Advocacy & Safety - Thin end of the wedge

I hear that City of Edinburgh Council are planning to ban cyclists from using the dual carriageway from the Forth to cramond (the main route in from Fife). Sustrans are supporting this view on the grounds of safety.

While I rarely use the DC on those grounds, using the longer cyclepath, I feel it is a move to be resisted as if we give in on this how long before we are banned from all roads.

it's much easier to ban cyclists than provide good straight cyclepaths or better still to police poor driving effectively.

As cyclists are a minority, it would be a simple thing to sell the idea to motorists. In fact, it would be easy to sell this plan to many cyclists, as well.

Some countries are very efficient at banning cyclists from roads. In those places, it's very common for motorists to be especially
unforgiving to cyclists who stray off the path.

This is perhaps the main problem with "bicycle facilities." They promise greater freedom for cyclists, but really bring in greater restrictions. Want to clear cyclists off a particular road? Build a "bike path" alongside, and say to cyclists, "You ride there!"

We just need many more well-behaved cyclists who are willing to use the roadway.

As long as a seeing cyclist is only a very occasional occurrance to a motorist, shoving them to the side will seem like a political decision that offends only a few.

Carl

I don't think roads are truly inherently dangerous - it's the users that make them that way, but if a road has design problems, the road needs to be altered not users banned.

Any idea whether there is someone we can email to make our views known?

Richard

I don't know Richard. As far as I'm aware this is something on which there will be no public consultation.

However, I'm on the case.

Originally posted by chewa
... As far as I'm aware this is something on which there will be no public consultation. ...

Is there any way to bring a legal challenge against traffic engineers or local governments who violate one's fundamental right to mobility? Yes, on this side of the Atlantic, we do overuse our court system, but sometimes it is justified ...

Fortunately, Calfornia municipalities are not permitted to ban bicycles from a given road without providing a safe, direct alternative.

Originally posted by John E
Fortunately, Calfornia municipalities are not permitted to ban bicycles from a given road without providing a safe, direct alternative.
This is interesting. John Allen told a story on his website in which an officer (Boston?) ordered him off the road onto the nearby path. He challenged the officer on the grounds that a friend of his had been mugged on that path.

Since the alternative wasn't safe, he won the challenge. (I just don't remember if he went to court or simply convinced the officer.)