Drivers taking up cyclists' space

 

SQUEEZED

Cyclist Anne FitzSimon fights for space with traffic at the Trafalgar St lights.

Ms FitzSimon says there should be a national campaign on bike safety because Nelson City Council campaigns are not enough.

She believed a third of motorists were drifting into bicycle lanes and advanced stop boxes - the green area cyclists wait in at traffic lights - which was a safety problem.

Motorists know not to drift into other lanes, so the same care should be taken not to drift into bike lanes or advanced stop boxes, she said.

Mrs FitzSimon wants to see police target motorists to educate them on keeping cyclists safe.

"They need to realise we are human beings."

She cites parts of Waimea Rd and all the curves on Rocks Rd as the main problem areas where vehicles cut into cycle lanes.

"Every time they drive in them, unless they are parking, it's illegal. We are just coming from an education and safety point of view."

She said there are three E's to overcome the problem; engineering roads to be safe for cyclists, educating motorists on cycle safety, and enforcing cycle safety laws by the police.

Nelson City Council transport coordinator Margaret Parfitt agreed there was a need for a nation-wide campaign.

The council had held numerous cycle safety campaigns in Nelson, using billboards and pamphlets, which she encouraged people to put on the windows of cars parked in cycle lanes, but its budget limited it from doing more, she said.

The council plans to introduce more of the advanced stop boxes, including on Collingwood St, which is currently being upgraded.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelsonmail/4741933a6510.html

Comments

Great article. Well done, Anne.

Great work Anne!

Great stuff Anne. Keep on raising the profile of the issues cyclists face. Combined with targeted motorist education the message will slowly sink in.

I'm wondering too if some additional cycle lane delineation might be in order. In Auckland city they're using a textured paint treatment (looks like large raised tear drops) for some lane markings (but not necessarily cycle lanes). This gives a mild vibration feedback to motorists when they encroach, as well as the visual.

Compared with other treatments like raising the cycle lane or using rumble strips, the textured paint is economical and not a hazard for cyclists to cross.

But in the end it comes down to motorist behaviour. Education followed by enforcement is the way to go.

Hey Steve

Can you please email me some info on the textured paint treatment on bnbnelson@gmail.com

Regards
Anne

Hi Anne

I've posted images of the textured paint treatment on the CAN site. You can find them at Resources -> Image Galleries -> Miscellaneous.

And if I've done this right, you should also see them here:

White marking

Yellow marking

Cheers

Steve