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news
Cycle pathResidents claim cycle lane bollards are 'making life hell'
Residents in South Belfast say new cycle lane bollards are preventing ambulances stopping outside their homes and 'making their lives hell'.
During the pandemic, bollards were placed along the roadside edge of the cycle lane along Donegall Road by the Department of Infrastructure.
However local residents claim the bollards have caused difficulties because ambulances, deliveries and taxis are unable to stop near their homes.
> Pedestrians injured after 'dozens' trip over new cycle lane
They also allege that cyclists have stopped using the cycle lanes due to puncture fears as street sweepers are unable to clear glass from them.
Speaking to Belfast Live, Irene Cowan, who lives on the road, said: "We just want rid of them, they are causing us nothing but bother.
"There are many elderly residents who live in the bungalows along the road here and none of us are able to get ambulances to arrive safely outside of our homes. There is one poor gentleman battling cancer and it is terrible to see him struggle out of the house to try and get taken to the hospital.
"I even saw an ambulance coming down the road with its blue lights on recently and cars weren't able to get out of the way for it because there was nowhere they could go.
"Delivery drivers can't park near our homes either to drop off parcels or the shopping. These bollards are doing nothing but getting in the way and making things harder for people."
Another woman, Natalie Fletcher, said there were a number of other issues arising from the bollards being in place, as they have stopped cyclists from using the cycle lanes as often and there have been cases of children "leapfrogging" them when playing together.
She added: "Cyclists have stopped using the cycle lanes now because they get punctures with all of the glass in them.
"Most of them are on the footpath which means we are always having to watch ourselves when coming out of the house because some people fly down the hill."
> Camden cycle lane voted through despite Conservative claim road was “Too steep” for it
Local taxi firm Courtesy Cabs also claimed its drivers have also had problems with them.
A spokesperson said: "A number of our drivers have complained they have found it very difficult to turn out of certain streets due to the bollards restricting their ability to turn. There have been a number of near crashes as a result of this.
"Our elderly customers are also finding it difficult to be picked up and dropped off."
South Belfast MLA Christopher Stalford and Botanic councillor Tracey Kelly have been engaging with local residents who have found issues with the bollards and have asked the Department of Infrastructure that they be removed.
Councillor Kelly said: "There are a lot of elderly residents that live along this stretch of the Donegall Road and it would have been a regular occurrence to see an ambulance, doctor's car or hospital transport parked along here to care for them.
"They should not have to worry about whether or not an ambulance will be able to come to their home.
"This is not an issue with the cycle lane, which has worked very well for years prior to these bollards being installed. The cycle lanes are not able to be cleansed properly, many cyclists are avoiding the lanes as they are strewn with glass and other objects that may cause punctures. This is forcing cyclists onto the footpath and endangering pedestrians."
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32 comments
The Bollards went in sometime between nov 2020 and Jun 2021. The Nov 2020 streetview shows the cycle lanes were "protected" by a solid white line so the Bollards are not the thing stopping people going into it, the road law supposedly is. But because people were not following those and still blocking them off, the council decided to use Bollards instead of actual law enforcement.
Granted back on 2019 streetview, the lines were just advisory broken ones and the parked cars testify to that.
Ironically as well for the people arguing against them for Ambulance parking, that road is the same one the main hospital is on.
PS: I swear all the above was correct on streetview yesterday as the bollards was on view for the Jun 2021 dates and the solid lines on Nov 2020. However today when i was checking for the (dangerous) junctions, not one bollard or solid bike lane line exists. They have all gone. It states Jun 2021 but the view is not of that.
Do road sweepers fit down the cycle lane is the real question on this infrastructure.
If by "road sweepers", you mean someone with a broom, then yes they do.
The bollards are not the fault of the cyclists and they wouldn't even be necessary if drivers could be trusted to operate their vehicles safely, not park in cycle lanes and consider whether they could swap at least some of their car use for more sustainable forms of transport.
Indeed - don't want bollards protecting the cycle lane? Then stop driving and parking in them.
Funny how the cycle lane only became a problem when they stopped people parking in it.
The same NIMBY playbook is being used in Glasgow:
https://www.glasgowworld.com/news/people/residents-up-in-arms-over-ayr-r...
I cut my chin shaving the other day, and I'm sure it's the fault of those Belfast bollards.
Every residential non-main road in London is full of parked cars on both sides of the roads - never any complaints about them making it difficult for the residents to get to ambulances or deliveries being made - the complaints suddenly start when it's an improvement to help cyclists.
"A number of our drivers have complained they have found it very difficult to turn out of certain streets due to the bollards restricting their ability to turn. There have been a number of near crashes as a result of this."
Drivers unable to make a turn because there's a bollard protecting a lane that they shouldn't be entering anyway, and who nearly cause crashes as a result of their inability to do so, might want to consider whether they're cut out for a career in professional driving, or indeed whether they should be driving at all.
At least bollards being the worst thing they have to complain about is a sign of fnatastic progress in Belfast
They are orange...
Never mind the bollards
Here's the sex bicycles
I'll get my coat.
They really just don't like cycle paths full stop.
https://youtu.be/jqrDe1tcYJ4
How many facking ambulances stop outside your house daily????
When I used to drive deliveries I used to find a place to park and deliver. Strangely, the folk I delivered to didn't give a fack about where I parked. Why would they????
So taxis are unable to stop on the carriageway to make pickups? I should facking coco....
Ironically, there is a hospital entrance on this road.
I walked up this road on Wednesday night, after the football. I saw a couple of young lads riding along in the cycle lane and a guy in a mobility scooter going down the lane on the other side of the road. They are being used.
"Worked very well before the bollards" = I was able to park in it and block it when I liked.
I don't get why people like this don't just admit they hate cycling instead of coming up with the most ridiculous BS to try and justify ripping out safe infrastructure.
Actually I doubt it's a cycling hate thing, it's a disruption of their normal routine thing, they feel the bollards dont let them do what they used to and cant see why it was changed.
Basically people hate change, and no ones ever sat down with these people to help explain the change to them, they no doubt feel this change is being done to them and feel powerless about it.
Whilst I'm sympathetic to this argument nobody should be oblivious to the climate crisis. Johnson has spelt out the need to reduce traffic pretty clearly already but no politician is currently going to spell out the 'sacrifices' that will need to be made going forward. Mass car ownership is coming to an end. Electric cars are unlikely to be within the reach of most people and petrol and diesel cars need to be reduced significantly and in a short space of time. I do however think that the health benefits of active transport are still underplayed despite the fact it would be massively beneficial in 'protecting the NHS' and potentially saving a large amount of money.
Where is all the glass coming from? Are there fights in the street?
There are near crashes due to turning restrictions - or drivers are incapable of making low speed manoeuvres and are cutting the corner. Isn't there some form of assessment that decides whether someone can safely use a 1.5 T vehicle?
The glass thing is amazing how it attracts itself to cycle lanes, though you dont need some fancy road sweeping machine, though some councils do have them, to clean them, all they need is a person who knows how to use a broom.
that's not so easy now that 50% go to uni!
replace the bollars with a foot high kerb, and all the debris will be kept in the car lane, then sweeping is only required after deliberate vandalism of the cycle lane.
Not all glass comes from the road though, especially anywhere within a mile of a pub.
Becomes a trip hazard then, but I have to admit I thought bollards solutions were just the quick,cheap trial option to be replaced by more proper segregated lanes,like the cycle superhighways, once the trials had concluded and that would then alleviate many of the concerns people raise about them,
when in fact they appear to be now just the default option that get left as is.
Where is all the glass coming from? Are there fights in the street?
There are near crashes due to turning restrictions - or drivers are incapable of making low speed manoeuvres and are cutting the corner. Isn't there some form of assessment that decides whether someone can safely use a 1.5 T vehicle?
Children playing leapfrog over bollards? What a world-ending catastrophe!
I don't really get why it's a problem if they have to walk another 2-3 feet to get to an ambulance or pick up a delivery - usually there's a pavement between a front door and the road, so this is just like a wider pavement (or front garden). Surely a bike lane would reduce congestion and make it easier for ambulances to get where they want to go and having to park an extra 3 feet away is hardly going to make any difference.
Drivers not being able to turn seems like an education/training/skills issue.
Pretty much took the words out of my mouth. Seems slightly incredible that another metre of pavement could cause all those problems. I wonder if the local ambulance service could confirm that it is impossible to pick people up, or at least much more difficult.
If that is their definition of hell, they really do need to get out more.
Since softly-spoken moderate ecumenist Ian Paisley Snr died, I think the people of Northern Ireland may have started to forget what he taught about hell.
Ah sure, and don't we all remember the wee fella with a tear in our eye and plugs in our ears?
Yeah, it's amazing that the solution to their "problems" is to allow motor vehicles in the cycle lane. Who'd have thought?
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