An evidence-based Cochrane Review study is to investigate effectiveness of cycle infrastructure for getting more Brits on bikes.
‘Maximising cycling safety to improve public health’ is a Cochrane Review. These are systematic reviews of primary research in human health care and health policy, and are internationally recognised as the highest standard in evidence-based health care.
Researchers at The University of Nottingham are leading the study which will assess the effectiveness of the UK's current cycling infrastructure and look at how other countries have used street engineering to improve safety for cyclists thereby leading to increased levels of cycling, a public health benefit.
The research has been funded by the National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research (NIHR PHR) Programme and the team of public health researchers are working with members of cycle campaign groups and Nottingham University Hospitals Trust’s Bicycle Users Group. The work will examine and compare the effectiveness of a wide variety of cycling infrastructure in developed countries.
Injury prevention specialist Dr Caroline Mulvaney said: “At a time when we hear much about increasing levels of obesity and reducing levels of activity, the benefits of cycling cannot be underestimated. There is a wider benefit to public health in fewer car journeys and therefore cleaner air.”
Hugh McClintock, from Nottingham's cycle campaign group PEDALS, said: “Recent months have seen a very high profile for cycling both as a sport and as a means of daily transport and also for the potential risks that are too often still faced by cyclists on our roads and streets. This clearly increased interest makes the focus of the cycling infrastructure study even more timely and important. A wide review of modern cycling infrastructure like cycle lanes, cycle boxes at traffic lights and cycle specific regulations and signage is essential and will inform future improvements to the road network for cyclists.”
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To be of any benefit, Cycling infrastructure needs to be properly designed. Our problem has always been that the local Authority Engineers who are largely responsible for this have no specialist training or expertise in the design and implementation of Cycle-friendly infrastructure. The result has been vast sums squandered on completely useless measures masquerading as 'Cycling Infrastructure.' An example is the foolish insistence on maintaining a 'clear running lane,' generally of three metres, in conjunction with the installation of Advisory Lanes. As these Lanes (demarcated with broken white lines) have no legal status — and so may be encroached when no cycle is present — the clear running lane notion entirely defeats the object of Advisory Lanes. Cyclists are entitled to all the space they require for safe riding — they do not have to beg for it or settle for a narrow lane at the edge of the carriageway. Consequently, a narrow carriageway completely negates the possibility of a clear running lane, and gives rise to the situation when a generous-width Advisory Lane is most needed. There is no such thing as 'allocation of road space' or 'dividing up' the carriageway. All that matters is that Cyclists' rightful space should be protected and, sometimes, this may mean that other road-users cannot overtake, but must wait until it is safe to do so. Advisory Lanes, therefore, should be regarded as simply reflecting and formalising what should already be taking place — even if no lane markings exist.
David Garfield Nov 22nd 2012 at 2:46PM
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