Roundabouts 4/1/2012

Most roundabouts in the greater Melbourne are intimidating for cyclists.  A number of features contribute to this, including the "entrance chicane" which forces a cyclist who hasn't already taken the lane on the roundabout approach to do so at the roundabout.  The chicane narrows the road and is designed to reduce the speed of motor vehicles entering the roundabout.  The cyclist however is forced into the same lane as the motor traffic.  The other features of roundabouts which are hazardous for cyclists include cars failing to give way to the cyclist as they pass the entry points, and for cyclists turning right from the left-hand side of the roundabout.

Austroads has for many years published guidelines for bicycles which include roundabout designs, which are rarely used in Melbourne in practice.   However even the Austroads designs fall far short of what is required to provide both subjective and objective safety.  Vicroads publishes design notes for cycle faciltiies (and are to be congratulated on making these available via their website).  These also fall short of what is required to provide a safe and comfortable road environment for cycling.

Cycle Note 15 Providing for Cyclists at Roundabouts has a number of designs for small, medium and large roundabouts.    Some of the choice statements include "...it is expected that experienced cyclists will mix with other traffic through the roundabout and cyclists under 12 years of age may use the footpath", from which we conclude that anyone who has attained 12 years of age and is still alive is "experienced" enough to "mix with other traffic".  This is in respect of a "small, single lane roundabout".  Further on we read that in relation to "larger single lane roundabouts", "less experienced cyclists are likely to use the footpath" which could be seen as an incitement to break the law, except that no provision is suggested for the cyclist to be able to gain the footpath, making it a practical impossibility, since if you can jump a kerb to get onto the footpath you might be considered an "experienced" cyclist.

None of the designs in the Vicroads Note include an entry chicane, and yet these are almost universal on roundabouts designed by Local Government in Melbourne.  From this it must be concluded that  even the pathetically inadequate provision for cyclists in Vicroads "Providing for cyclists at Roundabouts" is a stretch too far for our local councils.

The underlying problem with Vicroads (and Austroads) approach is to assume that it only requires "experience" to overcome what any other person would regard as a dangerous situation.  In practice this means that a only small percentage of the population is willing to "experience" this level of discomfort and danger.  Other people fall by the wayside and go back to driving a car, and thus never become "experienced" cyclists.

The design in Figure  17 of Cycle Note 15 comes closer to what a "True Cycling City" would build for cyclists.  But this is only allowed for "Three lane urban and Two lane rural roundabouts".  In a confusing note, it is suggested that zebra crossings might be provided for cyclists' use when crossing the approach/exit legs of this style of roundabout.  City Cyclist always thought zebra crossings were for pedestrians.  The road rules don't mention them at all, but rule 248(2) states "The rider of a bicycle must not ride across a road or part of a road, on a marked foot crossing...". 

 If this design has in fact been put into practice at any such roundabout in Victoria, City Cyclist is unaware of it - please let me know about such a roundabout if you know of it.  Below is a rough diagram of how this design could be applied to a "larger single lane roundabout" so as to provide a level of safety sufficient to encourage inexperienced or less brave cyclists.

This is a design which is sure to incite ranting from "vehicular cyclists" who will point out that a cyclist travelling straight ahead is forced to make four right-angle turns.  These vehicular cyclists will no doubt forsake such a bike lane and "mix with other traffic" (page 4 of the Vicroads Cycle Note).  If however we wish to see cycling become common amongst the majority of the population, not just fearless young men, a higher standard of safety is needed.

The other criticism of the design above is that cars will fail to give way to cyclists when leaving the roundabout, despite a give way sign, green paint on the bike lane and possibly a raised pavement for both the bike lane and the zebra (pedestrian) crossing.    However the zebra crossing component is already common at roundabouts (ever since the law was changed to remove the pedestrian's right of way at roundabouts).