Do Bike Lanes Actually REDUCE Traffic? | GCN Show Ep. 501

Cycle lanes are a great way to get more people on bikes but there is often a lot of opposition to new cycling infrastructure proposals from motorists. But do bike lanes in fact _reduce_ traffic? Hank & Dan discuss. We also bring you updates about SBT GRVL, Mark Beaumont’s latest challenge, a return to racing action for Egan Bernal, and all your favourite weekly segments!

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:45 This Week in Cycling
02:36 Do Cycle Lanes Reduce Traffic?
06:26 Vuelta a España
06:56 Cycling Shorts
14:07 Hack/Bodge
17:56 Caption Competition
19:55 Comments of the Week
23:10 Coming up on GCN

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How do people in your local area respond to proposals for better cycling infrastructure? Let us know in the comments below! 💬

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[gcn]

How do people in your local area respond to proposals for better cycling infrastructure?

[CJrasp]

I strongly recommend the channel Not just bikes on bikes, infrastructure, and urbanism and a thorough comparison between north america and the netherlands

[Scohen]

A gcn produced vlog series of Hank traveling around america is for sure something I would want to watch!

[gdbyemisterA]

Re: cycling lanes and travel times

There is a theory in urban design called the "Downs-Thomson Paradox" which says that when public transit (but the theory also carries to bikes or walking or any alternative means of transport to cars) is as fast or slower than going in a car, car volume in roads increases and given how cars are the least space efficient means of transporting poeple, car volume is one of the biggest predictors of traffic gridlock. When you make cycling as easy/easier than being in a car, people cycle because most people just want to get from A to B in the easiest way possible, and if that is a car, a bus, a bike or a tram, it makes no difference to them. So making public transit/cycling faster/more convenient than being in a car tends to improve journey times for all road users.

[juliusvdl]

I lived in the Netherlands and it was truly the safest, most relaxed cycling experience ive ever experienced

[ricf]

Dedicated bike lanes alongside roads are all very good apart from one aspect. And that is they are a collection point for all manner of crap and rubbish which is usually cleared by motorised traffic.
A typical case gives the cyclist the choice between riding through debris in the cycle lane or risking life, limb and abuse by riding on a clean surface. Personally speaking I hate cycle lanes because I'm compelled to use them if they exist. I want a clean ride not a stack of punctures. Authorities need to clean the cycle lanes.

[stevemawer]

The survey asked drivers to guess the speed limit. A better question would have been "how fast should you drive here". Speed limits don't represent the speed you should drive at, it's a maximum limit, not a target.

[GarethBlears]

I’ve been living in Bremen, Germany for the last six months (because of work) and the cycling infrastructure here is fantastic compared to the UK. Also, cyclists and pedestrians have the right of way at every junction. Motorists have to stop to let them cross. I know the Highway Code was recently changed to allow this but we still have a long way to go to catch up with parts of Europe.

[stevesneary]

In Long Beach California, I find the bike lanes adjacent to car lanes be an improvement over no bike lanes as the drivers do seem to be more aware of us and we get a bit more elbow room, however many tend to be too narrow to feel safe from a surprise pop open car door, as in many cases street parking is allowed and heavily done. If a door opens you can either brake or dive into traffic(never both), so I still ride very very defensively finding gaps in traffic adjacent to me and trying to match their speed if possible to make that dive into the road lane, and back while hopefully not startling the car drivers in those many locations. The shared bike lanes work well in light traffic, but many motorists don't even realize they are in one and I've experienced a few down right scary encounters with hostile and/or unaware motorists there. I head for the trails, which have their own quirks to be nice, to avoid motorists as much as possible and accept that the lanes are just an improvement when on the road. Other than that, bike lanes commonly near grade schools are dangerous when school lets out as many parent drivers are oblivious to stuff like lines painted on the pavement or what a parking spot looks like.

[ScottWaltonDev]

The effect is so strong I’ve had people argue that a cycle lane had created congestion on a high street, despite taking 0 lanes of traffic out!

[nicknelson]

Cycle lanes can be good if they’re designed well but some are so bad that they make cycling slower and more dangerous. Just 10 miles from GCN megabase in Trowbridge, the council have put cycle lanes where the road is wide and they’re not needed but they end where the road narrows.

[tammsjodin]

As a very subjective observation: in Australia it appears more common to lower the limit where cycling lanes are built, as a combined change, rather than as separate alternatives.

The “temporary”/“pop up” cycleways implemented in Sydney in 2020, such as Bridge Rd, are loud examples of this being put into practice.

[ryanmussett]

Love that about Roy Keane

I used to aggressive inline skate and train/fight Muay Thai. At 32 I developed arthritis in my neck and my back and shortly after I had a double fracture in my wrist while skating. The trauma set off arthritis in that area and as a result reduced my mobility while my wrist was healing - unfortunately this left me with a partially fused wrist and limited range of motion and strength not to mention quite a bit of pain from time to time.

I'm an athletic and competitive person and struggled to find a release for many years until I found cycling in July 2021. Not only is it a sport which I didn't know I had so much love for but I'm arguably the fittest I've ever been and at 37 years old, now working my way back to a competitive level. Cycling has really changed the game for me in many ways

[danishrover]

Glad we have cycling lanes here in DK - helps with getting about on your bike. I would say that even though cycling lanes makes it safer here you still have to look out for cars turning right as they some times can't see you before the last second and pedestrians young and old. And I would add that e-bikes makes it a little more difficult to estimate the speed of the bike because our brains are wired to how fast you pedal. But glad I don't always have to travel on roads with cars. Just my to cents. 🙂

[yijuntey]

I used to live in a country with bike lanes and took then for granted. Now i cycle on car lanes everyday and often scared of crashing into motorbikes or cars, or just hindering the driving of others. But i also understand that not every country are able to have a bike lane system due to spacial constraints. But bike lanes are definitely better than no bike lanes

[anzkful]

Given the petrol prices I would encourage to have some cycling events where motorist could try out urban cycling. They might see the road from a different angle afterwards.

[theMisadventuresofaLittleWolf]

i would love if every new motorist had to ride bikes for at least a week on our roads in the uk before getting licenced to drive, maybe then they would have more respect for other road users. I'm a cycle scotland ride leader and am still terrified taking groups onto even short road rides. It's terrifying at times.

[kevin._.farren]

I welcome cycle lanes from both the perspective of a rider and driver. As a rider I feel much safer with the dedicated lane providing separation and as a driver I like not having to worry about passing a rider in my lane. I see no downside to dedicated cycling lanes.

[ianlawrence]

Hi GCN.
Really enjoyed this episode about cycle lanes. Based on where I live, there's some absolutely awful cycle lanes which are questionable in many ways. I wondered if it's worth hosting a "let's see your worse dedicated cycle lanes" to show the importance of having well maintained and good quality cycle lanes.

[strawhorn]

I don't think it is the attitude to cycle lanes that are the problem. Its the general aggressive attitude to other road users in this country that is the problem. One example is a close pass. Drivers wouldn't close pass a slow moving truck or tractor. What are they hoping to achieve by passing close anyway? Hitting the cyclist, scaring them off the bike? Another controversial one from the other side is cyclists going through red lights. Yeah cyclists hitting people don't tend to kill them but that's not the issue. The issue is the car/truck in the live lane on green, within the speed limit, turning you into a statistic because you've suddenly appeared in front of them from a road that is on red. So basically take responsibility for your actions and keep aggressive behaviour off the roads. Those points are for ALL road users. I do think we need to move closer to the Netherland system and attitude.