Cambridgeshire guided busway

[EyeKay]

A minority of cyclists do seem treat the guideway path like the M1 with the speed they use and then get grumpy when they come across walkers. It used to be a nice walk down to Trumpington, but it gets ruined by the constant ringing of cycle bells.

Out of interest, is it signposted as a cycle path or pedestrian and cycle path?

 

[Meerkat]

It’s not as simple as that. You have to look at risk and that means in all likelihoods of people using the path. That’s probably why they pleaded guilty as they’d not sufficiently minimised risk.

Even at lower speeds, the Busway performs a valuable role in getting buses moving faster away from congested roads.

Sure, but the point is it isn’t it being a busway that is causing the problem - so using the deaths as a stick to beat busways with isn’t valid.
I think we need more busways personally

 

[Bletchleyite]

Sure, but the point is it isn’t it being a busway that is causing the problem - so using the deaths as a stick to beat busways with isn’t valid.
I think we need more busways personally

I'd certainly like to see a lot more interurban cycleways. If building busways is the way to achieve that, go for it

 

[Megafuss]

Out of interest, is it signposted as a cycle path or pedestrian and cycle path?

From what I recall there is an "except authorissed access" sign at access point. Nothing specific about bikes or pedestrians

 

[Ashfordian6]

Out of interest, is it signposted as a cycle path or pedestrian and cycle path?

It's an unsegregated shared use path

 

[Deerfold]

It's an unsegregated shared use path

That doesn't answer how its signed.

 

[Bletchleyite]

That doesn't answer how its signed.

It's signed as "no motor vehicles except authorised access". Not as a cycle path, as the likes of maintenance vehicles are allowed to use it. So it's legally a road a bit like a restricted byway.

Example: https://www.google.com/maps/@52.317...1,94203019,47084304,94208458,94208447&g_st=ic

 

[WibbleWobble]

A minority of cyclists do seem treat the guideway path like the M1 with the speed they use and then get grumpy when they come across walkers. It used to be a nice walk down to Trumpington, but it gets ruined by the constant ringing of cycle bells.

Unfortunately, there is often a lack of respect to the "pedestrians have priority" under the road user hierarchy, however to give cyclists the benefit of the doubt, this was so poorly publicised by the Department for Transport that hardly anybody knows about it (even though it is in the current version Highway Code). It's like that motorists should give way to pedestrians waiting to cross the mouth of a side road at a junction.

 

[Merle Haggard]

Unfortunately, there is often a lack of respect to the "pedestrians have priority" under the road user hierarchy, however to give cyclists the benefit of the doubt, this was so poorly publicised by the Department for Transport that hardly anybody knows about it (even though it is in the current version Highway Code). It's like that motorists should give way to pedestrians waiting to cross the mouth of a side road at a junction.

The precedence that motor vehicle drivers should give to cyclists has been both widely reported and supported by well-publicised prosecutions where drivers fail to give that clearance in overtaking. Strangely, although cyclists are clearly well aware of this right they have to the extent of, for instance, You-Tube channels by well-known people, they seem strangely unaware of their own obligation to pedestrians in the same hierarchy.
Since it was enacted I have, as a pedestrian, been given precedence while standing at the edge of road junctions and roundabouts by drivers of vehicle types ranging from motor-cyclists through cars and buses to lorries; but never by a cyclist. Walking on the footway I am routinely overtaken from behind by cyclists riding at te speed of passing road traffic. They give me no clearance at all, oblivious to the fact that I might stumble sideways - something I may well do on uneven pavement. Once, when walking on a busy footway outside a railway station such a cyclist clipped another pedestrian and when the latter complained he was met with offensive language and very aggressive gestures.
It does seem a case of some cyclists cherry-picking rights and obligations.

 

[WibbleWobble]

The precedence that motor vehicle drivers should give to cyclists has been both widely reported and supported by well-publicised prosecutions where drivers fail to give that clearance in overtaking. Strangely, although cyclists are clearly well aware of this right they have to the extent of, for instance, You-Tube channels by well-known people, they seem strangely unaware of their own obligation to pedestrians in the same hierarchy.
Since it was enacted I have, as a pedestrian, been given precedence while standing at the edge of road junctions and roundabouts by drivers of vehicle types ranging from motor-cyclists through cars and buses to lorries; but never by a cyclist. Walking on the footway I am routinely overtaken from behind by cyclists riding at te speed of passing road traffic. They give me no clearance at all, oblivious to the fact that I might stumble sideways - something I may well do on uneven pavement. Once, when walking on a busy footway outside a railway station such a cyclist clipped another pedestrian and when the latter complained he was met with offensive language and very aggressive gestures.
It does seem a case of some cyclists cherry-picking rights and obligations.

With motorists, it is about 70/30 in favour of not giving way from my experience. But I don't get that issue with cyclists, because I never experience it as most still illegally cycle on the pavement (so if they flout that law, there's no chance of them giving way to pedestrians!)

 

[Meerkat]

Unfortunately, there is often a lack of respect to the "pedestrians have priority" under the road user hierarchy, however to give cyclists the benefit of the doubt, this was so poorly publicised by the Department for Transport that hardly anybody knows about it (even though it is in the current version Highway Code). It's like that motorists should give way to pedestrians waiting to cross the mouth of a side road at a junction.

And conversely pedestrians can be a thoughtless nightmare - a group blocking the whole path, randomly wandering from side to side whilst on the phone, and lethal lack of control of their dogs.

 

[camflyer]

Ditton Meadows and Thorpe Way in Cambridge, Lode, Swaffham Prior, Burwell, (Exning, Newmarket) / Fordham, Mildenhall

Trouble is that would need Cambridgeshire and Suffolk councils to work together when currently "cross border" bus services are very poor.

 

[mangad]

A minority of cyclists do seem treat the guideway path like the M1 with the speed they use and then get grumpy when they come across walkers. It used to be a nice walk down to Trumpington, but it gets ruined by the constant ringing of cycle bells.

As someone who regularly rides a bike and tends only to use their bell when pedestrians are walking two or more abreast and so are blocking, I can tell you that I've had pedestrians have a go at me for NOT using my bell.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The section of road where the buses join the track and cyclist need to "cross" on to the path has been an accident waiting to happen for years

A minority of cyclists do seem treat the guideway path like the M1 with the speed they use and then get grumpy when they come across walkers. It used to be a nice walk down to Trumpington, but it gets ruined by the constant ringing of cycle bells.

Unlike the car horn, the bicycle bell is a sound of civility.

I do however agree that some cyclists on the route are "close passing" pedestrians too fast. I suspect Strava segments are involved - the world would be much better if that was banned (racing anything on an open public highway is dangerous - including bicycles - which is presently legal but based on some things I've seen I personally think any form of race involving roads* should mandate those roads to be closed).

* As noted above it's legally a road, not a shared path, but with some motor vehicles banned from it.

 

[Haywain]

I can tell you that I've had pedestrians have a go at me for NOT using my bell.

I've had that happen even when I have used my bell! In general it can be difficult to judge when to use it though - if you ring to early, some people don't hear it, and if you ring to late you get accused of sneaking up on people and there can be a matter of seconds between those two!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Sep 2024 ==

I do however agree that some cyclists on the route are "close passing" pedestrians too fast. I suspect Strava segments are involved - the world would be much better if that was banned (racing anything on an open public highway is dangerous - including bicycles - which is presently legal but based on some things I've seen I personally think any form of race involving roads* should mandate those roads to be closed).

From my experience of another busway, the problem is much more likely to be users of electric scooters or (ungoverned) ebikes.

 

[Merle Haggard]

Can the cyclists on this thread please answer this question? - obviously anecdotally. When approaching pedestrians from behind on footways/shared paths do you use the bell to alert them to your presence so that they are not taken by surprise when passing them - or - in the expectation that they will stop and stand aside to let you pass?

 

[Haywain]

When approaching pedestrians from behind on footways/shared paths do you use the bell to alert them to your presence so that they are not taken by surprise when passing them - or - in the expectation that they will stop and stand aside to let you pass?

A bit of both - to let them know I'm there because they are so damned unpredictable, and in the hope that they'll do the decent thing if it's possible.

 

[mangad]

Can the cyclists on this thread please answer this question? - obviously anecdotally. When approaching pedestrians from behind on footways/shared paths do you use the bell to alert them to your presence so that they are not taken by surprise when passing them - or - in the expectation that they will stop and stand aside to let you pass?

Have found dog walkers in particular appreciate you alerting them to your presence - some dogs apparently don't like bikes. I never expect anyone on foot to stop for me - it's more alerting those people who are taking up the whole width of the track that someone else wants to get past.

Anyway, that's veering off topic so probably should say no more.

 

[Meerkat]

I do however agree that some cyclists on the route are "close passing" pedestrians too fast. I suspect Strava segments are involved - the world would be much better if that was banned

Mainly it’s just because they can - it’s easy to go fast on a bike, and slowing down and re-accelerating is a pain. General thoughtlessness like so many things.
If you have specific issues then complain - pretty sure there are Strava segments that you can’t record times on, either because of narrow routes with pedestrians, or traffic danger (the segment ends before/excludes road junctions)

Can the cyclists on this thread please answer this question? - obviously anecdotally. When approaching pedestrians from behind on footways/shared paths do you use the bell to alert them to your presence so that they are not taken by surprise when passing them - or - in the expectation that they will stop and stand aside to let you pass?

It’s a really tricky one. It’s rude to not warn them, but it’s rude to appear like you are demanding they move or doing it too late and scare them. And they don’t always visibly react so you ring again and then they are grumpy because they heard The first time and think there is plenty of room to pass.
If I’m trundling along I often brake slightly then let go the levers with a clack (bit like deliberately scuffing a foot so a pedestrian you are walking past doesn’t get a shock). Then just say excuse me, then go to bell if they still don’t notice.
As with many thinks in life much irritation can be smoothed over with a cheery “thank you!”
I worry about it more because I walk along the towpath in a dream and a perfectly polite bell still makes me jump every time!

As a pedestrian the ones that catch me out are when other cyclists follow the first one through - the friendliest families say “four bikes!” or whatever.

 

[gingerheid]

Can the cyclists on this thread please answer this question? - obviously anecdotally. When approaching pedestrians from behind on footways/shared paths do you use the bell to alert them to your presence so that they are not taken by surprise when passing them - or - in the expectation that they will stop and stand aside to let you pass?

Alert presence if there is space to pass, request space to pass if it is a group walking side by side.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Can the cyclists on this thread please answer this question? - obviously anecdotally. When approaching pedestrians from behind on footways/shared paths do you use the bell to alert them to your presence so that they are not taken by surprise when passing them - or - in the expectation that they will stop and stand aside to let you pass?

Both. On a shared path pedestrians should not obstruct the full width, if they are the bell is a polite request to move to single file to allow a safe pass. Basic consideration on a shared path, surely?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Sep 2024 ==

From my experience of another busway, the problem is much more likely to be users of electric scooters or (ungoverned) ebikes.

Having run, walked and cycled on that one, it's mostly people in lycra on fancy road bikes. There aren't many ebikes on there, they aren't really needed as Cambridgeshire is so flat. The purpose of ebikes is mostly to remove hills - you don't see many in the Netherlands for the same reason.

 

[CBlue]

Having run, walked and cycled on that one, it's mostly people in lycra on fancy road bikes. There aren't many ebikes on there, they aren't really needed as Cambridgeshire is so flat. The purpose of ebikes is mostly to remove hills - you don't see many in the Netherlands for the same reason.

There are enough inclines in some Southern parts of Cambridgeshire county to warrant using an ebike, believe me!

 

[Magdalia]

There aren't many ebikes on there, they aren't really needed as Cambridgeshire is so flat. The purpose of ebikes is mostly to remove hills - you don't see many in the Netherlands for the same reason.

I ride my ebike next to the busway, I need the motor to get me over the railway bridge by the new station.

My ebike is Dutch, so I guess the manufacturer, Gazelle, has a significant home market.

 

[johncrossley]

According to the Netherlands government in 2022, 30% of cyclists over 12s use electric bikes.

Almost a third of the cyclists in the Netherlands use electric bikes | RIVM

Almost a third (30%) of the Dutch cyclists aged 12 and over use electric bikes. The use of e-bikes is most common among elderly cyclists (those aged 65 and over): more than half of them only ride an e-bike. This is according to a RIVM survey of nearly 7,000 people. A vast majority of respondents...

www.rivm.nl

Almost a third (30%) of the Dutch cyclists aged 12 and over use electric bikes. The use of e-bikes is most common among elderly cyclists (those aged 65 and over): more than half of them only ride an e-bike. This is according to a RIVM survey of nearly 7,000 people. A vast majority of respondents (70%) said they opted for an e-bike ‘to cycle with less effort’.

 

[Meerkat]

According to the Netherlands government in 2022, 30% of cyclists over 12s use electric bikes.

It’s flat, coastal, and with a lot of straight roads - that must mean going into the wind rather a lot!

the weird thing I remember from riding a hire bike in Holland as a kid was getting stopped by some people who wanted a lift - they just perched on the carrier and off we went!