Junctions and crossings
Headline Messages:
Three-quarters of cyclists' collisions happen at or near junctions, so providing cycle lanes or paths that stop short of one (or at it), doesn't help tackle one of the most serious hazards that cyclists face on the road network.
Apart from training people how to negotiate junctions safely and confidently, there are several things that road engineers can do to make these locations more cycle-friendly in the first place.
Signalled junctions, for instance, are usually better than roundabouts, while well planned, designed and implemented Advanced Stop Lines (ASLs), special cycle phases and detectors can be particularly helpful.
If there’s no avoiding a roundabout, it can be improved for cyclists by narrowing the circulatory carriageway, minimising the number of entry and exit lanes, and slowing drivers down by making the entry and exit angles tighter.
Shared-use pedestrian and cycle crossings
Cyclists tend to prefer direct routes – and safe ones, of course. Consequently, they often want to cross a road, but not necessarily at a road traffic junction (although once they’ve used the crossing, they may need to rejoin the carriageway).
Toucans (light controlled crossings shared with pedestrians) usually provide a very workable arrangement; and for very busy roads, high quality subways or bridges are not only often welcome to cyclists, but can also help connect communities severed by an otherwise impassable road.
Cycle path crossings of side roads
Cycle paths alongside the carriageway are often intersected by side roads or driveways. Cyclists are rarely given priority over them and these locations can put them at risk. There are engineering measures that can help make drivers more aware of cyclists at these points (e.g.raised tables over the crossing).
CTC View (formal statement of CTC's policy):
We are currently revising and updating our views on infrastructure and these will be published in due course. In the meantime, these are extracts from CTC's current Policy Handbook.
- Features such as advanced stop lines (ASLs), priority approaches and special cycle phases should be incorporated at junctions.
- Signalled junctions are often preferable to roundabouts. However mini-roundabouts may be used as a speed control measure in traffic calming schemes and this may benefit cyclists.
- Increasing the entry deflection, narrowing the circulatory carriageway and providing circulatory lane markings can improve safety on roundabouts.
- Loop-detectors controlling traffic signals should be tuned to detect cyclists.
- All new schemes should be audited for cycle friendliness and as much of the existing transport network should be reviewed likewise.
- Subways and overbridges should be of high quality with good sightlines, sensible gradients, lighting and sufficient width. Converted footways are generally disliked by pedestrians and cyclists and should be avoided by transport planners. Low cost schemes to convert existing subways into shared use facilities are rarely satisfactory. Overbridges should be cycle friendly and not have steps.
- Toucan crossings are shared light controlled crossings. They allow cyclists and pedestrians to cross roads in safety, and are a good example of workable and cost effective facilities.
Publication Date:
April 2012