My Dream Cycleway

In this post, I'm going to try and define some qualities that I think make a great cycleway. Despite the title, there's nothing dream-like about them, they're all photos of real cycleways. Not all of the photos are perfect in every way, but they each have at least one positive quality that I think is important.

The focus of this blog post is the physical attributes of an urban cycleway, so I have left out other important and valuable measures such as mode filtering and route unravelling.

It should also be noted that even a perfect cycleway is of little use on its own. It is very important that cyle routes are direct and convenient, going wherever people want to go, to form a dense network of safe cycling routes. These networks should not disappear at the edge of town, but continue through the countryside from town to village to town again, connecting everywhere together.

Anyway, here it is:

My dream cycleway will be wide. Wide enough to ride beside a friend chatting, with space for others to overtake. Wide enough for three friends to ride together. Wide enough and barrier-free for people with unusual bikes, with trikes, or with assisted mobility devices.

It will be smooth, red asphalt. Smooth because riding over bumps is uncomfortable and wastes energy, and red because it makes clear that this isn't any old road. Red asphalt clearly says "this is for bikes".

There will be no unneccesary humps or bumps. It will not drop down at driveways or minor side roads. When a change in level is needed, the ramp will be smooth and over a long distance.

It will be at a level halfway between the carriageway and the footway, to distinguish it from both. It will have shallow, angled kerbs so that the entire width of the cycleway can be used safely.

It will be continuous and unbroken by side roads, kerbs or driveways. Where it meets junctions the continuity will be clear and obvious.

It will have at least one metre separation from the carriageway, so that people aren't riding right next to motor vehicles. The faster and heavier the traffic, the bigger the separation should be.

It will move smoothly behind bus stops without any reduction in quality, and with clear crossing points for people using the bus stop.

At bridges and underpasses, the gradient will be smooth and the bridge will be wide. It will not be a poor compromise, but a consistent part of a high-quality network.

It will be reliable, available 24/7, well-maintained through all seasons – essentially, always there when needed. When it's not available, a safe alternative will be provided.

It will be suitable for use by everyone, of every ability level, including young children…

…the elderly…

…fast riders…

…and people with disabilities.

If you'd like to use our photographs to promote high quality cycling infrastructure and require high-resolution images, please get in touch.

Photograph numbers 4, 7, 12, 15 and 16 courtesy of A View from the Cycle Path, which is where many of the links also point.