SUNDAY, 14 JULY 2019
For the first time in a very long time, I have been lucky enough to have had the chance to read lots of guidance and to catch up a little on designing for cycling.
This post was going to be a bit of a review of what is out there, but frankly, after getting more acquainted with the Dutch CROW Design Manual for Cycle Traffic, I thought this was worth concentrating on.
Luckily, the Dutch speak better English than I, so the manual is available in English, although you’ll have to save up as it’s €135 which is an eye-watering amount to spend. However, as an engineer, it’s a cracking read (and I am still working through it) and I shall be rereading it a great deal.
“But, RH, we can’t do this in the UK” I hear some of you cry. Well, traffic signals are awkward because the Dutch (and many other countries) have priority for ahead movements with right turners (UK left) having to give priority, although it is often the case that the Dutch don’t rely on this because it is still risky – in this video, you’ll see a combination of “hold the right (UK left) turn” on the main road and give way turning right on the side road where there isn’t space for a turn right lane;
I digress slightly, because the CROW Manual spends lots of time on the principles and the UK can copy most of what’s in there (although there are a couple of things we shouldn’t copy).
We are constantly reminded that the design approach puts cycling ahead of motor traffic in many cases, but where it cannot, then alternatives can be used to keep the modes apart – I am thinking of grade separation at large roads where surface level crossings would be risky;
