RANT: Cape Town City cycle lanes

[BLACKvoodoo]

I've got one of those shiny bells on my handlebars. My thumb works overtime in the afternoons through Albert Road in Woodstock. At about 10m to go, if no response, I start talking to the guys ahead (in the cycle lane) ... loudly, but politely   ... 

 

I am also losing some rubber on my rear wheel with the J-walkers between the cars ... twice this week had to make emergency stops as people appear in my path as they move between the queued (slow-moving) vehicles ...

HIPSTERS RULE!!

[Pure Savage]

Has anyone else noticed that coming into town through Woodstock that in the nice little lane we now have, they have carved some trenches big enough to give you a pinch flat across only the bike lane?

[EddieV]

Has anyone else noticed that coming into town through Woodstock that in the nice little lane we now have, they have carved some trenches big enough to give you a pinch flat across only the bike lane?

 

They were massive through May    , but seems as if most of them have now been filled up, especially now that they started to paint the lanes green ...  

[Pure Savage]

Here is the green down Woodstock

[J∆kk∆ls]

Seems about right...and motorist wonder why we still cycle in the road regardless of the cycle lanes. Glass is also becoming a bigger problem these days, might be that peeps don't know how to drive/ride in the rain!

[EddieV]

Here is the green down Woodstock

 

Nice photo!

 

A perfect reflection of what happens  ...  Taxi is using the green cycle lanes to move past the traffic and the vehicles moving left to try and block it from passing ......   

[Hairy]

I use a whistle now when I need to get pedestrians attention ... amassing how many walk with earphones in.

[DJR]

Here is the green down Woodstock

I rode through there on Sunday and it was the same story. Many cars were parked over the green lane. We had to swing in and out of the traffic, which is much more dangerous than just staying in the traffic. The only solution is for the CapeTown Traffic Department to do some serious towing of illegally parked vehicles. Don't fine them, it gets laughed off and never paid. Force them to go fetch their towed cars from the pound, charge them a big fat fine and make it a schlep. Soon enough that lane will stay clear. City of Cape Town! Do something!

[Pure Savage]

I rode through there on Sunday and it was the same story. Many cars were parked over the green lane. We had to swing in and out of the traffic, which is much more dangerous than just staying in the traffic. The only solution is for the CapeTown Traffic Department to do some serious towing of illegally parked vehicles. Don't fine them, it gets laughed off and never paid. Force them to go fetch their towed cars from the pound, charge them a big fat fine and make it a schlep. Soon enough that lane will stay clear. City of Cape Town! Do something!

while I was during on the traffic not moving due to stop and go watching these guts paint said green lane around a car that had not moved I thought it would be really funny if they just paint a green arrow across the roof of cars parked in the lane.

[DJR]

Come to think of it, the solution is simply to get the tow truck vultures to remove the illegally parked cars, and to remunerate them, simply add R1000 to the fine. Those guys take zero **** from anybody, unlike the poofter traffic police.

[carbon29er]

Come to think of it, the solution is simply to get the tow truck vultures to remove the illegally parked cars, and to remunerate them, simply add R1000 to the fine. Those guys take zero **** from anybody, unlike the poofter traffic police.

Discussed this with Brett Herron of City. Unfortunately removing vehicles was challenged in courts by a selfish parker whose car was towed and found to be illegal. Solution is clamping but resources are limited, ie, law enforcement is busy removing excrement tossing tyre burning mobs or dodging gangland bullets, parked car crime is not seen as crime.  I'm told this issue will be addressed in the renewal of the parking management tender later this year.

[DJR]

Discussed this with Brett Herron of City. Unfortunately removing vehicles was challenged in courts by a selfish parker whose car was towed and found to be illegal. .................

Why on earth could it be illegal for law enforcement to tow away a vehicle that is illegally parked? If it blocks a fire hydrant, tow it! If it blocks traffic, tow it. If it occupies a bus stop, tow it, if it blocks a cycle lane, tow it!. All of those create dangerous situations for other people, no court in its' right mind should rule against towing where it is justified. Otherwise the law should be changed. I say ZERO tolerance is needed, for BOTH cyclists and drivers!

Edited June 13, 2015 by DJR

[DJR]

Come to think of it, what would law enforcement do if I park my Landy with trailer square across Nelson Mandela Blvd one morning and prevent all movement of traffic into the city? I bet you I'll get towed ten types of scorching sideways ****! I call bull**** on this no towing thing. If Law enforcement does not tow, then it is because they don't have the balls to do it, because they are just too chicken or too lazy to do the job they are paid to do by you and me!

[DJR]

Btw Carbon29er, my brimstone is not directed at you, but rather at the City of Cape Town Law Enforcement, Traffic Department, Metro Police and such!

[DJR]

Well, this is what it looked like a few minutes ago when I rode through Woodstock and Salt River. I estimate 100 cars parked in the green lane between the Old Castle Brewery and the River Club.  Just look at the gap between the car and the truck! Deadly!    

 

It is NEVER going to work unless something drastic is done. Paid street parking, fines, parking marshals, towing, just do it City of Cape Town! You have to follow through! Perhaps Patricia De Lille can borrow a tank from the Army and go crush a line of illegally parked cars while the TV cameras roll, like the mayor of Tiblisi did in Georgia.

 

Otherwise sandblast the green lanes off the road and learn something from a failed experiment! Perhaps our fellow South Africans are just too bloody wayward when it comes to obeying the law.  Totally physically separated cycle lanes seem to me the only solution.   

[Hairy]

Well, this is what it looked like a few minutes ago when I rode through Woodstock and Salt River. I estimate 100 cars parked in the green lane between the Old Castle Brewery and the River Club.  Just look at the gap between the car and the truck! Deadly!    

 

It is NEVER going to work unless something drastic is done. Paid street parking, fines, parking marshals, towing, just do it City of Cape Town! You have to follow through! Perhaps Patricia De Lille can borrow a tank from the Army and go crush a line of illegally parked cars while the TV cameras roll, like the mayor of Tiblisi did in Georgia.

 

Otherwise sandblast the green lanes off the road and learn something from a failed experiment! Perhaps our fellow South Africans are just too bloody wayward when it comes to obeying the law.  Totally physically separated cycle lanes seem to me the only solution.   

As much as I hate the concept, I think moving towards a "sticker on offending cars" movement might have to happen