Anniversary Report - parked cars
We received 18 references to problems associated with parked cars. Respondents feel inconvenienced and endangered by vehicles parked in cycle lanes. It feels unsafe when they are forced to weave in and out between the the bicycle lane and the “car” lane, and yet the presence of the cycle lane means that they feel pressurised by car drivers to return to the cycle lane whenever there is a gap in the parked cars. There were also concerns expressed about places where the cycle lane is to the right of car parking bays, but too close to the parked cars, with not enough space left for car doors to open.
Cycle lanes are largely useless because ... cars are allowed to park in them.
I frequently cycle along Burton road between Langford Road and Nell Lane, which can be stressful due to the number of parked cars affecting space and visibility. It is dangerous around Tesco's because of vehicles, including large delivery lorries parking on the road and pavement and often opening their doors without checking for cyclists
A suggestion: Penalties for drivers continually parking on cycle paths.
Curry Mile : despite cycle lane people park in it as the proper kerbside parks are full
Better Parking enforcement [needed] in Rusholme in the evening - too much double parking
Protected cycle lane (i.e. not parked on or driven on, ideally with a barrier!)
It would be safer if drivers looked in their wing-mirror before opening car doors after they park up!
Parrs Wood Road has a cycle lane but it always has cars parked in it
Stop taxis using cycle lanes as taxi ranks. Owens Park is a good example
Parrs Wood Road: The recently established cycle lane is full of parked cars. If anything, it feels more dangerous than before as motorists expect us to pull over and then we have to get back in the traffic stream. How to improve: Provide more off road parking, then prohibit parking on cycle tracks.
Lloyd Street: The bike lane that avoids the barrier when you get to the town hall is often blocked by cars.
Northenden Road, the one-way section outside the parades of shops (East bound): The cycle lane is placed next to car parking bays used by shoppers to nip to the shops from early in the morning to the evening. Also the bays hidden by the blind bend are used by large lorries in the morning. For cyclists heading to Northenden the cycle lane is on the wrong side of the road It is rare that a cycle lane or path makes cycling safer, most are very badly designed. I daily avoid this cycle lane in Sale Moor outside the shops as it is right next to the parked cars with the occupants opening the doors wide (without looking) to nip to the shops. Also I would be compromised and squeezed on rounding the blind bend when confronting the large lorries. How to improve: making the cycle lane 2.5 metres wide with a door widths section next to the car parking bays hatched - to indicate to cyclists not to enter this danger zone. Terminate the cycle lane (but not the hatching) at the point I have indicated because cyclists may need to be on the right of the road to continue to Northenden. Paint warning red triangles with white cycle icons in the middle of the road downstream of this point along the one-way section. Alternatively, remove the cycle lane completely paint hatching on the road in the door zones and paint warning triangles with cycle icons in the middle of the road along all one-way sections. There is a case for getting rid of most cycle lanes in Trafford and repainting the cycle icons at least 2 metres from the kerb where motorists can see them. As demonstrated by Warrington Cycle Campaign, the presence of a cycle lane line lures motorists dangerously close to the cyclist.
