The BBC wades in on how the Police in London are dealing with a bicycle planning issue-Police officers in Camden Borough will no longer be charging cyclists who ride on the sidewalk or “pavements”, but instead examine why the cyclists are choosing sidewalks instead of the road. These officers are also following a protocol first adopted by the West Midlands Police, who are also enforcing a vehicular passing distance of 1.5 meters when overtaking a cyclist. Get closer to a cyclist, you will be stopped.
The intent is to discover what areas the cyclists feel “forced” off the road. It is the 1835 Highways Act which makes it an offence to ride on the sidewalk, and includes a penalty of 50 British pounds (about 82 Canadian dollars). Enforcement is up to the Police, and discretion is asked when dealing with children riding on sidewalks.
There is also some pushback from pedestrians, some that feel “more at risk from cyclists than cars and would not like to see the police dropping fines”. Many seniors are also very wary of cyclists on sidewalks, fearing the sudden movement will make them fall. Research undertaken by Victoria Walks in Australia shows that the ramifications of a fall to an older senior can mean death in months.
Sustrans, an organisation promoting sustainable transport noted “Many people in the UK do not feel confident or safe riding a bicycle on our roads. If we are to encourage cycling as an efficient and healthier way to get around our towns and cities whilst reducing cycling on pavements we need to better understand the concerns and needs of people and provide adequate cycle provision for them.”
Meanwhile,” Living Streets, a campaign group for pedestrians, wants better enforcement of the law, not less. Dr Rachel Lee, policy and research coordinator for Living Streets, says: “We know most cyclists prefer to use the road, but a small minority continue to ride their bicycles on the pavement for reasons of convenience or safety. This can make pedestrians feel vulnerable – especially those who are visually impaired, suffer hearing loss or have mobility issues. Although Camden’s emphasis on education is welcome, cycling on pavements is illegal. We want better enforcement of the law.”
The issue was described quite well in a recent article in the North Shore News. The RCMP responds to complaints by pedestrians about people cycling on sidewalks, Lonsdale in particular. No cycling infrastructure on this major shopping street, arterial, and bus route. The City of North Vancouver has no plan to provide bike lanes on Lonsdale. Both streets parallel to Lonsdale are also arterials. The choice for most is to either ride on the sidewalks or not ride at all.
http://www.nsnews.com/news/sidewalks-are-not-for-bikes-north-vancouver-rcmp-1.2355056#comment-2933339271
I ride a bike daily to get around, and I strongly support the expansion of safe cycling routes as a priority. I also get frustrated where they don’t exist. But I get peeved at the ‘entitlement’ aspect of people riding bikes on sidewalks, especially in busy shopping areas. Is it a ‘hardship’ to walk a bike on a busy sidewalk, when everyone else is walking too?
I’ll agree that riding on a vacant sidewalk where the street is busy and unsafe may be reasonable. One approach might be for municipalities to be more specific about what sidewalks are ‘never’ acceptable for riding a bike, and to post intermittent ‘Walk bicycles’ signs on lamp posts in those locations. Lonsdale may be one of them. It might be just enough to alter behaviour in the more contentious areas without making a federal case of it.
Of course it’s reasonable to cycle on an empty sidewalk. In fact it’s perfectly legal in many jurisdictions and mandatory in some.
The reason to not cycle on sidewalks is because of inconvenience or discomfort to people that are walking. If there are no people walking there then it’s fine and good.
When presented with the choice between that and getting creamed by a car or truck what else is there to do?
Then there are the motorists who yell at you to get off the street and get on the sidewalk where the feel you belong. Damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
Why stop there? Would it be such a “hardship” for the entitled motorist traffic to be diverted in order to give the high streets back to the pedestrians and cyclists? What’s a 4 block detour when you’re simply letting an engine whisk you around?
Tokyo, city of 15 million, bicycling not allowed on roads, only on sidewalk with pedestrians.
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Reblogged this on Sandy James Planner.