Boris's "Cycling Super-Highways" in London.
Discussion
From the Mayor's Question Time:
“Will your long promised Cycle Super-Highways give cyclist their own
fully segregated cycleway along the full length of the route? – Val
Shawcross
Cycle Highways will offer many benefits to cyclists, including
providing safe, direct, continuous and visible routes. They will be
clearly marked and easy to identify. It is not intended however that
they be segregated along the full length of the route.”
End quote.
I have my doubts about this, a bit of blue paint on the road won't necessarily make things safer.
Look at the stretch of road between Merton Park tram stop and
Wimbledon Chase train station. There isn’t the physical space on the
road in these places to do anything other than paint a line down the
road, in full knowledge that it will make the ‘vehicle lane’ too
narrow for a vehicle to drive down, therefore making encroachment on
the cycle lane inevitable.
Other sections of the route involve cycling along dual carriageways.
If the whole purpose of this scheme is to make cycling more
attractive, then I don’t quite see how this adds up.
Many of the existing cycle network routes follow residential streets
and, in the outer boroughs, bridleways / footpaths. In many ways I’m
surprised to see the proposed routes following major roads and keeping
well clear of the quieter and safer options, which in many cases have
more available road space to accommodate the route - but then again I
suppose I’m not surprised to see Boris trying to avoid upsetting
“Disgusted of Clapham” - I can see the letters complaining about lost
parking bays and damage to wing mirrors of parked vehicles now.
I use designated cycle lanes when I cycle through London, they're called "roads".
If you use the TFL route planner and say you are a cyclist you are guided down quiet, meandering roads that go a fair bit out of your way because the route planner steers you onto cycle lanes, whether or not they are the quickest route.
I don't cycle at 10mph, therefore I use the roads where there are fewer parked cars, lamposts, bus shelters, broken glass, dog poo, dog walkers, pedestrians etc etc.
And the idea of fixing mirrors to every single frigging traffic light is too silly for words...
“Will your long promised Cycle Super-Highways give cyclist their own
fully segregated cycleway along the full length of the route? – Val
Shawcross
Cycle Highways will offer many benefits to cyclists, including
providing safe, direct, continuous and visible routes. They will be
clearly marked and easy to identify. It is not intended however that
they be segregated along the full length of the route.”
End quote.
I have my doubts about this, a bit of blue paint on the road won't necessarily make things safer.
Look at the stretch of road between Merton Park tram stop and
Wimbledon Chase train station. There isn’t the physical space on the
road in these places to do anything other than paint a line down the
road, in full knowledge that it will make the ‘vehicle lane’ too
narrow for a vehicle to drive down, therefore making encroachment on
the cycle lane inevitable.
Other sections of the route involve cycling along dual carriageways.
If the whole purpose of this scheme is to make cycling more
attractive, then I don’t quite see how this adds up.
Many of the existing cycle network routes follow residential streets
and, in the outer boroughs, bridleways / footpaths. In many ways I’m
surprised to see the proposed routes following major roads and keeping
well clear of the quieter and safer options, which in many cases have
more available road space to accommodate the route - but then again I
suppose I’m not surprised to see Boris trying to avoid upsetting
“Disgusted of Clapham” - I can see the letters complaining about lost
parking bays and damage to wing mirrors of parked vehicles now.
I use designated cycle lanes when I cycle through London, they're called "roads".
If you use the TFL route planner and say you are a cyclist you are guided down quiet, meandering roads that go a fair bit out of your way because the route planner steers you onto cycle lanes, whether or not they are the quickest route.
I don't cycle at 10mph, therefore I use the roads where there are fewer parked cars, lamposts, bus shelters, broken glass, dog poo, dog walkers, pedestrians etc etc.
And the idea of fixing mirrors to every single frigging traffic light is too silly for words...
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