Just had a go at a bloke for parking in a cycle lane on a main road near to work. It is a marked cycle lane but has no double yellow lines – can he park there? I said he can’t and he’s obviously ‘pushing’ cyclists onto the main road which is the whole point of the damn thing in the first place, but he reckons as there are no double yellows he can do what he wants.

Just wondering out of interest for the next time it happens!

i think he is right. was it solid line or dashed. if it dashed then he is definately right.

From the Highway code:

240
You MUST NOT stop or park on
the carriageway or the hard shoulder of a motorway except in an emergency (see Rule 270)
a pedestrian crossing, including the area marked by the zig-zag lines (see Rule 191)
a clearway (see ‘Traffic signs’)
taxi bays as indicated by upright signs and markings
an urban clearway within its hours of operation, even when a broken white line is on your side of the road, except to pick up or set down passengers (see ‘Traffic signs’)
a road marked with double white lines, except to pick up or set down passengers
a tram or cycle lane during its period of operation
a cycle track
red lines, in the case of specially designated ‘red routes’, unless otherwise indicated by signs

…

243
DO NOT stop or park
near a school entrance
anywhere you would prevent access for Emergency Services
at or near a bus or tram stop or taxi rank
on the approach to a level crossing/tramway crossing
opposite or within 10 metres (32 feet) of a junction, except in an authorised parking space
near the brow of a hill or hump bridge
opposite a traffic island or (if this would cause an obstruction) another parked vehicle
where you would force other traffic to enter a tram lane
where the kerb has been lowered to help wheelchair users and powered mobility vehicles
in front of an entrance to a property
on a bend
where you would obstruct cyclists’ use of cycle facilities
except when forced to do so by stationary traffic.

A cycle lane that is merely markings on the edge of the road with no yellow lines is fair game for parking

<bobbins deleted>

Dashed line I’m afraid. Didn’t think I had much of a case but just got p*ss*d off with dodging cars in a bloody cycle lane all the time!

TandemJeremy – Member
A cycle lane that is merely markings on the edge of the road with no yellow lines is fair game for parking

That’s certainly my understanding. However…

From the Highway code:

243
DO NOT stop or park

where you would obstruct cyclists’ use of cycle facilities
except when forced to do so by stationary traffic.

seems to contradict that?

I ride on the pavement if the cycle lane is blocked by cars

Hmmmmmmmmmm
I guess the definition of “cycle facilities” is rather tight nad the painted on advisory lanes don’t count.

140
Cycle lanes. These are shown by road markings and signs. You MUST NOT drive or park in a cycle lane marked by a solid white line during its times of operation. Do not drive or park in a cycle lane marked by a broken white line unless it is unavoidable. You MUST NOT park in any cycle lane whilst waiting restrictions apply.

… so i guess it depends how ‘unavoidable’ it was… bit murky

Perhaps the traffic wardens can’t ticket so its unenforceable?

unavoidable = except when forced to do so by stationary traffic.??

By the looks of it he was nipping to the shop across the road for a newspaper – quite avoidable, although I did nearly comment that a fat b*st*rd like him should be parking 100 yards up the road and getting some exercise anyway!

seems to contradict that?

It does doesn’t it. It’s because failure to obey a rule in the HC is in many cases not an offence. They are a code of practice rather than law (where a HC rule is also a law there is usually a reference). Failure to observe HC rules can be evidence of an offence, but is (often) not in itself one.

So even though the HC says don’t park in the dashed line cycle lanes, for obvious reasons of safety, common sense and courtesy, there is no law against it.

if someone does it just take a photo on your mobile and tell em you will be sending it to the police

it will shit them up and hopefully stop them doing it again

…or some big Police Aware stickers to slap on their windscreens, the ones that make a big mess when you try and remove them.

Cycles lanes come in two falvours. Advisory, indicated by a dashed line known in the trade as a 1004 (4m gap, 2 m line). The other is a mandatory cycle lane, indicated by a solid white line. The madatory part refers to cars not being allowed in it rather than cyclists must use it.

However, an advisory lane can be enhanced with a restriction along the kerb, normally a single or double yellow line outside London.

From the sounds of it, he can park there; it’s just not very considerate to other road users.

However, if a police officer considers that the driver is causing an obstruction, he can issue for that whether or not there are road markings there.

HTH

Anyone familiar with the cycle lane through Windermere (possibly Ambleside)? The road is about 2.5 cycle lane widths in both directions and generally busy. So there is barely half a cars width left between the edge of the cycle lane and the centre line.

So it’s impossible to drive along that road and not drive down the cycle lane as there will be something coming the other way.

SO what’s it for? I assume it’s to ‘raise awareness’ etc, which it probably does, but it’s also fairly inconsistent with the Highway Code on cycle lanes, so teaches drivers bad habits.

Odd bit of road.

There’s a lot of it about. Cycle lanes are often ill-conceived, there’s a website dedicated to it. I’ll see if I can find it, hang on.

This is the one I was thinking of,
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/pete.meg/wcc/facility-of-the-month/index.htm

Also found these,
http://madcyclelanesofmanchester.blogspot.com/
http://crapcyclelanesofcroydon.blogspot.com/
… and there’s probably many others.

Had a 40 ton truck parked on the cycle lane in Wimborne outside the model village. Blocked part of the (one way) road as well.

So I moved out to pass and ended up with a single digit exchange with the car driver behind me.

It is my understanding that you (the cyclist) are allowed, in this instance, should it force you into a dangerous situation, to use the pavement.

Is doing so in other situations against the law?

Most of the “cycle lanes” I’ve seen are bus lanes with specific times of operation. People can park in them when not operating as bus/cycle lanes but get ticketed when the clock ticks past 4.30pm etc.
Cycle lanes are a joke in the uk

Cycle lanes are a joke in the uk

Amen

Is doing so in other situations against the law

apparently not if you are not peddling ‘furiously’ and riding aggressively. Though you might get told off by a passing policeman.

Always had the decency(and cleanish tyres)not to, but really fancy leaving muddy tyre prints up and over cars that are illegally parked on cycle lanes.