Ian wrote:
From personal observation, I drive to west London every day, very few cyclists use the dedicated cycle lanes. Why?
From here in Derbyshire/Cheshire (sorry Cheshire East now
) I can't speak for London but I suspect that the reasons are similar.
Separated cycle lanes, in particular, tend to marginalise the cyclist. Usually you have to give way every time a side road crosses the cycle lane to join the main road and it is quite common at awkward junction to be given the command "cyclists dismount". Now, contrary to the planners thinking, cycling isn't always about a leisurely aesthetic experience. Many cyclists want to make fast progress and this is much easier on the main carriageway.
To the alert and trained cyclists motor vehicles do not present a great danger. Their movements are fairly predictable. Pedestrians and the less confident cyclists, both of whom you are likely to encounter on a separated cycle lane, are a much more serious problem with their unpredictable movements.
Un-separated lanes have a different problem with side roads. Whilst you don't have to give way it is very common to find that vehicles waiting to join the main road will block the cycle lane forcing you to stop. Moreover on road cycle lanes have a habit of vanishing where they are most needed, at junctions and roundabouts, forcing the cyclist to re-engage withe main traffic flow from the unsafe "low" position