In the first category, roadways and bicycle lanes will be separated with a fence or curb.īicycle lanes in the second category will be marked in blue on the left side of roads. ![]() The Tokyo metropolitan government, encouraged by these social changes and seeking to address the lack of cyclist-only roads in the capital, plans to introduce four main types of bicycle lanes. This is behind the public’s deep-rooted perception of (dangerous) bicycle operations.”īicycle purchases have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic as people try to avoid the “three Cs” of closed, crowded and close-contact settings.Ī number of cyclists now work as home-delivery agents, while rental bicycles have become more common. “Cyclists started riding on footpaths for safety. “Automobile traffic rose dramatically during that period of high economic growth, resulting in a large number of cyclists being hit by cars,” Wada said. Shinji Wada, head of the Tokyo metropolitan government’s safety and facility department, said cyclists started to prefer walkways from the early 1960s to early 1970s. Forty percent of the incidents occurred on footpaths.īicycles are treated as a type of light vehicle under the Road Traffic Law, meaning that, in principle, they must run on the left side of roads and off of walkways. “This process is troublesome and dangerous.”Īccording to the National Police Agency, three pedestrians were killed and 309 seriously injured in accidents with cyclists in 2022. “I have to swerve sharply into the traffic side to avoid parked automobiles each time,” she said. She said vehicles are always parked on the road edge that is marked for bicycle use. The tourist said that in his homeland, different lanes are set aside for cars, bicycles and pedestrians around the popular sightseeing destination of the Paris Opera.Ĭyclists are using sidewalks for safety reasons.Ī woman on a bicycle with her child in a back seat said she is “afraid of the roadway.” “I cannot believe no serious accidents have happened here,” the Frenchman said on the bridge. Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree can be seen from the bridge, so couples often walk there side by side while chatting and taking in the view. ![]() The “danger zone” has seen a growing number of visitors heading to the Tsukiji Jogai Shijo (outer market) shopping district. “I never check my smartphone while passing through the bridge,” the student said. A signboard states “cyclists should run slowly on the roadway side” of the sidewalk.Īs both ends of the bridge are sloped, cyclists can quickly gain speed on the descents.Ī junior high schooler, 13, who lives nearby and goes to class via Kachidokibashi, said walking on the bridge can be “horrifying” because of the bicycles. The four-lane Harumi-dori street on the bridge is full of traffic day and night.Īlthough the left edge of the roadway is marked for bicycle use, cyclists also can use the walkways. Kachidokibashi bridge, built over the Sumidagawa river in Chuo Ward, falls under the jurisdiction of the Tokyo metropolitan government. The startled Frenchman, 46, said it was “unbelievable for a bicycle to be going so fast on a footway.” She shouted “sorry” and sped away, going so fast that all her bangs were blowing backward. ![]() ![]() A female cyclist zipping along the walkway of Kachidokibashi bridge in Tokyo’s Tsukiji district grazed the arm of a French pedestrian.
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