Totally agree with markenduro that Road narrowing/chicanes are not the answer. Hate them both as a driver and a cyclist. Dangerous as cyclist and it becomes very difficult to over take cyclists as a driver.
When over taking a cyclist Im quite often tempted to go round them the wrong way to give cyclists plenty of room or so I dont have stupidly accelerate in between them.
I quite like the chicanes you get in the Netherlands and Belgium - even where the road is shared by cyclists and cars (over there, if there's a bike lane, you have to use it) - because they usuall have a nice gap either side for cyclists to continue through unimpeded.
Over here, the narrowing doesn't seem to work as well - instead, as a cyclist, i preserve myself by using the middle of the lane, thus preventing a car trying to squeeze through.
What about the systems the Dutch(?) have introduced where they remove all markings and indicators to blur the boundaries between road and pedestrianised areas. Do they actually work?
I believe there is some evidence that they do - for the reasons muddybum details. I listened to an article about it on the Bike Show podcast some time last year where this had been done to great effect somewhere in London.
I also have the view that, in these situaitons, cyclists tend to move more slowly (which is combined with my pet theory that Dutch bikes are the perfect urban travel tool: you travel faster than a pedestrian, but not so fast as to cause peds concern when riding near them), thus preventing frustrated interaction.
There was mention on the radio this morning of increased penalities for overtaking too close to cyclists.
Hadn't heard that. Sounds like a silly, unenforceable way of saying that people whould drive their cars with more consideration for others (as they are already obliged to do), and overtaking cyclists (and horse riders, runners, mothters with prams, etc.) is already included in this obligation.
