Bike lanes

[solorider]

you can use bus lanes in swindon and bristol,the signs in swindon have a pic of a bus on top with a pic of a bicycle and motorcycle underneath

 

[Artemis]

In all the towns, and in all the bus lanes...

The only place I have seen a sign specifically showing that motorcycles
are allowed in the bus lane was .
.
.
.
.
.
.
Hull


Is there anyone in Hull that can take a picture of the sign on the A63/A1033 and post it here so the we can all be shown what one looks like.

That would be intresting.

We have them in Swindon, although I must confess that neither Hunter, nor I noticed them until they were pointed out to me whilst I was doing the bike training course........:blush:

 

[derek kelly]

In the Road Traffic Act a motor vehicle is described as a "mechanically propelled vehicle intended or adapted for use on a road".

Like the sinclair C5 then?

 

[Phil R]

But....

... not ALL the bus lanes in Swindon can be used. Most are OK, but there are some that certainly do not have the m/bike pictogram on them.. e.g. (sorry to be a bit too detailed but solorider and Artemis at least may follow) 'contraflow type' bus lanes such as in the railway village, also the bus lane to turn right from County Road into Manchester Road (this is a bugger for me as I live thereabouts). Confusingly there is one in three sections (around the new Holiday Inn) where the middle one doesn't have the pictogram, but this is presumably an omission.

 

[ianrobbo1]

presumably this is an omission

presumsion, the mother of all fuck up's :bow: bet the twats have left it off on perpose, cos thats how they "get a little cash back"
I for one would check before using it on a regular basis "just in case" :dunno:

 

[Phil R]

Maybe I should check with the relevant authorities, but it would make an interesting test case if I got nabbed for using it. The 'sections' are formed from where 2 side roads come in, and its the sign after the first of the two roads that the sign is missing the pictogram. As the 1st and 3rd sections are very short it's pretty feckin pointless (and dangerous) if the intention is for (motor)bikes to use the 1st and 3rd but NOT to use the longer 2nd section. That'd be my argument anyway.
Any views fellow Swindonians?

 

[Artemis]

The problem with using the bus lanes is the homicidal cage pilots who just pull in left at the end of them (or before) without looking, oh, and they have slow buses in them sometimes that really stuff up your progress!!


Never have been able to understand why so many people are afeared of the magic roundabout, though. Crackin' bit of trafic management. I remember when there was 5 sets of lights there (hell on wheels, that was!) then when it was first laid out with bollards and tyres. That was fun. Then the first person to have an accident on it was......


The guy who designed it

 

[Phil R]

Magic Roundabout

Agreed, it's very efficient. Just scares the sh1t out of drivers who seem to think they have to clear the lot in one go and not treat the roundabouts and individual ones. Oh and you musn't go round the big island in the middle clockwise. Must be very confusing for visitors when surrounded by accomplished locals doing their thang.

The bus lane that's not a bike lane at the County Road / Manchester Road junction causes law-abiding drivers/riders to put themselves at risk in that they have to go to the first roundabout at the Magic Roundabout (in order to gain access to Manchester Road) - which cars clearing the MR won't be expecting. There's talk of traffic lights going in at the junction but that would be a backward step imho.

 

[Artemis]

Re-instating the lights at the Whitehouse bridge would be a better idea............

 

[solorider]

... not ALL the bus lanes in Swindon can be used. Most are OK, but there are some that certainly do not have the m/bike pictogram on them.. e.g. (sorry to be a bit too detailed but solorider and Artemis at least may follow) 'contraflow type' bus lanes such as in the railway village, also the bus lane to turn right from County Road into Manchester Road (this is a bugger for me as I live thereabouts). Confusingly there is one in three sections (around the new Holiday Inn) where the middle one doesn't have the pictogram, but this is presumably an omission.

you are right,i know you cant use all the bus lanes,i just mentioned you can use the bus lanes,you are only allowed to use the bus lane where the traffic on your right is going in the same direction,there are a few others which generaly link estates and no access roads where motorcycles cant use

 

[solorider]

Oh and you musn't go round the big island in the middle clockwise. Must be very confusing for visitors when surrounded by accomplished locals doing their thang.

QUOTE]
i think you mean not to go around the island in the middle anticlockwise,if you go clockwise you will be going against the traffic:t ,you have to go around the centre anticlockwise.
a few years ago the council resurfaced the magic roundabout anf temoraly removed the small roundabouts and it was treated as a big roundabout,the traffic built up very quickly and it certainly shows that 5 small roundabouts close together work better than 1 big roundabout,shame more places havnt got a roundabout like it

 

[The Penniless Plumber]

You can use the bus lane in parts of Twickenham. Has been an experiment since June 2004 So we can now all ride like couriers!

 

[Artemis]

Oh and you musn't go round the big island in the middle clockwise. Must be very confusing for visitors when surrounded by accomplished locals doing their thang.

i think you mean not to go around the island in the middle anticlockwise,if you go anticlockwise you will be going against the traffic:t ,you have to go around the centre clockwise.

You actually travel in either directions around the large middle island, depending on which way you are going.

For example, if you're coming from the fire station and going to County Road, then you are travelling clockwise if you take the most direct route, but if that's clogged up you can go anticlockwise, via the islands at the end of Queens Drive and Shrivenham Road.

Ah, hang on, though, any time you are actually next to the centre island you are travelling in an anticlockwise direction to it!

.....and we're used to it!!!!

I think the secret is to forget about the centre island entirely. I suppose we just do that automatically.

Ah, Swindon....... The land of the mini roundabout!uke:

 

[Artemis]

.......errrrr

Has Swindon hijacked the bus lanes thread:dunno:

 

[solorider]

.......errrrr

Has Swindon hijacked the bus lanes thread:dunno:

yup looks like it lol

 

[Steamy]

Okay, here's a definitive answer to the debate. ALL bus lanes are designated for use by buses (obviously) emergency services vehicles (when attending an emergency), taxi's (cos the fuckers would just use them anyway) and motorcycles.

If in any doubt, I am a fully qualified instructor and I NEED to know the law, it's my job!man8um

Cocky bastard or what?!

 

[Artemis]

If in any doubt, I am a fully qualified instructor and I NEED to know the law, it's my job!man8um

Cocky bastard or what?!

Can't be as cocky as one of the instructors I had.

"I'm he best instructor in this school"

First words to me (not his pupil at this stage) as I arrived to do the CBT.......

"You'll never ride a Blackbird"

Watch Me! :f

(Haven't yet, but real soon.............)

 

[Phil R]

That's what I meant - if you are NEXT to the middle bit. The Whitehouse Road bridge lights "reopened" on Tuesday. Nice new raod surface since saturday too. I was going to mention it but I thought someone might complain about the thread being hijacked by Swindon. R#?