Copenhagen Bike Lane on Swanston Street
A couple of months ago, I wrote about the building of Copenhagen bicycle lanes in Swanston Street. Copenhagen lanes are bicycle lanes that separate cyclists and car traffic by putting a parking lane between them.
Riding on this $500,000 bicycle lane a couple of weeks ago, I can attest that this was a bad idea. I’m not even sure why this was ever built as Swanston Street already had an adequate bike lane to start out with.
- People randomly stepped onto the bike lane without looking almost running into me.
- People are dumb, which is why we have so many obvious signs such as “Do Not Block Intersection“. They have made the bicycle lane just big enough for a small car to fit. Well, of course someone parked their car in the bike lane instead of outside the bike lane.
- The bike lane creates a blind spot for cars turning left into streets. The worst being the corner of Swanston Street and Pelham Street.
- I arrived at my destination as fast as I did without the Copenhagen lane.
So I have to ask, what is the point of this bike lane?
Bicycle Victoria: Inner: Swanston RMIT to Melbourne University
Picture from Bicycle Victoria
Technorati Tags: Melbourne, Swanston Street, Australia, Copenhagen Lanes, Pelham Street, Bike Lanes
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I have the same impression. The other day, the stretch between Queensbury and Grattan had about two dozen cars parked in the bike lane, and another two dozen parked beside them in the proper parking bays. If I wasn’t in a hurry, I would have rang up the council to get a parking inspector out there.
I think it’s no more dangerous than cycling along Swanston walk though. There are plenty of people who don’t even look before stepping onto the road. (I need to upgrade my bell to a truck-style horn).
Iann: I’d love to see you start on a project to do that truck-style horn. :D
Is it the new bike lane that’s the issue, or people’s use of it? Of the 4 issues you listed, only one is a problem that can’t be avoided by people simply doing what they’re supposed to do.
People know that if they park in a tow away zone, they’re going to get towed. If the entire bike lane is made a tow away zone, people will quickly learn. (though no doubt you’ll still have those few oblivious people who still park there).
People step onto the road in front of bicycles all over the place, bike lane or no. That’s not a good reason to not have a bike lane. Plus, the more people using it, the more pedestrians will be aware that they shouldn’t be!
Could the blind spot be removed by removing the parking spaces close to the intersection? Apart from the blind spot, the separate bike lane is still better than the small bike lane.
I usually ride in traffic, for example on Smith St , but I ride very slow when there is traffic while on the Swanston Street Copenhagen lanes, I would ride fast since its a dedicated lane.
Removing the parking spaces may help but the issue is that with a dedicated bike lane cut off from traffic, neither pays attention to the other as they are a few meters apart. Bicyclists will speed down the bike lane. The problem is that both the bicylist and the car have “right of way” thus where the problems exists.
Maybe putting a stop /yield sign (for either bicyclist or car) is possibly a solution. We have already paid 500K for the bike lane and if someone gets hit on one of these blind spots The City of Melbourne might have to compensate persons involved.
The traffic lights obviously need to be timed to allow first the cyclists to enter the intersection, then the vehicles to turn left. Given it is early days in the trial, I’m hoping this will be added in the near future, and I hope this will be put to both the council and Bike Vic.