TFL Cycle Superhighways

Everywhere is slippery tonight. Greasy rain has fallen over London bringing all the exhaust dirt down to the road.

I thought greasy got banned...

Jesus Christ. Whatever you do, don't lean.

Filming on the superhighway

Here's why.

Are there any superhighways planned for north and west london?

Hopefully none, you'll be safer without it.

possibly. although I would like to see some provision for cycling along green lanes and through the hellish manor house

I'd be amazed if there was any improvement on Green Lanes. There's no political will to challenge the influence of the business-owners on Green Lanes and they're all about maximising car traffic and parking.

Current ideas that have been mooted for the current elections are 30 minutes free car parking for everyone (one of the Lib Dems' major policies) and potentially reopening the Garden Streets to through traffic in order to get more cars to the shops (Labour).

I'd be amazed if there was any improvement on Green Lanes. There's no political will to challenge the influence of the business-owners on Green Lanes and they're all about maximising car traffic and parking.

Current ideas that have been mooted for the current elections are 30 minutes free car parking for everyone (one of the Lib Dems' major policies) and potentially reopening the Garden Streets to through traffic in order to get more cars to the shops (Labour).

That's terrible news! I live on one of those Garden streets so will definitely not be voting labour!

They have put in new bike racks on Green Lanes and they are terrible, all sharp edges.

I was handed a TFL cycling survey at some lights this morning. #csb

^^this looks quite good and they have made some of the changes already. Not sure about removing the buslane though and no mention of removing the bollards

http://www.haringey.gov.uk/gl_a3_static_booklet_web_reva-2.pdf

That's all mainly finished from what I've been keeping up with (seemingly a bit behind schedule as they've run out of paving slabs). No idea why they've gone with such shit bike racks, I imagine they must have been a lot cheaper than Sheffield stands.

The bus lane removal isn't happening. This is something that the traders wanted (a large influence on that plan was the Traders' Association) and argued for but was over-ruled by TFL.

These are the quotes from the Labour candidate for St. Anns, Ali Özbek

[INDENT]"Ali Özbek of Med - Chem Pharmacy on Green Lanes said that business rates in the area almost equalled rates on Oxford Street. Mr Özbek said “From a business perspective, among the most significant problems of Harringay Green Lanes are the high level of business rates and parking problems.
... In a meeting last month, I informed Tottenham MP David Lammy that in the area we have got 1,000 votes and three major issues.
...The other two matters in the area are the barriers on Hermitage Road as well as St Ann’s Road where customers are not allowed to turn towards Green Lanes. This prevents the area receiving more visitors. Mr Lammy said he would not open the barriers."
[/INDENT]

The 'barriers' (we call them 'modal filters' in Hackney are a very good thing which have undoubtedly made the lives of residents there much more bearable, although they could all do with more cycle-friendly upgrades. I doubt very much that this one would be a vote-winner with residents. Traders always overestimate the number of customers they get from private motor traffic. The vast majority of their footfall is from people walking, cycling, or using public transport. Mr Lammy, by the way, has no formal authority on this. He could lobby, but the highway authority is the London Borough of Haringey.

TFL's Road Modernisation Plan

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/improvements-and-projects/road-modernisation-plan?cid=fs234

Today's Sunday Politics programme, contains angry taxi man, tory wanker and Gilligan doing well in a very combative interview at about 5:30:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewq47n9-AfI#t=606

Fast-food chain McDonald's is planning a drive-thru restaurant on the A40 at Gypsy Corner that will create a dangerous crossing for cyclists. It will also restrict the width of the proposed East-West Cycle Superhighway, forcing the two-way cycle track to narrow into a single shared-use path. Ealing Cycling Campaign are objecting to this planning application and would like your support. Please email members of the planning committee before Wednesday evening. We've made it easy, just click on the link here.
For more details about why this matters - see below.

Drive-thru Danger - Why it Matters

For the first time ever, Ealing Cycling Campaign is formally objecting to a planning application by speaking at a Council Planning meeting. The proposed access road from the A40 to the new drive-thru restaurant will sweep across the present cycle track at a diagonal angle that will make it difficult for vehicle drivers to see cyclists. It ignores the draft London Cycle Design Standards which state that cycle tracks should enjoy priority over turning traffic. Ealing Council acknowledges the danger, and is asking McDonald's for money for safety improvements. It talks vaguely about installing a zebra crossing or signals, but has produced no plans. We don't believe this crossing can be made safe without significantly altering the layout of the pedestrian path, cycle lane, and access road. We think the council and the public should be able to see these plans before planning permission is given. As an alternative solution, we are suggesting a safer access road could be provided from Leamington Park which would remove the need for the road to cross the cycle track.

The plans also compromise the proposed East-West Cycle Superhighway from Park Royal to Hyde Park Corner. The addition of a slip-road into the drive-thru has reduced the width available for the Cycle Superhighway. Instead of two cycle tracks and a separate pedestrian pavement, there will be a single path that pedestrians and cyclists will have to share. For this long-distance, fast commuter route this is not a safe option.

We are also disappointed at the quality of the proposed cycle track. The present track has proved unpopular largely due to its close proximity to fast-moving traffic, noise, and pollution. The original aim at this site - and others along the A40 where homes were knocked down - was to develop a green corridor. Instead of running the cycle track next to the road, the expectation was that it would be set away from the highway, and separated from it by a raised bank and vegetation. This idea has completely vanished.

The proposal, which comes before Ealing's Planning committee on Wednesday, appears to breach national and local planning guidelines. It disregards Highways Agency standards that state that turnings to and from trunk roads "must be limited as they can give rise to accidents". It ignores the National Planning Policy Framework that says developments should "create safe and secure layouts which minimise conflicts between traffic and cyclists". And it turns a blind eye to the London Plan's specific guidance that "developments should facilitate the Cycle Superhighways".

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/feb/04/segregated-cycle-lanes-london-tfl

“You can’t believe the amount of emails and tweets I’ve been getting,” said Steve McNamara, general secretary of the LTDA. “Some of it is quite outrageous. I’ve been threatened with violence. But I’m 6ft 2in, I weigh 15 stone, and I grew up in Hackney. They don’t scare me.”

lol

The TFL Board meeting that is underway sounds like a riot of cock-ups, conflicts of interest and procedural balls ups.

My personal favourite is that Canary Wharf Group drafted a letter for other groups to use to raise objections to the proposed superhighways, and some of those that sent it failed to modify it at all, making it clear what was going on.

Glad to see private business are working hard to undermine democratically elected representatives.

That Canary wharf fucker sounded like a right oily piece of work.

Anyone wanting up to date info - #tflboard or http://t.co/5w1b5N4EbV

Apparently Sir John Armitt, chair of National Express, has just been indulging in a bit of victim blaming. Classy.

"Cyclists are their own biggest danger." Hmmm.