Cambridge has become the first city in Britain to impose a 15mph speed limit on cyclists, after residents raised concerns about riders travelling at dangerous speeds along the city’s 16-mile guided busway. The restrictions, enforced by a dedicated police patrol with speed monitoring equipment, have already been met with defiance from some cyclists. The Telegraph has the story:
Britain’s first 15mph bike lane will aim to tackle the scourge of speeding cyclists increasingly threatening the safety of pedestrians.
Cambridge, Britain’s cycling capital, has introduced new limits along one of the city’s most popular bike routes.
Cambridgeshire county council said the move was in response to regular concerns from residents “including older people and families with young children” over cyclists travelling at “excessive speeds”.
Permanent speed limits apply to two shared-use paths that run along the city’s 16-mile “guided busway”, which has already been mired in health and safety failings.
The Liberal Democrat authority is able to apply the new restrictions as much of the route falls on council land, with flashing signage used at detection points warning cyclists that are speeding to “slow down”.
Previously, cycling restrictions have been reserved for public parks, with archaic bylaws that govern the public highways preventing authorities from limiting the speeds of cyclists on roads and bike tracks.
When The Telegraph visited Cambridge on Friday, locals welcomed the change, with one medical student who frequently cycles on the route saying he had seen around “half a dozen” accidents.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former leader of the Conservative Party who successfully campaigned for harsher laws for reckless cyclists, said the speed limit was “great news”.
“Mingling pedestrians and bicycles can be dangerous but often-arrogant cyclists should be aware they now face the full weight of the law if they fail to obey the rules of the road,” he added.
However, some were already defying the restrictions, claiming the council was penalising riders to limit its own liability following a string of casualties on the busway.
One exclaimed “good luck enforcing it” as he rode past. He added: “Look, I’m going 16mph.”
Another shouted that the limit was “ridiculous” before speeding around the corner.
Cambridge is known as the nation’s cycling capital, in part because of a tradition established by the university city’s students but also because of “active travel” schemes that have given over more of the road network to riders.
Videos posted by hobby cyclists online – tracking their speed and heart rates as they cycle along the busway path – show individuals clocking up speeds of around 20mph, swerving around dog walkers, elderly pedestrians and toddlers walking alongside their parents and riding balance bikes.
It is not split in two like many shared paths, meaning walkers, cyclists and horse riders all use one space. Approved last year, signs have now gone up and limits are painted along its surface.
The restrictions will be enforced with the help of a dedicated police patrol, who – alongside a “busway safety team” – will use speed monitoring equipment to catch those “clearly exceeding the limit”.
Along the route, there are also multiple placards with QR codes to encourage locals to report “antisocial behaviour and criminality on the busway” to the police.
Worth reading in full.
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Where I live in East Central Scotland hundreds of thousands have been spent on a new bicycle lane along part of Methilhaven Road in Methil Fife. Apparently proper cyclists warned them not to do this because it was a risk to pedestrians, but it went ahead anyway. Because all ideological projects never listen to anyone and bike lanes are about as ideological as it gets. All part of an attempt to be rid of the private car.
So I drive along this road maybe 4 times a day and in the 3 months since it has been there I have not seen one bicycle use it.—–All this has done is narrow the street so that cars, busses and lorries have to sit in a queue all the time to allow vehicles coming the other way to pass alt eh vehicles that are parked up one side of the road. —-All we have here is CLUTTER, and it is the same everywhere you look with silly little islands jutting out and road bumps everywhere to supposedly calm the traffic…A total MESS
And look at the cluttered signage in that photo!
Pretty much the same in Kent. Infuriating.
As I was whizzing down the shared path I cycle on every weekday, I was reflecting on this further. I doubtless exceed 15mph downhill but only if there is no-one else around. Whenever I am passing pedestrians or indeed other cyclists I am close to walking pace, or maybe half speed if they have made it obvious they have seen me and stepped aside/paused/holding their dogs. I no longer ding my bell to warn as people sometimes take it the wrong way, instead I say good morning or ask if I can come past. Most people on wheels and on foot manage to use this path sensibly, though the dogs off leads can be a pain as some owners have no control. But we manage without state assistance. It’s very sad it has come to this. You could not pay me enough to live in Cambridge. I remember going there in lockdown and it was full of Chinese students in masks.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂I would love to see this one enforced. Or will they make bicycle plates mandatory and set yon we cameras to capture cycle speeders. I knew Cambridge was home for entitled teenagers, but I did not realise it was this goofy.
What does ‘clearly exceeding the speed limit’ mean. Sounds like a lot more leeway than given to car drivers. Anyway, how would a cyclist know what speed he was doing as they don’t have speedometers, and how would they be identified as they don’t have number plates?
The local housing trust maintenance van workers seem to do something similar with screws and nails for the ‘benefit’ of passing motorists. I often look for and pick up a few when a one of their vans has been parked nearby.
I am more than happy for the holier than thou cyclists to have some rules placed on them.
Since speed limits do not apply to cyclists on the road what law are they using here? You’re not cycling furiously if you go faster than 15 mph. I suppose you could crank up a racing bike to 30 mph if the cycle lane is sufficiently smooth.
Or downhill – OK not in Cambs.
I think the local authority can impose a byelaw/bylaw. If it’s well defined and within the council’s authority then infraction can be punished at a Magistrates’ court (I’m not a lawyer).
The worm can was opened when footpaths started to be opened to cyclists and in my town now cyclists fly down pavement with abandon through the town centre. You take a chance exiting a shop onto the footpath without looking both ways first.
in Cambridge the worst offenders for speeding on shared footpaths are electric delivery bikes. They go like the wind and would kill you if struck. The bigger issue in Cambs is bikes without lights, take a wet misty winter night and 50% of bikes on the road will be dressed in black and invisible. They jump on and off the foot path, jump traffic lights and cause motoring to have to be most cautiously undertaken.
I will fess-up that I was fined for jumping the lights on Hills Road in 1975 but in mitigation I was also very very drunk at the time.
Bicycles above 15mph, think of the CO2!! Shanks’s pony only for 15 minute cities.
The IPCC has helpfully confirmed ‘apparently’ that when walking we breathe out more CO2 than when cycling. When on yer bike you get there quicker. So no walking for 15 minute cities. This is not misinformation or whatever. I have it on good authority – a Labour MP no less, apparently.
Was it from Miliband him self??
But why would you want to get somewhere else?
Just about stopped laughing. Expect the police to enforce this? The amount of privately owned electric scooters whizzing around where I live is legion. Do the police actually do anything about this? Too busy chasing those right-wing types on Facebook I trust.
I’ve seen so many poor cyclists cycling on footpaths, the wrong way up one way streets, and riding through junctions while traffic lights are red, that I can only assume that the Cambridge speed limits are a triumph of expectations over reality.
I eagerly await the signs requiring that the dedicated police patrol be treated with respect.
You mustn’t mock the cyclists just because they don’t know which way a one way street is or what a red traffic light means. It really stresses them out and it aggravates their ADHD or whatever.
Whatever is particularly debilitating. As a whatever therapist I confirm that it is on the rise.
Hmm. How much do you charge for whatever?
Breaking news, not all cyclist are the same!
Agreed. But I was.
Agree. As an oft cycle dodger in Cambridge City centre, still laughing at the sheer stupidity of this, as zero chance of the police enforcing this or many taking a blind bit of notice of the restriction.
Just leave us alone for Gods sake. What does it matter.?
It matters if someone is seriously hurt.
Agreed but as already pointed out above there are already laws there to protect people we really don’t need any more.
But, but, but electrically assisted bicycles are limited to 15.5 mph.
Back when I was 17 and immortal I was cycling hell-for-leather down a steep dual carriageway hill when a cop car eased past and a voice shouted ‘Slow down you effing idiot!‘. Only the cop didn’t say ‘effing’ if you see what I mean. I’d just overtaken a small van which had slowed down in front of me – presumably due to the 30mph limit and seeing the cop car.
In the days when discretion was applied instead of blanket rules
As I indicated, a long, long time ago. When cops weren’t afraid of swearing at effing idiots. 🙂
No … the electric motor cuts out at a speed of about 15mph, but these bikes can be ridden at speeds greater than that – depending on “leg power”.
Good point.
I agree cyclists (and motor cyclists and scooter riders) need to obey the highway code. There is no need for more laws when the erratic behaviour of these riders goes unpunished. They are a menace.
Exactly- existing laws are sufficient, applied vigorously snd efficiently so that people are worried about getting caught and punished. Speeds well over 15 are perfectly safe when there is no one around.
Yes.
However, this moron didn’t have a properly working bike for road use.
Cyclist Charlie Alliston guilty over pedestrian’s death
He was jailed for 18 months. She walked out in front of him without looking. Both could have done better. Very sad for all concerned, especially the lady that died and her family. I don’t know if 18 months was too much or not enough or just right. But the system worked – sort of.
He was riding a fixed-wheel no-brakes track bike on the road. But they had to ‘do’ him under an archaic law of ‘wanton or furious driving’ rather than anything more modern.
As I understand it there’s no way to enforce a speed limit on a cyclist as they don’t have to have a speedo.
Yes, the lady walked out in front of him. He could not stop as he relied on resisting his fixed wheel to reduce speed.
I would never have ridden a bike of that kind, always had brakes. But pedestrians have walked out right in front of me and I have hit them, albeit at lower speed without much damage on either side.
Yes. Sometimes it really is just an accident.
Cambridge and it’s institutions are speed running the “Biggest Retard Awards”!
Registration, insurance, test & licence.
You must be a socialist. Always a bit more control needed. Maybe I need to test YOUR driving every year, just to make sure you are following the correct standards and of course keeping everyone safe…..
Remember don’t think for yourself, just obey the State.
Without the motorist metalled roads would not exist to be used for recreation by cyclists.
Check points, cameras, snatch squads and robot-bike-cops licensed to kill.
Yes and a £50 fine if you ride your Lime bike (or any bike) through a red light.
And age restriction.