Bristol: Cycling City

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Bristol's 'Dutch-style' cycle lane delayed


The cycle way will form part of a key link route from Temple Meads along the riverside to Ashton Court

The creation of a "Dutch-style" segregated cycle lane in Bristol has been delayed until the spring.

The ^380,000-lane, which will run along the River Avon at Clarence Road in Bedminster, had been due to open in the summer. But the city council said it was working to stabilise the river wall and could not complete the cycleway until that work ends.

A spokesman for Bristol Cycling Campaign said it was disappointing.

The scheme, announced in February, involves narrowing the road, removing parking bays and constructing a separate 10ft (3m) cycleway and footpath.

Bristol mayor George Ferguson, an independent, said the scheme was modelled on similar cycleways from the Netherlands and Denmark.

The 2,300ft (700m) cycleway will be segregated from cars using small bollards, and from pedestrians by the existing kerb.

A council spokeswoman said it needed to permanently stabilise the river wall after noticing sudden movement under the footway following a number of high tides. She said: "Council engineers have been closely monitoring the wall on a weekly basis since January and there had been no measureable movement until early August this year when, after another high tide, the wall moved forward in the direction of the river by around 145mm."

As a temporary measure, 53 one-tonne bags filled with stones have been placed in the river in front of the wall to try to prevent further movement.

The spokeswoman said work to finalise a permanent stabilisation scheme was continuing and she could not say how long it would last. "We estimate the river wall project will be completed by early January 2015," she said. "The finishing touches to the cycling scheme cannot be made until the stabilisation work is complete. The cycleway is expected to be open by the spring 2015."

Martin McDonnell, from Bristol Cycling Campaign, said: "It's disappointing because it's a trial where they're trying out something new. Things need to get into operation as soon as possible so we can get feedback on how successful it is."

[TonyK]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Martin McDonnell, from Bristol Cycling Campaign, said: "It's disappointing because it's a trial where they're trying out something new. Things need to get into operation as soon as possible so we can get feedback on how successful it is."

It would be more disappointing to see it collapse into the river with a passing peloton. There will be more trouble like this further downstream for MetroBust.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

'Cheese grater' bridge petition demands new safe surface


Cyclists say the bridge is known as the cheese grater for both its aesthetic and skin grating qualities

Cyclists who use a stainless steel bridge in Bristol say its surface urgently needs to be changed because it is a hazard in the wet.

Meads Reach at the start of the Bristol to Bath cycle track is perforated with 55,000 holes, earning it the nickname the cheese grater.

A petition has been started urging Bristol City Council to force the owner to make safety improvements.

Temple Quay Management Company said it is looking into the problem. A statement from the company said it was aware there "can be a problem with the surface" of the bridge in wet weather and that safety of cyclists and pedestrians was of "paramount importance".

GVA Facilities Management, who manage the bridge on behalf of the owner, said there had already been an investigation into the complaints. A spokesman said the issue "is now with our surveying department and legal team" who would be contacting the original installers.

The petition - started on Friday by Toby Bridgeman - has so far gathered more than 320 names.

Mr Bridgeman said people are "consistently falling of their bikes" requiring to trips to A&E. "Requests to GVA for improvements have not resulted in any action," he said.

The petition calls on Bristol City Council to force GVA and the Temple Quay Management Company to "make the bridge safe for both cyclists and pedestrians immediately".

Anthony Dunn from Easton fell off his bike on the bridge last week and said he had X-rays on his hand, four stitches in his lip and two chipped teeth.

[Red Squirrel]

Maybe some bridge users are so captivated by the view of that exquisite mail conveyor, along with the visually-sumptuous signalling centre, that they simply go all light-headed and lose their balance... 

[JayMac]

I've slipped on that bridge, but I blamed the worn out shoes I was wearing.

It's slightly better than the next footbridge downstream. That one creaks and groans underfoot and the deck panels bounce quite alarmingly. Gives me the willies.

[TonyK]

I almost slipped on it, steadying myself at the last moment. I lay the blame squarely with the Knights Templar, and the Exmoor Brewery.

I have a solution that would cost no more than ^100. It involves two signs saying "Cyclists - Dismount when the surface is wet", one affixed on each end of the bridge. A photo of the sign could be sent with the letter refusing any compensation request.

Before anyone shouts in anger, I am a cyclist from time to time.

[Richard Fairhurst]

And at the same time, let's put up a sign saying "Train Drivers: Please Get Out And Push When Leaves Have Fallen Off Trees".

[Red Squirrel]

I almost slipped on it, steadying myself at the last moment. I lay the blame squarely with the Knights Templar, and the Exmoor Brewery.

I have a solution that would cost no more than ^100. It involves two signs saying "Cyclists - Dismount when the surface is wet", one affixed on each end of the bridge. A photo of the sign could be sent with the letter refusing any compensation request.

Before anyone shouts in anger, I am a cyclist from time to time.

Temple Quay Management Company said it is looking into the problem. A statement from the company said it was aware there "can be a problem with the surface" of the bridge in wet weather and that safety of cyclists and pedestrians was of "paramount importance".

My emphasis. Mayhap dismounting won't help?

[TonyK]

My emphasis. Mayhap dismounting won't help?

I believe there is only danger in mixing the two elements, plus rain.

[Chris from Nailsea]

An update, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

'Cheese-grater' bridge to get anti-slip surface coating

An award-winning Bristol bridge which cyclists claim poses a hazard in wet weather is to be treated with an anti-slip coating.

The stainless steel Meads Reach, part of the Bristol to Bath cycle track, is perforated with 55,000 holes, earning it the nickname "the cheese-grater".

Sections of the bridge deck will be dismantled and taken away to be sprayed with a long-lasting polyurea surface.

Eco South West said it will begin the work in the next few weeks.

The ^2.4m Meads Reach bridge was built in 2008 and won a Royal Institute of British Architecture award in 2009.

But cyclist Toby Bridgeman said riders using the 180ft (55m) structure were "consistently falling off their bikes" needing trips to A&E.

Mr Bridgeman set up the petition calling on Bristol City Council to force the owner to "make the bridge safe for both cyclists and pedestrians immediately".

The petition gathered more than 600 signatures during the month it was open.

[TonyK]

An update, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

'Cheese-grater' bridge to get anti-slip surface coating

An award-winning Bristol bridge which cyclists claim poses a hazard in wet weather is to be treated with an anti-slip coating.

The stainless steel Meads Reach, part of the Bristol to Bath cycle track, is perforated with 55,000 holes, earning it the nickname "the cheese-grater".

Sections of the bridge deck will be dismantled and taken away to be sprayed with a long-lasting polyurea surface.

Eco South West said it will begin the work in the next few weeks.

The ^2.4m Meads Reach bridge was built in 2008 and won a Royal Institute of British Architecture award in 2009.

But cyclist Toby Bridgeman said riders using the 180ft (55m) structure were "consistently falling off their bikes" needing trips to A&E.

Mr Bridgeman set up the petition calling on Bristol City Council to force the owner to "make the bridge safe for both cyclists and pedestrians immediately".

The petition gathered more than 600 signatures during the month it was open.

Oh, the irony of having Mr Bridgeman as spokesman!

I could make the bridge perfectly safe for both riders and pedestrians with a very small amount of dynamite, or an angle grinder, or two signs saying "Bridge closed due to danger. Use the next one, 100 metres away." Like level crossings, it is perfectly safe now if used in a safe manner.

[Chris from Nailsea]

An update, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Anti-slip resurfacing on Bristol 'cheese-grater' bridge completed


Eco South West said it is confident that cyclists "will find it a much safer route now"

Resurfacing work on an award-winning Bristol bridge which cyclists claimed was hazardous in wet weather has been completed.

Eco South West dismantled sections of the 180ft (55m) Meads Reach structure and sprayed it with an anti-slip coating.

The stainless steel bridge, nicknamed the "cheese-grater", is part of the Bristol to Bath cycle track. It was the site of numerous accidents involving bike riders.

The work follows a 600-strong petition set up to call on Bristol City Council to force the owner to make safety improvements.

Eco South West said it is confident that cyclists "will find it a much safer route now".

The bridge, built in 2008, earned the "cheese-grater" nickname because it is perforated with 55,000 holes. In 2009, the ^2.4m structure won a Royal Institute of British Architecture award.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Bristol Post:

Vehicles AREN'T the number one cause of bike crashes in Bristol - road surfaces are


Four out of five bicycle crashes on Bristol's roads do not involve another vehicle

Cyclists in Bristol are five times more likely to be injured in crashes which do not involve other road users.

Collisions with cars and other vehicles only account for about one fifth of incidents in which the cyclist needs hospital treatment, figures reveal.

The other 79 per cent are caused by crashes into stationary objects or other factors like slippery road surfaces or carelessness.

But campaigners insist more efforts to protect cyclists, like segregated paths on main roads, should still be enforced until crashes involving other vehicles are eliminated altogether.

Hospital admission figures for 2015 show there were 163 crashes on Bristol's roads which put a cyclist in hospital. Some 33 of those were because of a collision with a car, pick-up truck or van, while two involved another cyclist and none involved a truck or bus.

But 92 of the crashes didn't involve another vehicle at all – and a further 10 were because of collisions with stationary and fixed objects.

Eric Booth, chair of Bristol Cycling Campaign, said those non-vehicle collisions are 'very often' because of preventable factors like poor road surfacing.

He added: "If there is a non-collision injury, and there are a lot of them, they are generally people falling off and damaging wrists and arms ad they are coming off. Typically, injuries with road traffic vehicles are of a significantly different nature."

Mr Booth said measures, like segregated cycle paths on main roads, should be taken to completely eradicate collisions between cyclists and vehicles.

He added: "Cycle lanes are fine for people who already cycle. In Bristol in particular, most people who feel confident enough to cycle already ride bikes. The people who you want to reach out to are those who don't feel confident cycling. Simply putting in a cycle lane along the side of a busy road does not make people feel safe and comfortable – that's why we need to bite the bullet and put in proper cycle paths."

The number of cyclists hospitalised by collisions with vehicles in Bristol dropped from 41 in 2014 to 33 last year.

The number of non-vehicle collisions also fell, from 113 to 92.

[stuving]

Cyclists in Bristol are five times more likely to be injured in crashes which do not involve other road users.
...
Collisions with cars and other vehicles only account for about one fifth of incidents in which the cyclist needs hospital treatment, figures reveal.
...

So, never let a journalist near any numbers, then. If the collisions with cars are one fifth, and other accidents are four fifths, what's the ratio between them? Five?

There's something odd about the numbers as quoted too, but that's in the source quoted (Bristol Cycling Campaign). Their figures (from an unidentified source) are:
2014   2015   Reason for hospital admission
0   0   Pedal cyclist injured in collision with pedestrian or animal            
4   4   Pedal cyclist injured in collision with other pedal cycle            
0   1   Pedal cyclist inj'd in coll'n with 2-3 wheeled motor vehicle            
41   33   Pedal cyclist inj'd in coll'n with car pick-up truck or van            
3   0   Pedal cyclist inj'd in coll'n with hvy transport veh or bus            
0   0   Pedal cyclist injured in collision with oth nonmotor vehicle            
10   10   Pedal cyclist inj'd in coll'n with fixed/stationary object            
113   92   Pedal cyclist injured in noncollision transport accident            
22   23   Pedal cyclist injured in oth and unspc transport accidents            
193   163   Total   
   

[grahame]

One of the side effects of encouraging far more people to cycle rather than use other means of transport is going to be to increase the number of cyclist injury.  Double the cycle mileage, with an increase in cycle injuries of 50% and actually cycling has become safer than it was!

Move cycles off the roads onto their own cycleways and to shared paths and you will decrease the number of collisions with road vehicles (good) though you might increase the number of collisions with pedestrians.   Are there figures for the numbers of pedestrians admitted to hospital due to collisions with cyclists?

Good so see the data and have it set us thinking ... but so dangerously easy to draw incorrect conclusions.  We also miss the severity of the injuries from the reports, and as it's based on hospital admissions, any very regrettable "passed away at the scene" situations are excluded from the figures.