highlandsflyer":242mk9ob said:Neil":242mk9ob said:I realise you are very much in favour of cycle paths, and don't really want to hear anything against them..
..the problems betwixt some drivers and cyclists truly does need addressing
You don't need to start with suggestions I have a blinkered view on this. No one reasonably would conclude I cannot appreciate the whole argument. I would be quite happy to see cars banned from most city centre areas and restricted to 10mph in areas where there is a mix of pedestrians, cyclists and such. I happen to favour complete separation where possible. I don't agree increasing separation will automatically result in drivers polarising to the view cyclists should not be on the road. Even if it does that is a problem to be dealt with rather than a reason not to go ahead with creating more safe discrete cycle ways. For the foreseeable future of course cars and bicycles will share most of the network.
Addressing the attitudes of drivers is not an alternative to providing more safe cycle routes. It is something that should be done in parallel. However, no amount of attitude changing will make travelling along a busy carriageway where the average speed of traffic is 50+ safe for cyclists.
For those scenarios most intelligent and reasonable people would see the need for separation.
1. Complete separation is never going to happen in our lifetimes.
2. The more instances where cyclists are marginalised - because there are facilities in other areas, will have them seen as the exception and not the rule.
3. Cyclists have had to co-exist with motorised traffic on 50+ roads for decades. But all the same - separation due to higher speed traffic, doesn't mean it should be done everywhere - nor that the argument applies everywhere. And realistically, will never be everywhere, in the foreseeable.
4. Look at pedestrianisation of town centres - that's done for the benefits of pedestrians, not saying I buy into it completely, but the rationale for that, being that where there are no clear distinctions, then motorists HAVE to give more duty of care to any pedestrians. Why should that logic be suddenly reversed for the cycling scenario?