Filtering down nearside

[James]

I rode into work tonight and had a very pleasant journey all in all, but a query has emerged.

As I passed through the A3 bottleneck (3 lanes 50mph limit >> 1 lane 30mph limit) I was keen to make the most of filtering down the outside of my lane and make progress into town, as this stretch of road is always a solid line for about 1 mile of cars bumper to bumper. Howeverm upon taking up my position, I felt it to risky to do this, as traffic coming the other way was heavy, with numerous large vehicles towards, and because traffic in my lane was solid there were little/no stop over gaps.

I then noticed a nice path down the inside of the lane with more than enough room to pass. The area is around 1 foot in width and shaded greenm but it is part of the carriageway (i.e there are NO kerbs or lane seperater's). Cycles are painted on it sporadiclly, but there are no road signs or other signature. It made sense to gently filter down the inside, at around 15-20mph, paying usual attention to junctions and options, and dealing with each vehicles as one hazard, moving past them one by one.

It was all in all a successful maneouvre, but, something in the back of my mind quesitoned whether I should really be doing this. Cycle lanes are very new and I am not aware of any offences of contravening them, the only offence I can find is parking a mechaniclly propelled vehiclei n one, contarary to section 21(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and Schedule 2 to the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988.

On a seperate note, it was interesting to remember that I must not be using bus lanes in restriction either, tempting as it was.

[James]

This is the road, I came in left to right, where the 3 lanes become 1.

link


You can zoom in and move it around with your mouse

[vonhosen]

You shouldn't cross the solid line into a mandatory cycle lane during it's hours of operation.

[James]

Ok then...

There were no hours of operation that I could see for the shaded bit.

Also, "shouldn't" or "mustn't"...?

[James]

Initial posts edited : the shaded area is part of the road and there are NO kerbs or lane dividers anywhere. It is seperated from the road by a broken white line

[vonhosen]

Solid = mustn't

Broken = should avoid

[James]

I knew that much, it was really whether being in this shaded area in itself was a no no. I don't feel that it is and cannot find legislation to make me think otherwise.

[Gareth]

I think the authorities like to splash patches of colour on the road to suggest it shouldn't be used. Just another example of how the road environment is being degraded for those that it is meant to serve.

[James]

Thats what I had thought aswell.

Sometimes the research needed to find out what you can and can't do seems so intense, it's a wonder people bother to to do it in the first place. Bet those who dont have access to the PNLD struggle to find out simple answers such as this!

[Rick]

So the conclusion is?

Also would you get nicked for filtering down a cycle lane with broken white lines if there are no cyclists around?

[James]

Well even if ther are cyclists, it seems there is no offence of using a cycle lane in any mechanically propelled vehicle. Some lanes have raised kerbs and are only wide enough for cycles, but those shaded areas that form part of the road sem only a suggested route for bikes, not an enforcable lane.

[vonhosen]

Well even if ther are cyclists, it seems there is no offence of using a cycle lane in any mechanically propelled vehicle. Some lanes have raised kerbs and are only wide enough for cycles, but those shaded areas that form part of the road sem only a suggested route for bikes, not an enforcable lane.

There is an offence but only where you cross a solid line (mandatory cycle lane) in hours of operation.

[TripleS]

I thought I had heard recently that in some areas cycle lanes are (or soon will be) monitored by cameras, and any driver straying slightly into the lane (even if there are no cyclists around) will get his photo taken and be hit with a £100 penalty.

Some of this 'progress' is quite wonderful is it not?

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[Rick]

Well even if ther are cyclists, it seems there is no offence of using a cycle lane in any mechanically propelled vehicle. Some lanes have raised kerbs and are only wide enough for cycles, but those shaded areas that form part of the road sem only a suggested route for bikes, not an enforcable lane.

There is an offence but only where you cross a solid line (mandatory cycle lane) in hours of operation.

So to filter down a broken lined cycle lane is legal? I am just checking as I do this every day on my commute (or not depending on the answer)

[James]

Thats how I see it. There are different types of cycle lane, those that are desginated and enforceable which will be signed, kerbed or seperatred by a sold white line, and those that I posted about, a grey area'd shaded part of the road that has been painted as a suggested route for bicycles but is not signed or seperated from the carriegeway.