bays on one side and double yellows with no-loading kerb markings on the other, and having it one-way. Having the side where parking is change sides half-way along would also provide some "natural traffic calming". That way you can be sure not to have cyclists being "doored", and there's enough room for large vehicles (such as buses, bringing us back on topic) to get through.

 

[cnjb8]

But at non peak times the road ought to have enough capacity for other traffic to flow freely without using the bus lane. So why make the bus lane available at those times?

Because if the bus lane didn't exist during peak times, the Rainbow One service would have an extra 20 mins. The bus lane is only used during peak times.

 

[edwin_m]

Because if the bus lane didn't exist during peak times, the Rainbow One service would have an extra 20 mins. The bus lane is only used during peak times.

I'm not suggesting making it unavailable at peak times. I'm saying why is there any need to make it available to all traffic at other times when congestion isn't really an issue. And if congestion becomes an issue at other times then the bus should have priority.

 

[edwin_m]

How long must we suffer the mistakes of the 1960s and before? This seems like saying that no rail route closed by Beeching must ever reopen and no bus route lost during National Bus Company formation can ever run again.

There are cases where improvements can be made. But in general if you went to the occupants of houses with no alternative parking and told them they could no longer park on the street outside, they would feel entirely justified in protesting and in at least 90% of cases they would convince their local councilors to stop your proposal. Alternatively, see how well it goes down suggesting the demolition of every fifth house to make off-street parking spaces for the other four.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

There are cases where improvements can be made. But in general if you went to the occupants of houses with no alternative parking and told them they could no longer park on the street outside, they would feel entirely justified in protesting and in at least 90% of cases they would convince their local councilors to stop your proposal. Alternatively, see how well it goes down suggesting the demolition of every fifth house to make off-street parking spaces for the other four.

It is difficult.

The way that they've done it in Copenhagen (and yes, they have a different mentality) is to do it by stealth? They removed the ability to park bit by bit (I think they chopped about 2-3% of parking spaces each year) and people gradually adapted.

 

[cnjb8]

I'm not suggesting making it unavailable at peak times. I'm saying why is there any need to make it available to all traffic at other times when congestion isn't really an issue. And if congestion becomes an issue at other times then the bus should have priority.

Oh I see what you mean now. I'm not sure to be honest, sorry.

 

[A0]

I don't see why it should be. Short deviations into bus lanes are allowed to pass right turning traffic etc, so it ought to be possible to allow exemptions for pulling into and out of parking spaces within the hours parking is allowed.

Not in London it isn't. A work colleague got a ticket for straying into a bus lane due to that situation in an attempt to keep traffic flowing.

The problem is the little Hitlers in the enforcement bodies, who can't be trusted to run a bath.

 

[Ant158]

I would disagree with making all bus lanes 24 hour, especially where they are used by very few buses during the day anyway and when services finish in the early evening.