Heading in to work today (slower than usual having taken a MTB to the ribs in Hamsterley yesterday) I saw that the line marking on Northgate is now in place for the contraflow cycle lane and the bus stops.
The cycle lane allows bikes to travel against the direction of the one way system on Northgate, from Boots to McDonalds. It is a ‘mandatory’ cycle lane, being painted with a solid white lane, meaning that vehicles should not enter it at any time. There are also double yellow lines in place. This morning, a secure courier van was parked in the cycle lane outside the bank, meaning anyone trying to use the lane would have to pull out around the van into the path of oncoming vehicles…
Access to the bike lane, when coming from the Pedestrian Heart, is via a bit of road which allows cyclists to bypass the No Entry signs. This morning there was a delivery truck parked in this bit of road, forcing cyclists to ride through the No Entry signs, into the path of oncoming vehicles…
Update: This morning there was another van parked in the bike lane as I rode past in the opposite direction, forcing anyone heading out of town into the path of oncoming buses (who get very close to the bike lane when coming off the roundabout).
Tomorrow morning I’ll be carrying a camera with me and will photograph any vehicles parked in the cycle lane. Stay tuned…