Cs3 turning left Royal Mint to Mansell

Hi there,

I was hoping someone could help.

My wife's commute, which I'm doing with her for the first week, involves turning left from the Royal Mint St (CS3) onto Mansell Street. She needs to get onto Tower Bridge.

I can't figure out a good way of doing this as when the cycle green man is flashing cars are going across her path into Royal Mint St. If she waits in front of southbound traffic on Mansell St. she is in front of the traffic lights so unable to see when she may go. She has to rely on traffic bearing down on her to know the lights have changed.

There is a blue signpost telling cyclists to turn left at this junction to reach Tower Bridge, so I'm assuming there must be a safe way to doing this.

Many thanks for any help.

James

you are meant to cross at the toucan crossing, there should be a green ped/bike phase, go behind that advertising board and rejion the carriageway just around the corner. The pavement on the corner is shared use.

This is looking back down mint street, notice the little green patch on the right for rejoining the road south to tower bridge. https://goo.gl/maps/LBldN

Hi there,

Thanks for your reply. I don't know why I didn't see that little cycle lane on the two occasions we've commuted. I think there's always been pedestrians blocking the view. That would make things much better. I also got this advice from another helpful person at Tower Hamlets cycling committee:

"One way to get onto Tower Bridge with less hassle from motor vehicles is to:

1. Go straight across Mansell Street from the end of Royal Mint St when the Tower Bride bound traffic in Mansell St is stopped by the lights. The crossing surface is coloured green.
   
2. Staying on the road instead of going onto the shared use pavement opposite, turn left off the green crossing and then right into Shorter Street, moving left across Shorter into the cycle lane and Advanced Stop box.
   
3. Turn left at the lights (very few motor vehicles turn left here) into Tower Hill and move across to the right hand lane, which is bus,taxi and cycle only. There is a separate phase for this right filter onto Tower Bridge approach and it is much calmer for cyclists.
   
   

This route avoids the difficulties you describe and also trying to get into position to negotiate the chaotic and intimidating end of Mansell St as it approaches the bridge."

I will try both and see which is best. Eventually she'll take Shorter St. and carry on to Southwark Bridge once they build that bit of the East-West cycle superhighway.

Thanks for your help.
James

This is where I usually turn left for Tower Bridge and the end of CS3 was closed off today, need to find a new route. Any suggestions? CS3 isn't bad in the morning but hate it in the evening.