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Hong Kong Cycling Alliance

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The Hong Kong Cycling Alliance (HKCAll) ( Chinese : 香港單車同盟 ) is a small non-profit organisation that works to make Hong Kong a more bicycle-friendly city. Through coordination of the efforts of Hong Kong's many cyclists and cycling groups, it campaigns to educate decision-makers about cycling as active transportation, and to encourage and enable all types of cycling, including utility/commuting , leisure riding, off-road , racing and touring .

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54-672: Founded in 2003, the group focuses on advocacy and engagement with government bodies, transport operators and others to effect changes in laws, regulations, policies and practices that affect the cycling community in Hong Kong, on the roads, on cycle tracks and on public transport. By promoting improved infrastructure and more public education, HKCAll aims to increase the use of bicycles as an efficient, healthy and economical component of Hong Kong's transportation network . As part of its advocacy programme, HKCAll organises and co-organises events supporting an improved cycling environment, including

108-418: A major arterial bike lane to provide green waves for rush hour cycle-traffic. However, this would still not resolve the problem of red-waves for slow (old and young) and fast (above average fitness) cyclists. Cycling-specific measures that can be applied at traffic signals include the use of advanced stop lines and/or bypasses. In some cases cyclists might be given a free-turn or a signal bypass if turning into

162-528: A painted marking are quite common in many cities. Cycle tracks demarcated by barriers, bollards or boulevards are quite common in some European countries such as the Netherlands , Denmark and Germany . They are also increasingly common in major cities elsewhere, such as New York , Melbourne , Ottawa , Vancouver and San Francisco . Montreal and Davis, California , which have had segregated cycling facilities with barriers for several decades, are among

216-463: A product of traffic management that focuses on trying to keep motorized vehicles moving regardless of the social and other impacts, such as by some cycling campaigners, or seen as a useful tool for traffic calming, and for eliminating rat runs , in the view of UK traffic planners. One-way streets can disadvantage cyclists by increasing trip-length, delays and hazards associated with weaving maneuvers at junctions. In northern European countries such as

270-429: A reduction in the total number of collisions. In Belgium , all one-way streets in 50 km/h zones are by default two-way for cyclists. A Danish road directorate states that in town centers it is important to be able to cycle in both directions in all streets, and that in certain circumstances, two-way cycle traffic can be accommodated in an otherwise one-way street. One-way street systems can be viewed as either

324-657: A road on the nearside. In many places worldwide special signposts for bicycles are used to indicate directions and distances to destinations for cyclists. Apart from signposting in and between urban areas, mountain pass cycling milestones have become an important service for bicycle tourists. They provide cyclists with information about their current position with regard to the summit of the mountain pass . Numbered-node cycle networks are increasingly used in Europe to give flexible, low-cost signage. One method for reducing potential friction between cyclists and motorized vehicles

378-475: A sharrow is a street marking that indicates the preferred lateral position for cyclists (to avoid the door zone and other obstacles) where dedicated bike lanes are not available. A 2-1 road is a roadway striping configuration which provides for two-way motor vehicle and bicycle traffic using a central vehicular travel lane and "advisory" bike lanes on either side. The center lane is dedicated to, and shared by, motorists traveling in both directions. The center lane

432-507: A significant increase in cycle use within the affected area. Speed reduction has traditionally been attempted by statutory speed limits and enforcing the assured clear distance ahead rule . Recent implementations of shared space schemes have delivered significant traffic speed reductions. The reductions are sustainable, without the need for speed limits or speed limit enforcement . In Norrköping , Sweden, mean traffic speeds in 2006 dropped from 21 to 16 km/h (13 to 10 mph) since

486-440: A single phase. Proponents point out that cycling infrastructure including dedicated bike lanes has been implemented in many cities; when well-designed and well-implemented they are popular and safe, and they are effective at relieving both congestion and air pollution. Jurisdictions have guidelines around the selection of the right bikeway treatments in order make routes more comfortable and safer for cycling. A study reviewing

540-645: A specific cycling route over another. Measures to encourage cycling include traffic calming; traffic reduction; junction treatment; traffic control systems to recognize cyclists and give them priority; exempt cyclists from banned turns and access restrictions; implement contra-flow cycle lanes on one-way streets; implement on-street parking restrictions; provide advanced stop lines /bypasses for cyclists at traffic signals; marking wide curb/kerb lanes; and marking shared bus/cycle lanes. Colombian city, Bogota converted some car lanes into bidirectional bike lanes during coronavirus pandemic, adding 84 km of new bike lanes ;

594-550: A width of at least 2 meters, or 2.5 metres if used by more than 150 bicycles per hour. A minimum width of 2 meters is specified by the cities of Utrecht and 's-Hertogenbosch for new cycle lanes. The Netherlands also has protected intersections to cyclists crossing roads. Some bikeways are separated from motor traffic by physical constraints (e.g. barriers, parking or bollards)— bicycle trail , cycle track —but others are partially separated only by painted markings— bike lane , buffered bike lane, and contraflow bike lane. Some share

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648-688: Is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom . It is responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland that have not been devolved . The department is run by the Secretary of State for Transport , currently (since 5 July 2024) Louise Haigh . The expenditure, administration, and policy of

702-658: Is narrower than two vehicular travel lanes and has no centerline; some are narrower than the width of a car. Cyclists are given preference in the bike lanes but motorists can encroach into the bike lanes to pass other motor vehicles after yielding to cyclists. Advisory bike lanes are normally installed on low volume streets. Advisory bike lanes have a number of names. The U.S. Federal Highway Administration calls them "Advisory Shoulders". In New Zealand, they are called 2-minus-1 roads. They are called Schutzstreifen (Germany), Suggestiestrook (Netherlands), and Suggestion Lanes (a literal English translation of Suggestiestrook). Denmark and

756-461: Is noted that further research is recommended to confirm findings. Bikeways can fall into these main categories: separated in-roadway bikeways such as bike lanes and buffered bike lanes; physically separated in-roadway bikeways such as cycle tracks; right-of-way paths such as bike paths and shared use paths; and shared in-roadway bikeways such as bike boulevards, shared lane markings, and advisory bike lanes. The exact categorization changes depending on

810-526: Is to provide "wide kerb", or "nearside", lanes (UK terminology) or " wide outside through lane " (U.S. terminology). These extra-wide lanes increase the probability that motorists pass cyclists at a safe distance without having to change lanes. This is held to be particularly important on routes with a high proportion of wide vehicles such as buses or heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). They also provide more room for cyclists to filter past queues of cars in congested conditions and to safely overtake each other. Due to

864-553: Is to reduce the capacity to park cars. Starting in the 1970s, the city of Copenhagen , where now 36% of the trips are done by bicycle, adopted a policy of reducing available car parking capacity by several per cents per year. The city of Amsterdam , where around 40% of all trips are by bicycle, adopted similar parking reduction policies in the 80s and 90s. Direct traffic reduction methods can involve straightforward bans or more subtle methods like road pricing schemes or road diets . The London congestion charge reportedly resulted in

918-770: The Design Manual for Roads and Bridges and Transport Analysis Guidance (TAG, formerly WebTAG). The DfT maintains datasets including the National Trip End Model and traffic counts on major roads. The devolution of transport policy varies around the UK; most aspects in Great Britain are decided at Westminster. Key reserved transport matters (i.e., not devolved) are as follows: Scotland Reserved matters: Scotland's comparability factor (the proportion of spending in this area devolved to

972-638: The European Commission policy document on cycle promotion. Shared space schemes extend this principle further by removing the reliance on lane markings altogether, and also removing road signs and signals, allowing all road users to use any part of the road, and giving all road users equal priority and equal responsibility for each other's safety. Experiences where these schemes are in use show that road users, particularly motorists, undirected by signs, kerbs, or road markings, reduce their speed and establish eye contact with other users. Results from

1026-525: The Netherlands have pioneered the concept of "bicycle superhighways". The first Dutch route opened in 2004 between Breda and Etten-Leur; many others have been added since then. In 2017 several bicycle superhighways were opened in the Arnhem-Nijmegen region, with the RijnWaalpad as the best example of this new type of cycling infrastructure. The first Danish route, C99, opened in 2012 between

1080-510: The Netherlands innovated is called in North America a protected intersection that reconfigures intersections to reduce risk to cyclists as they cross or turn. Some American cities are starting to pilot protected intersections. A bike box or an advanced stop line is a designated area at the head of a traffic lane at a signalized intersection that provides bicyclists with a safer and more visible way to get ahead of queuing traffic during

1134-529: The Vesterbro rail station in Copenhagen and Albertslund , a western suburb. The route cost 13.4 million Danish kroner and is 17.5 km long, built with few stops and new paths away from traffic. "Service stations" with air pumps are located at regular intervals, and where the route must cross streets, handholds and running boards are provided so cyclists can wait without having to put their feet on

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1188-531: The Department of Transport are scrutinised by the Transport Committee . The Department for Transport has six strategic objectives: The department "creates the strategic framework" for transport services, which are delivered through a wide range of public and private sector bodies including its own executive agencies. The DfT sponsors the following public bodies: DfT publications include

1242-817: The Dutch CROW , the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Guide to Bikeway Facilities , the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), and the US National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) Urban Bikeway Design Guide . In the Netherlands, the Tekenen voor de fiets design manual recommends

1296-570: The Netherlands, however, cyclists are frequently granted exemptions from one-way street restrictions, which improves cycling traffic flow while restricting motorized vehicles. German research indicates that making one-way streets two-way for cyclists results in a reduction in the total number of collisions. There are often restrictions to what one-way streets are good candidates for allowing two-way cycling traffic. In Belgium road authorities in principle allow any one-way street in 50 kilometres per hour (31 mph) zones to be two-way for cyclists if

1350-837: The Scottish Government) was 91.7% for 2021/22. Northern Ireland Reserved matters: The department's devolved counterparts in Northern Ireland are: Northern Ireland's comparability factor (the proportion of spending in this area devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive) was 95.4% for 2021/22. Wales Reserved matters: The department's devolved counterpart in Wales is the Minister for Climate Change. Wales' comparability factor (the proportion of spending in this area devolved to

1404-754: The Welsh Government) was 36.6% for 2021/22. This represents a significant reduction (e.g. it was 80.9% in 2015) due to the controversial classification of HS2 as an 'England and Wales' project. The Ministry of Transport was established by the Ministry of Transport Act 1919 ( 9 & 10 Geo. 5 . c. 50) which provided for the transfer to the new ministry of powers and duties of any government department in respect of railways , light railways , tramways , canals and inland waterways , roads , bridges and ferries , and vehicles and traffic thereon, harbours , docks and piers . In September 1919, all

1458-1095: The available lane is at least 3 metres (9.8 ft) wide (area free from parking) and no specific local circumstances prevent it. Denmark , a country with high cycling levels, does not use one-way systems to improve traffic flow. Some commentators argue that the initial goal should be to dismantle large one-way street systems as a traffic calming/traffic reduction measure, followed by the provision of two-way cyclist access on any one-way streets that remain. In general, junction designs that favor higher-speed turning, weaving and merging movements by motorists tend to be hostile for cyclists. Free-flowing arrangements can be hazardous for cyclists and should be avoided. Features such as large entry curvature, slip-roads and high flow roundabouts are associated with increased risk of car–cyclist collisions. Cycling advocates argue for modifications and alternative junction types that resolve these issues such as reducing kerb radii on street corners, eliminating slip roads and replacing large roundabouts with signalized intersections. Another approach which

1512-442: The bike boom of the 1880s when the first short stretches of dedicated bicycle infrastructure were built, through to the rise of the automobile from the mid-20th century onwards and the concomitant decline of cycling as a means of transport, to cycling's comeback from the 1970s onwards. A bikeway is a lane, route, way or path which in some manner is specifically designed and /or designated for bicycle travel. Bike lanes demarcated by

1566-422: The case of exclusive bike paths. There is no single usage of segregation ; in some cases it can mean the exclusion of motor vehicles and in other cases the exclusion of pedestrians as well. Thus, it includes bike lanes with solid painted lines but not lanes with dotted lines and advisory bike lanes where motor vehicles are allowed to encroach on the lane. It includes cycle tracks as physically distinct from

1620-501: The city center. Similarly, Groningen is divided into four zones that cannot be crossed by private motor-traffic, (private cars must use the ring road instead). Cyclists and other traffic can pass between the zones and cycling accounts for 50%+ of trips in Groningen (which reputedly has the third-highest proportion of cycle traffic of any city). The Swedish city of Gothenburg uses a similar system of traffic cells. Another approach

1674-489: The construction of arterial bypasses and ring roads around urban centers. Indirect methods involve reducing the infrastructural capacity dedicated to moving motorized vehicles. This can involve reducing the number of road lanes, closing bridges to certain vehicle types and creating vehicle restricted zones or environmental traffic cells. In the 1970s the Dutch city of Delft began restricting private car traffic from crossing

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1728-659: The department was reorganised into three major sections: Secretarial, Finance and Roads. The ministry's functions were exercised initially throughout the United Kingdom. An Irish Branch was established in 1920, but then was taken over by the government of the Irish Free State on the transfer of functions in 1922. The department took over transport functions of Scottish departments in the same year, though certain functions relating to local government, loan sanction, byelaws and housing were excepted. In May 1937, power to make provisional orders for harbour, pier and ferry works

1782-492: The earliest examples in North America. Various guides exist to define the different types of bikeway infrastructure, including UK Department for Transport manual The Geometric Design of Pedestrian, Cycle and Equestrian Routes , Sustrans Design Manual, UK Department of Transport Local Transport Note 2/08: Cycle Infrastructure Design, the Danish Road Authority guide Registration and classification of paths ,

1836-639: The first major gathering of cycling groups in November 2005, which demanded government support for cycling, following the road death of a local racing cyclist. Since 2006, the group has coordinated the annual Ride of Silence in memory of cyclists killed and injured on the roads. In 2003, members of HKCAll were instrumental in negotiations between the Hong Kong Star Ferry Company and the Transport Department leading to

1890-520: The government is intending to make these new bike lanes permanent. In the US, slow-street movements have been introduced by erecting makeshift barriers to slow traffic and allow bikers and walkers to safely share the road with motorists . Removing traffic can be achieved by straightforward diversion or alternatively reduction. Diversion involves routing through-traffic away from roads used by high numbers of cyclists and pedestrians. Examples of diversion include

1944-737: The ground. Similar projects have since been built in Germany among other countries. The cost of building a bicycle super highway depends on many things, but is usually between €300,000/km (for a wide dedicated cycle track) and €800,000/km (when complex civil engineering structures are needed). There are various measures cities and regions often take on the roadway to make it more cycling friendly and safer. Aspects of infrastructure may be viewed as either cyclist-hostile or as cyclist-friendly . However, scientific research indicates that different groups of cyclists show varying preferences of which aspects of cycling infrastructure are most relevant when choosing

1998-850: The harbourfront and new reclamation areas. Regular rallies to cycle the proposed route, as closely as possible, attract over a thousand supporters. In September 2011, HKCAll presented the proposal to the Hong Kong Harbourfront Commission . Segregated cycle facilities Cycling infrastructure is all infrastructure cyclists are allowed to use. Bikeways include bike paths , bike lanes , cycle tracks , rail trails and, where permitted, sidewalks . Roads used by motorists are also cycling infrastructure, except where cyclists are barred such as many freeways/motorways . It includes amenities such as bike racks for parking, shelters, service centers and specialized traffic signs and signals. The more cycling infrastructure,

2052-532: The implementation of such a scheme. Even without shared street implementation, creating 30 km/h zones (or 20 mph zone ) has been shown to reduce crash rates and increase numbers of cyclists and pedestrians. Other studies have revealed that lower speeds reduce community severance caused by high speed roads. Research has shown that there is more neighborhood interaction and community cohesion when speeds are reduced to 20 mph. German research indicates that making one-way streets two-way for cyclists results in

2106-559: The introduction of free carriage of bicycles on the Wanchai - Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry route though there is now a small charge of around HK$ 11. In 2011, after much lobbying, the MTR metro system agreed to allow carriage of bicycles on all its lines. A popular current campaign calls for the inclusion of a Harbourfront Cycleway along the Hong Kong island shore of Victoria Harbour . The Cycleway runs from Kennedy Town to Heng Fa Chuen, following

2160-548: The jurisdiction and organization, while many just list the types by their commonly used names Cyclists are legally allowed to travel on many roadways in accordance with the rules of the road for drivers of vehicles . A bicycle boulevard or cycle street is a low speed street which has been optimized for bicycle traffic. Bicycle boulevards discourage cut-through motor vehicle traffic but allow local motor vehicle traffic. They are designed to give priority to cyclists as through-going traffic. A shared lane marking , also known as

2214-400: The more people get about by bicycle. Good road design, road maintenance and traffic management can make cycling safer and more useful . Settlements with a dense network of interconnected streets tend to be places for getting around by bike . Their cycling networks can give people direct, fast, easy and convenient routes. The history of cycling infrastructure starts from shortly after

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2268-826: The position of having to "run" red lights if no motorized vehicle arrives to trigger a signal change. Some cities use urban adaptive traffic control systems (UTCs), which use linked traffic signals to manage traffic in response to changes in demand. There is an argument that using a UTC system merely to provide for increased capacity for motor traffic will simply drive growth in such traffic. However, there are more direct negative impacts. For instance, where signals are arranged to provide motor traffic with so-called green waves , this can create "red waves" for other road users such as cyclists and public transport services. Traffic managers in Copenhagen have now turned this approach on its head and are linking cyclist-specific traffic signals on

2322-580: The powers of the Road Board, the Ministry of Health, and the Board of Trade in respect of transport, were transferred to the new ministry. Initially, the department was organised to carry out supervisory, development and executive functions, but the end of railway and canal control by 1921, and the settlement of financial agreements relating to the wartime operations of the railways reduced its role. In 1923,

2376-1059: The red signal phase. On large roundabouts of the design typically used in the UK and Ireland, cyclists have an injury accident rate that is 14–16 times that of motorists. Research indicates that excessive sightlines at uncontrolled intersections compound these effects. In the UK, a survey of over 8,000 highly experienced and mainly adult male Cyclists Touring Club members found that 28% avoided roundabouts on their regular journey if at all possible. The Dutch CROW guidelines recommend roundabouts only for intersections with motorized traffic up to 1500 per hour. To accommodate greater volumes of traffic, they recommend traffic light intersections or grade separation for cyclists. Examples of grade separation for cyclists include tunnels, or more spectacularly, raised "floating" roundabouts for cyclists. How traffic signals are designed and implemented directly impacts cyclists. For instance, poorly adjusted vehicle detector systems, used to trigger signal changes, may not correctly detect cyclists. This can leave cyclists in

2430-469: The responsibility of: The name "Ministry of Transport" lives on in the annual MOT test , a test of vehicle safety , roadworthiness , and exhaust emissions , which most vehicles used on public roads in the UK are required to pass annually once they reach three years old (four years for vehicles in Northern Ireland ). Following a series of strikes, poor performance, concerns over access for

2484-487: The roadway and sidewalk (e.g. barriers, parking or bollards). And it includes bike paths in their own right of way exclusive to cycling. Paths which are shared with pedestrians and other non-motorized traffic are not considered segregated and are typically called shared use path , multi-use path in North America and shared-use footway in the UK. On major roads, segregated cycle tracks lead to safety improvements compared with cycling in traffic. There are concerns over

2538-550: The roadway with motor vehicles— bicycle boulevard , sharrow , advisory bike lane—or shared with pedestrians— shared use paths and greenways . The term bikeway is largely used in North America to describe all routes that have been designed or updated to encourage more cycling or make cycling safer. In some jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom, segregated cycling facility is sometimes preferred to describe cycling infrastructure which has varying degrees of separation from motorized traffic, or which has excluded pedestrian traffic in

2592-462: The safety of " road diets " (motor traffic lane restrictions) for bike lanes found in summary that crash frequencies at road diets in the period after installation were 6% lower, road diets do not affect crash severity, or result in a significant change in crash types. This research was conducted by looking at areas scheduled for conversion before and after the road diet was performed. While also comparing similar areas that had not received any changes. It

2646-534: The safety of cycle tracks and lanes at junctions due to collisions between turning motorists and cyclists, particularly where cycle tracks are two-way. The safety of cycle tracks at junctions can be improved with designs such as cycle path deflection (between 2   m and 5   m) and protected intersections . At multi-lane roundabouts, safety for cyclists is compromised. The installation of separated cycle tracks has been shown to improve safety at roundabouts. A Cochrane review of published evidence found that there

2700-403: The tendency of all vehicle users to stay in the center of their lane, it would be necessary to sub-divide the cycle lane with a broken white line to facilitate safe overtaking. Overtaking is indispensable for cyclists, as speeds are not dependent on the legal speed limit, but on the rider's capability. The use of such lanes is specifically endorsed by Cycling: the way ahead for towns and cities ,

2754-518: The thousands of such implementations worldwide all show casualty reductions and most also show reduced journey times. After the partial conversion of London's Kensington High Street to shared space, accidents decreased by 44% (the London average was 17%). However, in July 2018, the UK 'paused' all further shared space schemes over fears that a scheme dependent on eye-contact between drivers and pedestrians

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2808-638: Was limited evidence to conclude whether cycling infrastructure improves cyclist safety. Different countries have different ways to legally define and enforce bikeways. Some detractors argue that one must be careful in interpreting the operation of dedicated or segregated bikeways/cycle facilities across different designs and contexts; what works for the Netherlands will not necessarily work elsewhere, or claiming that bikeways increase urban air pollution. Other transportation planners consider an incremental, piecemeal approach to bike infrastructure buildout ineffective and advocate for complete networks to be built in

2862-490: Was transferred to the Secretary of State for Scotland. The growth of road transport increased the responsibilities of the ministry, and in the 1930s, and especially with defence preparations preceding the outbreak of war, government responsibilities for all means of transport increased significantly. Government control of transport and diverse associated matters has been reorganised a number of times in modern history, being

2916-607: Was unavoidably dangerous to pedestrians with visual impairments. Department for Transport King Charles III [REDACTED] William, Prince of Wales [REDACTED] Charles III ( King-in-Council ) [REDACTED] Starmer ministry ( L ) Keir Starmer ( L ) Angela Rayner ( L ) ( King-in-Parliament ) [REDACTED] Charles III [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Lord Reed The Lord Hodge Andrew Bailey Monetary Policy Committee The Department for Transport ( DfT )

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