‘Pavements are not for cyclists’ plea

12:00pm Wednesday 21st November 2012 in News

SUMMERTOWN residents are hoping to find a way of making the area’s pavements safer.

A public meeting will be held next month to discuss the issue after a survey was carried out into cycling on pavements.

In a police crackdown in Headington a few months ago, police officers handed out 12 fixed penalty notices to cyclists on pavements in just a few hours.

And Summertown residents believe the issue is just as bad in their area, which led them to carry out a survey in Banbury Road.

According to their figures, 52 per cent of those interviewed agreed that cycling on pavements was a major issue in the Oxford area, with one in four having personal experience of being “harassed” by cyclists cycling dangerously on pavements.

Summertown resident Layla Moran said: “Three in five cyclists admitted occasionally cycling on pavements, with concerns for their safety in the road being stated as the main reason why.

“We need to find a solution that works for us as local residents.”

Summertown city councillors Jean Fooks and Stuart McCready will be holding a public meeting on Friday, December 7, at 7.30pm in the annexe of the North Oxford Association Community centre in Diamond Place to discuss this and related issues.

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Comments(18)

sablond oxford says...
1:15pm Wed 21 Nov 12

A couple of months ago I experienced a cyclists verbal abuse when I challenged him for riding on the path in Summertown, when his daughter rang her bell for me (a pedestrian on the foot path) to get out of the way. There was a cycle path right alongside, and when I pointed this out, her said he wasn’t taking his daughter on a busy road. So he would rather break the law by riding on the path, than get off and push their bikes.
I wouldn’t have minded so much if they had tried to avoid me, but they expected a pedestrian walking on the path to get out of their way! To top it off he said I shouldn’t have been walking along wearing headphones as I was walking away, unfortunately for him, if I’m walking along a busy road I don’t have music playing, so I heard him and was able to answer back. He was the one breaking the law and then insulted me for wearing headphones walking on a foot path, which last time I checked wasn’t illegal!

I’m not unreasonable and understand his point about taking a young child on a cycle path on a busy road, but I do think it is totally rude to expect pedestrians to get out of their way when I was walking on the foot path. He was the sort of person that gives cyclists a bad name, and not a good example to set to a young child!

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Andrew:Oxford says...
1:49pm Wed 21 Nov 12

Mobility scooters (not to be confused with a powered wheelchair) are worse than bicycles on the pavements!

Unlike bicycles, scooters can stop and suddenly reverse...

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King Joke says...
3:05pm Wed 21 Nov 12

Yes but scooters only do 8 mph - cycles can go much faster.

As a cyclist you have every right to be on the road, and you should jolly well claim it. Annoying pedestrians by using their space is uncalled for.

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SteveOX4 says...
3:19pm Wed 21 Nov 12

King Joke wrote:
Yes but scooters only do 8 mph - cycles can go much faster.

As a cyclist you have every right to be on the road, and you should jolly well claim it. Annoying pedestrians by using their space is uncalled for.
Scooters used on pavements are supposed to be restricted to 4mph, 8mph is for use on roads.

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Cursory Glance says...
3:27pm Wed 21 Nov 12

I find the kids that ride on the pavements around Cricket Road to be very intimidating. They often ride two abreast and think that staring me down as I approach them is the way to make pedestrians move out of their way. Unfortunately there are also a small minority of adult cyclists who claim the Cricket Road pavement as their own too; I find their whole attitude towards pedestrians to be entirely lacking in respect and I wish the police would patrol there occasionally to make people feel a little safer, particularly as the afternoons get darker.

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Pavinder Msvarensy says...
3:55pm Wed 21 Nov 12

Summertown resident Layla Moran said: “Three in five cyclists admitted occasionally cycling on pavements, with concerns for their safety in the road being stated as the main reason why.

So does that mean that when I feel unsafe on the road driving my little fiat 500 amongst those big scary lorries and buses, I can use it as an excuse for driving on the pavement as well?

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King Joke says...
4:04pm Wed 21 Nov 12

The speed limit at this point is 20 mph, so there is no need to feel scared. Where the limit goes back up to 30 mph there is a marked cycle lane, and further away along the Ban Rd there are bus lanes in some places, so you are a good 2-3m away from general traffic. The Ban Rd is well-provided for for cyclists and is safe.

I think the 'safety' excuse is a bit lame really, it's just laziness. If you're wearing a helmet, hi-viz vest and using lights in the dark, and if you're familiar with the Highway Code, the Ban Rd is perfectly safe.

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Paul0 says...
5:38pm Wed 21 Nov 12

This battle is already lost. Cyclists feel free to cycle on any pavement anywhere, even when there is little or no traffic on the road. Cyclists have also taken over pedestrianised streets and squares, rail and bus stations, and shopping precincts. Just getting in their way will result in abuse and threats. Pedestrians have seen a real degradation of their experience: no-one can take a stress-free walk in the city any more. How did it happen? Well, about ten years ago well-meaning councils put cycle lanes on some low-traffic pavements. Great idea, kept cyclists safer, but unfortunately it legitimated the idea that you can cycle off-road and before long cyclists decided that it's "access all areas". Is it reversible? I doubt it. Can we make it work better? Only if we become as courteous and rule-abiding as the Dutch or the Germans, and cycle safely and predictably -- but I think we'll take a while to achieve that. In the meantime, we'll just have a very British muddle and bad temper.

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xjohnx says...
6:40pm Wed 21 Nov 12

All the pavement cycling problems might be solved if cyclists obeyed the same laws as everybody else.

I'm fed up with high handed cyclists breaking the law with impunity.

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Sophia says...
6:15am Thu 22 Nov 12

No sensible person can doubt that cycling on the pavement is the biggest threat we face to our way of life and if not defeated, may end not only civilisation but conceivably, all human life. In Summertown. Of course, elsewhere, it's just a mild nuisance which we dont get worked too up about

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davyboy says...
7:12am Thu 22 Nov 12

cycling on the pavement is illegal, as is not using lights at night, ignoring stop lights and signs, and going the wrong way up one way streets, but you see these things every day. i can, however, understand children being on the pavement, as many are not capable of dealing with traffic. they must think of pedestrians, who have priority use of pavements.

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EMBOX1 says...
1:36pm Thu 22 Nov 12

Well instead of this endless drivers vs. cyclists debate, how about everyone who moans on here actually keep a digital camera in the car and photo cyclists/drivers breaking the law (when safe to do so, of course).

I have thought about starting a website to let people post images of this on - I must see 10 cyclists a day jumping reds, and maybe 2 car drivers doing something stupid (or extremely dangerous, as on the A34 this morning).

Good idea?

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Pavinder Msvarensy says...
6:52pm Thu 22 Nov 12

I have thought the same embox, but don't have the computer nous. But if you set one up I'll be happy to contribute, you will have a years worth of material from just 20 minutes stood filming by the station entrance.

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AJT2009 says...
11:41pm Thu 22 Nov 12

They are a pain in the arse on the pavement or on the road!! They drive me mad, they think they can just do what ever the want to do, use any lane they want, or ride on the path..

I don't think they should be on the road to be fair, because they are dangerous, I've nearly knocked a few off because they just come out of no where, or get in the wrong lane on round arbours, or jump the traffic lights...

If they want to ride on the road, make them pay bloody tax, I have to pay it on my car, but don't have the luxury of taking a short cut on a path!!!

We have all these cycle lanes USE them... I hate cyclist full stop....

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daft_evader says...
7:18pm Fri 23 Nov 12

AJT2009 wrote:
They are a pain in the arse on the pavement or on the road!! They drive me mad, they think they can just do what ever the want to do, use any lane they want, or ride on the path..

I don't think they should be on the road to be fair, because they are dangerous, I've nearly knocked a few off because they just come out of no where, or get in the wrong lane on round arbours, or jump the traffic lights...

If they want to ride on the road, make them pay bloody tax, I have to pay it on my car, but don't have the luxury of taking a short cut on a path!!!

We have all these cycle lanes USE them... I hate cyclist full stop....
Cyclists do pay tax: income tax, VAT, council tax, etc. Many also own cars and so pay VED. Roads are funded out of general taxation.

As for cyclists coming 'out of nowhere' thats more or less what the lady who hit Bradley Wiggins is reported to have said...

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## Nonny Mouse ## says...
8:20am Tue 27 Nov 12

Pavinder Msvarensy wrote:
Summertown resident Layla Moran said: “Three in five cyclists admitted occasionally cycling on pavements, with concerns for their safety in the road being stated as the main reason why.

So does that mean that when I feel unsafe on the road driving my little fiat 500 amongst those big scary lorries and buses, I can use it as an excuse for driving on the pavement as well?
If big scary Lorries and Buses are constantly trying to overtake your car in an urban environment, you are doing something wrong.

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olafpalme says...
11:40am Tue 27 Nov 12

Saw a van driving down the pavement to get past a jam this morning. He cut off a cyclist who was on the road, in order to climb onto the pavement.

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NinjaBiscuits says...
12:46pm Tue 27 Nov 12

AJT2009 wrote:
They are a pain in the arse on the pavement or on the road!! They drive me mad, they think they can just do what ever the want to do, use any lane they want, or ride on the path..

I don't think they should be on the road to be fair, because they are dangerous, I've nearly knocked a few off because they just come out of no where, or get in the wrong lane on round arbours, or jump the traffic lights...

If they want to ride on the road, make them pay bloody tax, I have to pay it on my car, but don't have the luxury of taking a short cut on a path!!!

We have all these cycle lanes USE them... I hate cyclist full stop....
As a motorist and cyclist I find this view terrifying that you are on the same road as me (then again I'm one of the few who signals correctly in a car, and stops at red lights on a bike). Just calm down and give everyone space, especially squishable people!

Also, FYI, cyclists can use either lane on roundabouts, so it is you that is in the wrong, not them - I quote the highway code: "cyclists and horse riders who may stay in the left-hand lane and signal right if they intend to continue round the roundabout".

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