They have been multiplying like hotcakes in Niort for two years. 1.4 km rue de Ribray, 400 m rue des Equarts, 450 m rue Villechanoux, 350 m rue de Romagné… Of the 7,135 meters of cycle routes marked in 2023, 6,595 were chaussidous.
But what are these beasts? THE “roadways with unmarked central lanes”their technical name, are all these cycle lanes that have appeared in cities on narrow streets. Motorized vehicles are only supposed to encroach on these spaces when overtaking with another. “The good thing is that people expect to see bikes. The downside is that they don’t know what it’s for.”we joke to the association for the defense of cyclists Villovélo.
“Chaussidou means squeeze your buttocks”
“It’s not explained well enough. This requires usual precautions, indicators, checking blind spots when overtaking.explains Sébastien Dollat, training manager at the Automobile club des Deux-Sèvres, noting that many ignore these rules of conduct. “It’s a matter of cohabitation, of knowing whether the motorist wants to make an effort or not. »
“Chaussidou means “squeeze the buttocks”” we quip at Villovélo. “It is not a separative arrangement, the level of service is theoretically less good than traditional arrangements. We are in something that should still be considered as a last resort”underlines Thomas Jouannot, Active Modes project director at Cerema, who recalls that it is a tool “debated, even within Cerema”. This public study center advises communities on their developments, and publishes benchmark recommendations.
“The whole complexity is to properly frame the cases where it is better than nothing. And above all, optimal comfort and safety conditions are needed for cyclists. If you have a shoulder of one meter, potentially it is worse than if there was nothing, because we have seen that motorized vehicles tend to follow the road markings and therefore brush against cyclists.explains Thomas Jouannot. Cerema therefore recommends moving closer to two meters of cycle lane width, with a differentiated road surface, and reserving it for streets with little traffic. Some cities, such as Amboise, have also removed theirs, considered too dangerous. However, Cerema is not aware of any accident.
Quick without being brutal
The case of rue de Ribray is emblematic: the Chaussidou cycle lane is particularly fine there. “Rue de Ribray is narrow, there are buses crossing each other, there’s not much we can do” supports the municipal councilor dedicated to bicycle policy in Niort, Hervé Gérard. He justifies the deployment of these arrangements by a desire “to go relatively quickly” sans “be brutal”. “This allows us to change habits and position the cyclist. In a few years, we will no doubt say that it is obsolete. But it's a first step to progress on cycling in the city. »
A first step not sufficient for cyclists, who ask to go always further. “Other things possible, but they are quickly ruled out, like passing one-way streets”indicates Pascal Palet, from Villovélo. “This involves reviewing all traffic plans, this is not something that can be done in isolation”replies Hervé Gérard, who indicates that communication efforts could still be made to strengthen understanding of the new developments for everyone.
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