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Is this Plymouth's shortest cycle path?

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Thursday, December 06, 2012
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Plymouth Herald

AS CYCLE routes go, it is nothing like the Tour de France.

Indeed at just 2.5 metres, it is not even as long as a tour of the average front room.

  1. Is this Plymouth's shortest cycle path?

    Is this Plymouth's shortest cycle path?

So is this cycle lane on the Ridgeway, off Deep Lane roundabout in Plympton, the shortest in Plymouth, if not the world?

It certainly had locals scratching their heads in wonderment. And as one bemused passer-by remarked: "It seems ridiculous. Is it really worth having such a small cycle path?"

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The answer, as Plymouth City Council told us, is apparently yes. A spokeswoman said: "The red area marks where the off-road pedestrian and cycle route ends and cyclists join with general traffic.

"It is designed to alert motorists to cyclists joining the road, as well as give cyclists the space to do so safely."

Can you beat this? Do you know of any other unusual road markings in Plymouth? Email news@theplymouthherald.co.uk, with photos if possible, along with your contact phone number.

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Comments

  • Profile image for Foldart

    by Foldart

    Friday, December 07 2012, 8:53AM

    “It's a warning to drivers that irresponsible cyclists are liable to join the carriageway without looking.”

  • Profile image for Monkeyman

    by Monkeyman

    Thursday, December 06 2012, 9:31PM

    “@wordwizard Unfortunately drivers are unable to consider anything or make decisions unless told to do so by signs and plenty of them.”

  • Profile image for haunt

    by haunt

    Thursday, December 06 2012, 6:55PM

    “there was recently a program that proved that drivers were more cautious driving on roads with fewer markings and paint distracting them”

  • Profile image for Wordwizard

    by Wordwizard

    Thursday, December 06 2012, 6:50PM

    “As a driver, I would have thought seeing a person on a bike would do more to warn that a cyclist was joining the road than yet another mysterious road marking. More and more road markings and signs just distract from actually watching for other motorists, cyclist and pedestrians.
    BANG! "Oh sorry. I was too busy trying to work out what that silly splodge on the road meant to see your coming."”

  • Profile image for nothalf

    by nothalf

    Thursday, December 06 2012, 5:47PM

    “This is a job for Tudor Evans- road painter and all round profligate”

  • Profile image for stratobuddy

    by stratobuddy

    Thursday, December 06 2012, 5:30PM

    “PCC please note - - - - a cycle path is NOT a white line painted on the road!

    I don't think that white line would offer much protection against a lorry, however long it was.”

  • Profile image for haunt

    by haunt

    Thursday, December 06 2012, 3:17PM

    “Brett Nicolle, CTC Cycling Development Officer, Plymouth
    CTC, The National Cycling Charity"

    Wow, good job”

  • Profile image for timplymouth

    by timplymouth

    Thursday, December 06 2012, 3:00PM

    “It's been there for about 3 years, they just painted it red. Looks sensible to me

    Don't know if these will work:

    http://tinyurl.com/bhtsz7f

    null

  • Profile image for Brett_Nicolle

    by Brett_Nicolle

    Thursday, December 06 2012, 11:59AM

    “This photograph is taken totally out of context of the highway infrastructure at this junction. The developer has essentially built a cyclists segregated left turn filter and this small marked 'build out' gives drivers warning to be aware of cyclists re-joining the lane from the left. Taking the cyclist off the carriageway before the roundabout onto a dedicated cycle path so they do not turn left with the traffic and back onto the next exiting carrigeway to continue their journey is a sensible approach. In my mind this is a good scheme that can only improve safety at this junction, particualrly in relation to left turning traffic collisions. The greatest number of cyclist fatalities happen at left turns. It is the first junction motorists encounter when exiting from the busy A38 onto a large mixed residential and industrial area, so there is high traffic flow and a high proprtion of large vehicles. It could be improved by having a sheltered build out instead of just road markings, giving the joining cyclist physical protection and then continuing on into a cycle lane if the road was widened to allow this and by 'squaring-off' the exits of the junction at Wolverwood Lane to slow turns into this exit, but it seems to be well implemented otherwise.

    Taken as a whole scheme, this infrastructure represents a significant improvement for cyclists safety over a conventional roundabout layout.

    Brett Nicolle, CTC Cycling Development Officer, Plymouth
    CTC, The National Cycling Charity”

  • Profile image for DoNotBook

    by DoNotBook

    Thursday, December 06 2012, 10:39AM

    “I beleive this nonsense. This council, this country, this news network!

    I tell you who I blame, that Veronica Corningstone!

    It is quite clearly CYCLIST not CYCLELADY!”

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