Anti-personnel gate

[hellymedic]

Narrower than a rider's shoulders; wonderful!

[Climberruss]

They've got quite a few of these around Nottingham. I can get through if I crouch really low. If I get it wrong - It HURTS!!

[TimO]

I've been through a few of that sort of species of barrier, although rarely quite as narrow as that.  The one good thing, is that they are normally relatively easy to get things like panniers through!

[citoyen]

That blue sign should have a picture of a recumbent on it. 
 
d.

[citoyen]

On a more serious note, this kind of thing is an allegory for the sledgehammer-to-crack-a-walnut approach to crime prevention in modern society.

A few oiks riding motorbikes on cycle paths? No problem, we'll make it impossible for anyone to get through. A few terrorists want to hide bombs in their underpants? Yeah, we'll ban clothes for all airline passengers.

They've won, you know.

d.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Is it at the very end of the path at a junction with a road? If so, perhaps it's deliberately that narrow to make cyclists stop, or at least slow down very much, and prevent them shooting out on to the road without giving way. Of course no one on this forum would ever do such a thing (!) but teenagers giving it some welly might. I agree it's still a sledgehammer to crack a nut, but perhaps not entirely without reason.

[Salvatore]

That blue sign should have a picture of a recumbent on it. 
 
d.

To me the sign suggests people or cycles - not both.

[Auntie Helen]

There are a whole bunch of these in East London around an RSPB reserve (can't remember its name). Anyway, I went round on my trike and could get through the first four or so no problems... but then they started concreting them closer together and I couldn't squeeze through. Irritating!

[Andrij]

There are a whole bunch of these in East London around an RSPB reserve (can't remember its name). Anyway, I went round on my trike and could get through the first four or so no problems... but then they started concreting them closer together and I couldn't squeeze through. Irritating!

RSPB: Rainham Marshes.

There are also a few of these along the Thames Path along the east side of the Isle of Dogs.
 

[andygates]

Tell them to sort it out or they'll get angle-ground.

Then do the angle-grinding as a stunt for the local paper.

[Cudzoziemiec]

That blue sign should have a picture of a recumbent on it. 
 
d.

To me the sign suggests people or cycles - not both.

It's the official sign for a path divided into two parts, isn't it? One for cycles, one for walkers. Trouble is, there's no division visible on what we can see in the photo, and obviously no room for more than one person at a time to go through that gate, no matter what sort of transport they're using.

[Greenbank]

Trouble is, there's no division visible on what we can see in the photo, and obviously no room for more than one person at a time to go through that gate, no matter what sort of transport they're using.

Well, if you're being pedantic about it, going from that photo alone the sign doesn't apply to the gate, it applies to the path past the gate, beyond the sign.

[Zoidburg]

They have the same ones all along the tow paths round these parts.

I have learned to go into an aero tuck and pass straight through, it hurts if you ever miss judge it though.

[Regulator]

There are a number of these style gates on the Reggie Ride route into Kings Lynn.  They're all at junctions with main roads and I think they've been used to prevent cyclists from shooting out into the road...


...mind you, they could also do with addressing the speeding drivers issue.

[Martin]

apart from the obvious motorbikes maybe they are to stop horse riders?

they put some really weird ones along the Grand Union Canal a few* years back; something like this to allow cycles through and a crazy mouse trap affair for pedestrians that was a nightmare with a pushchair*

the biker oiks just used the angle grinder solution

* ok maybe more than a few

[Wobbly John]

There are a number of these style gates on the Reggie Ride route into Kings Lynn. 

*Thinks route through* ...Yes, I supose 2 is a number. 

I think they are wider than the one pictured - I've riden through them.

[TimO]

There are a number of these style gates on the Reggie Ride route into Kings Lynn. 

*Thinks route through* ...Yes, I supose 2 is a number. 

I think they are wider than the one pictured - I've riden through them.

I think the ones that Andrij mentioned, on the Isle of Dogs, are also somewhat wider as well.

[citoyen]

...mind you, they could also do with addressing the speeding drivers issue.

Indeed. They've got their priorities totally fucked up. It's like when you want to cross the road, AS IS YOUR LEGAL RIGHT, but you can't because there's a flipping steel barrier along the edge of the footpath. It's introducing a jaywalking law by stealth - this is the start of a slippery slope that can only end in bad news for all non-motorised road users.  

d.

[Regulator]

There are a number of these style gates on the Reggie Ride route into Kings Lynn.  

*Thinks route through* ...Yes, I supose 2 is a number.  

I think they are wider than the one pictured - I've riden through them.

 

I think you'll find there's four... there are two roads that are crossed with these barriers either side of each road.  


And, yes, they are rideable through (unless you're an extremely fat bugger) albeit with care.

[TimO]

Indeed. They've got their priorities totally fucked up. It's like when you want to cross the road, AS IS YOUR LEGAL RIGHT, but you can't because there's a flipping steel barrier along the edge of the footpath. ...

Along the Tooting Bec Common cycle path, where it crosses Bedford Hill, there are excessively aggressive speed bumps on the cycle path, presumably to stop people just shooting across the road.  You'd have too be pretty stupid to do that, and you still could should you be so inclined, even with the speed bumps.

They are possibly the most aggressive bumps I've ever met, far worse than anything that I've cycled over on roads.  About one day in five they'll cause my pannier to partially release from the carrier, even though I hit them pretty slowly, far slower than I would actually cycle along the path, and I don't cycle on that path very fast because of all the potential collision risks.

Definitely the local council trying to protect people from themselves.  Of course there are plenty of other aspects to the paths which they could address to improve safety, but don't bother.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I always call those railings at the edge of the road "anti-pedestrian barriers", but in fact "anti-personnel" might be a better term. Same with the ones on central reservations of urban dual carriageways - they make sense on a motorway, but not in town.

[Greenbank]

Ah yes, cyclists can't be trusted to cross roads so they're forced into conflict with pedestrians on pavements and over pedestrian crossings.

Here's a classic example:-

Google Streetview of Morden Hill and Lewisham Road

You come up Morden Hill and want to go straight on but you reach a dead end with steel railings preventing you from going straight on. You're directed right onto the pavement, have to wait to use the pedestrian crossing, then go left along a narrow bit of pavement (more railings) in conflict with pedestrians (see OAP in google streetview photo) and any cyclists coming the other way who are also forced onto the same bit of pavement, then wibble back onto Morden Hill the other side of Lewisham Road. I guess it works for pootlers and plodders.

The railings aren't there to stop cyclists speeding into the road, that final bit of Morden Hill is pretty steep.

Or, as any sensible person will do, you come up Morden Hill, to the left of the railings at the top of the road, straight over Lewisham Road when it is clear and continue up Morden Hill.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I note the smashed section of railing at the bottom of the continuation of Morden Hill! Still, considerate of them to put the pedestrian crossing opposite the pub. I would think the railings at the top of the hill are there to stop people driving cars up/down the hill onto/from the main road.

[TimO]

... I would think the railings at the top of the hill are there to stop people driving cars up/down the hill onto/from the main road.

It does look like that doesn't it.  It is a typically rather poor design though, lots of cheap white bicycle symbols all over the roads, but pretty much bugger all consideration to getting across the main road, although it looks like the crossing is actually a Toucan (it seems to have an additional light), but the railings do provide a substantial obstruction, and there are no lowered kerbs to allow easy ingress/egress between the main road (Lewisham Road) and the cycle route along Morden Hill, aside from those at the crossing, which will only really work when the lights are red.

[Greenbank]

I would think the railings at the top of the hill are there to stop people driving cars up/down the hill onto/from the main road.

True, but railings are overkill if your purpose is to just stop cars turning into the road; a set of bollards 3ft apart will do that just as effectively but still allow cyclists/pedestrians the choice of crossing at that exact point. No dropped kerb will also discourage motorbikes from trying to sneak through too (although I've seen some just use the existing path to take the short cut).