Victoria Embankment lane restrictions

Victoria Embankment lane restrictions

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Discussion

matrignano

Original Poster:

4,350 posts

209 months

Thursday 14th May 2015
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Just got this from Tfl:
There will be one lane open in each direction on Victoria Embankment and Lower Thames Street from Friday until mid-December. Delays are expected to increase as a result and road users are advised to check before travelling. This is due to East-West Cycle Superhighway work.

It's already been restricted to one lane each way since Monday, and it's awful!
My commute has pretty much doubled.

Don't know what the cycle superhighway will look like, but I have never seen any issues with/for cyclists on that stretch of road?

If anything, assuming the highway will run in the middle of the road, it will increase the risk of a cyclist being t-bones when a car is turning off the Embankment?

matrignano

Original Poster:

4,350 posts

209 months

Thursday 14th May 2015
quotequote all
They're getting rid of 2 lanes! yikes
https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/cycling/a8130262

That's my commuting by car days well and truly over. Traffic will be insane

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 15th May 2015
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matrignano said:
They're getting rid of 2 lanes! yikes
https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/cycling/a8130262

That's my commuting by car days well and truly over. Traffic will be insane
They're replacing two lanes all the way upto Tower Hill no?


Just checked.....Im wrong, only one lane "converted" eastbound from Blackfriars to Tower Hill, two lanes still westbound until Blackfriars Bridge then down to one...immediately followed by a new set of lights to allow the cyclists to cross from north of the carriage way to the new the southern section replacing both lanes.....that'll be a fun section of road....Castle Baynard St/Puddle dock converted to cyclists only = unhappy tunnel runners!

ETA again for greater detail looking at TFL's plans
Edited by djstevec on Friday 15th May 10:40


Edited by djstevec on Friday 15th May 11:28

hygt2

419 posts

178 months

Friday 15th May 2015
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Yes, since Tuesday I have been crossing Southwark Bridge and then come back across on Westminster or Waterloo depending on traffic flow as I come in from Wapping to Mayfair.

Traffic between Blackfriars and the Big Ben is horrendous.

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 15th May 2015
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hygt2 said:
Yes, since Tuesday I have been crossing Southwark Bridge and then come back across on Westminster or Waterloo depending on traffic flow as I come in from Wapping to Mayfair.

Traffic between Blackfriars and the Big Ben is horrendous.
Traffic was backed up to Northumberland Ave at 10:30pm the other night as I tried to get home....gonna be one big clusterfk imho.

hygt2

419 posts

178 months

Saturday 16th May 2015
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djstevec said:
Traffic was backed up to Northumberland Ave at 10:30pm the other night as I tried to get home....gonna be one big clusterfk imho.
Just looking at Google map traffic before heading west into West End, looks like I would avoid The stretch from Tower Bridge to Big Ben completely. Going through the City, crossing London Bridge or through Cannon Street then cross Blackfriars Bridge. Then come back across on Westminster or Lambeth.

croyde

22,709 posts

229 months

Saturday 16th May 2015
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fk! I use the Tower Hill to Big Ben bit a lot and it can still be congested at 11pm even when all the lanes are open.

Am heading that way in an hour. Looks like I'll need a plan B. Well I have many alternate routes being an ex courier and cabbie but damn it! I liked that way home.

hygt2

419 posts

178 months

Tuesday 19th May 2015
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Anyone went on this road today? I have been avoiding it since last Tuesday and I'm wondering if the congestion got any better for me to use it again for commuting to and from work.

Thanks in advance.

mgtony

4,014 posts

189 months

Tuesday 19th May 2015
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hygt2 said:
Anyone went on this road today? I have been avoiding it since last Tuesday and I'm wondering if the congestion got any better for me to use it again for commuting to and from work.

Thanks in advance.
LBC reporting it's bad. It's going to be bad for the whole time of the roadworks and once they're finished, just like every other road narrowing/lane removal scheme, the traffic is going to be obviously worse than it ever was.

matrignano

Original Poster:

4,350 posts

209 months

Tuesday 19th May 2015
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Did Northumberland avenue to Tower Hill this morning at 8.10am.
Wasn't too bad but obviously worse than previously.

Same route yesterday at 10am took me twice as long though.

Definitely avoid peak hours

anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 20th May 2015
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mgtony said:
hygt2 said:
Anyone went on this road today? I have been avoiding it since last Tuesday and I'm wondering if the congestion got any better for me to use it again for commuting to and from work.

Thanks in advance.
LBC reporting it's bad. It's going to be bad for the whole time of the roadworks and once they're finished, just like every other road narrowing/lane removal scheme, the traffic is going to be obviously worse than it ever was.
Its not just the physical road layout changes that will cause problems, changes to traffic light sequencing to favor cyclists will also fk it up completely. Worst section I can see will be the approach to Tower Hill from Wapping along East Smithfield. Two lanes of pretty much solid traffic 24/7 being squeezed to one lane for a short stretch at Tower Hill before opening back to two lanes on Lower Thames St. East Smithfield/Highway will be log jammed and expect to see lots of aggressive cutting in at the Tower Hill lights.

Mad Pugger

10 posts

107 months

Friday 22nd May 2015
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Coming in towards big ben isn't to bad in the evenings. I used it at roughly 20:00 and I can get to work from the A13 to SW1 in 30mins or less.

croyde

22,709 posts

229 months

Friday 22nd May 2015
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That's good to know as that is a regular run I do around 10pm.

hygt2

419 posts

178 months

Saturday 23rd May 2015
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djstevec said:
mgtony said:
hygt2 said:
Anyone went on this road today? I have been avoiding it since last Tuesday and I'm wondering if the congestion got any better for me to use it again for commuting to and from work.

Thanks in advance.
LBC reporting it's bad. It's going to be bad for the whole time of the roadworks and once they're finished, just like every other road narrowing/lane removal scheme, the traffic is going to be obviously worse than it ever was.
Its not just the physical road layout changes that will cause problems, changes to traffic light sequencing to favor cyclists will also fk it up completely. Worst section I can see will be the approach to Tower Hill from Wapping along East Smithfield. Two lanes of pretty much solid traffic 24/7 being squeezed to one lane for a short stretch at Tower Hill before opening back to two lanes on Lower Thames St. East Smithfield/Highway will be log jammed and expect to see lots of aggressive cutting in at the Tower Hill lights.
I leave for work at 5.30 in the morning so not too bad. However, in the weekends to get into West End (Chinatown/Selfridges/Bond Street area), I now go down cable street then cut through to cannon street via the back roads (Great Tower Street, etc.), and then cross London/Blackfriar Bridge to come back across at Westminster Bridge.

Jagmanv12

1,573 posts

163 months

Tuesday 14th July 2015
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Thankfully I don't use this road very much but did the other day and thought what idiot dreamed up removing 2 lanes of a main road. Was there a high usage of this road by cyclists? i.e. is it reallly necessary?

If a vehicle breaks down or there's an accident there will be gridlock.

matrignano

Original Poster:

4,350 posts

209 months

Tuesday 14th July 2015
quotequote all
Jagmanv12 said:
Thankfully I don't use this road very much but did the other day and thought what idiot dreamed up removing 2 lanes of a main road. Was there a high usage of this road by cyclists? i.e. is it reallly necessary?

If a vehicle breaks down or there's an accident there will be gridlock.
There are an awful lot of cyclists using that route to be fair.

Also I can see the appeal for tourists who may want to ride from Westminster/Big Ben to the Tower of London or vice-versa.

rwdvectra

100 posts

189 months

Friday 24th July 2015
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matrignano said:
There are an awful lot of cyclists using that route to be fair.

Also I can see the appeal for tourists who may want to ride from Westminster/Big Ben to the Tower of London or vice-versa.
What about normal Londoners who rely on that road and the surrounding areas to go to work or use it for work etc !!

Embankment, Lower thames street, Upper thames are a joke. It's like a car park from westminster to wapping!!

Vauxhall is the same. TFL are making the roads so bad and then that will be there excuse to bring in a bigger congestion zone!!

roscobbc

3,306 posts

241 months

Sunday 26th July 2015
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rwdvectra said:
What about normal Londoners who rely on that road and the surrounding areas to go to work or use it for work etc !!

Embankment, Lower thames street, Upper thames are a joke. It's like a car park from westminster to wapping!!

Vauxhall is the same. TFL are making the roads so bad and then that will be there excuse to bring in a bigger congestion zone!!
'Normal' Londoners are excluded from any considerations. Too many 'presumptions' from Boris unfortunately - 'presumptions' being that any of of us actually are able or want to use a bicycle to travel around.
See news headlines a few days ago i.e. there is an increase in ordinary Londoners dying from Diesel related pollution. Diesel vehicles that our government encouraged use of! - the road restrictions (like Superhighway) are all part of a long term plan - blame vehicular traffic for pollution and deaths - ignoring the fact that our government and TFL are actually slowing down traffic speeds and creating the additional pollution rather than logically increasing road speeds and traffic flow, allowing vehicles to travel at their engines most efficient speed, thereby actually reducing pollution levels. Yes, TFL and HMG have a lot to answer for!