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I've sent an annoyed email off. That'll learn 'em.
So, my thoughts on this cycleway are:
1. It's better than the first section, despite being a much more difficult route (numerous side streets, couple of tricky junctions).
Cont.
So, my thoughts on this cycleway are:
1. It's better than the first section, despite being a much more difficult route (numerous side streets, couple of tricky junctions).
Cont.
2. Especially pleasing is how effortlessly it does the basics well. Side road? Continuous crossing or close it. Boom. Next.
3. The end is, once again, a bit poor. It gets to the hospital and has a big compromise. Kinda hoped they'd got over that after section 1.1
Cont.
3. The end is, once again, a bit poor. It gets to the hospital and has a big compromise. Kinda hoped they'd got over that after section 1.1
Cont.
4. A couple of big calls seem to have been ducked, sadly. I'll get to them.
5. I'll do specific bits next, but I just want to repeat that this has moved us from 'first gen TfL CSH / Quietway hybrid' to something that is actually most of a good cycleway.
Well done.
Cont.
5. I'll do specific bits next, but I just want to repeat that this has moved us from 'first gen TfL CSH / Quietway hybrid' to something that is actually most of a good cycleway.
Well done.
Cont.
Starting at the end of section 1.1 - the bottom of Cathays Terrace.
Getting from Corbett Rd on to the cycleway (and vice versa) is a bit '?'. This is a common theme.
Basically, you've got to dice with traffic or stop and wait. for signals (yellow + green lines). Not amazing.
Getting from Corbett Rd on to the cycleway (and vice versa) is a bit '?'. This is a common theme.
Basically, you've got to dice with traffic or stop and wait. for signals (yellow + green lines). Not amazing.
I maintain that the entry from Woodville Rd (blue line) is a critical safety flaw. You have to cross oncoming traffic on a 90 degree bend.
One way of making it better might be a parallel zebra at Maindy Rd. That would also let people get to Lidl and the University buildings. Would need a bigger table (and you could lose the table in the cycle way).
They kept a disbaled parking bay (yellow box) - good.
But it doesn't look wide enough to be useable for, say, a wheelchair, and there's no easy way to cross the cycleway. I suggest a mini zebra to help and checking the useable width. May need to pinch a bit more road.
But it doesn't look wide enough to be useable for, say, a wheelchair, and there's no easy way to cross the cycleway. I suggest a mini zebra to help and checking the useable width. May need to pinch a bit more road.
Little gripe: that bus stop buildout at Minister St is too small to prevent bad parkers from stopping a bus getting to the kerb. See this all the time, and you either have to step in to the road or leap from kerb to bus. Not great unless you're young and healthy.
Making it longer (blue blob) allows buses to get nice and parallel to the kerb. Means we can get off and on nicely. Little thing, big impact.
See all those closed up streets up Cathays Terrace? They give me the horn big style.
Old highway engineer thing here. I don't like sharp turns coming off a speed table - people always seem to swing out wide over the centre line. So I suggest a bigger table here and a nice entry feature to Flora Street.
Also thought the gap in the cycle way kerb was offset, meaning you'd need to weave across north/south bike if going east/west. Small thing but a needless bit of conflict.
Shift the gap to line up better, is my view.
Shift the gap to line up better, is my view.
Here's a big call that has, in my view, been ducked. Junction of Cathays Terrace and Whitchurch/Crwys/Fairoak Road.
Cycleway only lets you go left here. Straight on is one of our most popular parks, a library and a cemetary. People on bikes go to all three!
Cycleway only lets you go left here. Straight on is one of our most popular parks, a library and a cemetary. People on bikes go to all three!
Green and purple lines show what you'd need to do, presumably with traffic going at the same time.
Nah, you're alright.
Weird little bit of kerb in the green box too, making it even harder to get on/off the cycleway.
Nah, you're alright.
Weird little bit of kerb in the green box too, making it even harder to get on/off the cycleway.
Solution? A bike/ped scramble. Most of the signals will need to be upgraded for Toucans and that new diagonal crossing which you'll need an all red for. Scramble anyway you want. Live a little.
Let people go to other places, safely!
Let people go to other places, safely!
The Whitchurch Road switchover is curious and I don't really like it. It's plonked 100m up the road from that last junction and 65m from another. Both signalised.
It's trying to get bikes on the other side of the road, as the cycleway faces its biggest nemesis: a right turn.
It's trying to get bikes on the other side of the road, as the cycleway faces its biggest nemesis: a right turn.
I don't like that the proximity to two other signalled junctions means all users will take liberties, and I don't like the weaving - a recipe for straight lining (green and orange lines). Not quite a solution looking for a problem, but close.
As I said, 65m up the road is a right turn, at the signalised junction by the Heath (my local. I will buy it one day).
I reckon it can be navigated using signals, as I am about to show. As I do that, remember that I'm not a telematics engineer and I did this on MS Paint....
I reckon it can be navigated using signals, as I am about to show. As I do that, remember that I'm not a telematics engineer and I did this on MS Paint....
This is the junction as proposed. The blue box is another unhelpful bit of kerbing that stops you turning right out of Allensbank Road (towards loads of good stuff, like my pub and my house).
This is how I think it could run at peak time. This gives bikes going straight on up Whitchurch Rd a bit more protection (until kerbs run out) and takes out the odd cross over.
'Cos there's currently a right turn lane with its own phase, I've kept that (second phase). Lets straight on bikes keep going, eliminates stacking by right-turning cars.
Ain't great for the cycleway tho. I'm not saying it's better, just a way of doing it without the crossover.
Ain't great for the cycleway tho. I'm not saying it's better, just a way of doing it without the crossover.
Told you I'm not a telematics guy.
I don't get the closure of Llanishen Street. It's already stopped at t'other end, which has made Manor St a nasty rat run. Will also put lots of pressure on Inglefield Ave at school run time.
Filtering Manor St is difficult as no turning space, so I'd go one way there.
Filtering Manor St is difficult as no turning space, so I'd go one way there.
That would cut some of the rat running, at least.
The while area would benefit massively from some filtering, one ways and other things to stop the abysmal behaviour of drivers round there. Sadly, that's out of scope here.
The while area would benefit massively from some filtering, one ways and other things to stop the abysmal behaviour of drivers round there. Sadly, that's out of scope here.
Twitter's telling me this is the end of the thread so I'll say: stepped track up Allensbank Rd is an odd choice. It's a long stright road where speeds of 50 can be seen often. I'd prefer something more robust.
Think I'm back. Nearly there. The end of the route at King George V Drive is a bit meh. Lovely new crossings but only one is a Toucan. They want you to do the green movement. People will do the blue one. I say: diagonal crossing and we can do purple.
That would reduce the distance on the shared surface, too. We all win. YAY.
I've also suggested we turn the lane that runs all the way from Gabalfa to Allensbank Road in to a - gulp - Quietway. It's already access only and would link the interchange with the cycleway. Change a couple of priorities over side roads and you're there.
So that's the comments. Other than the Crwys Road junction, I'm pretty happy with all of if. That junction is the only thing I would feel strongly about, because it looks and feels like it's ducked the difficult question.
They've come a long way, and I'm happy to say well done
They've come a long way, and I'm happy to say well done
Nos da.
