Cycle superhighways are getting rid of bus lanes

Forum ride:

Bus lanes are relatively safe places for inexperienced cyclist, the bus drivers are generally not in rush unlike cars and have no reason to dangerously over take because they will soon be stopping at a stop soon enough.
By removing buslane it just makes a car so much faster then the bus. Buslane are being removed on uxbridge road to widen footpaths. This now means buses are no longer a fast choice at rush hour with a safe place for cyclists.
This encourages people back into cars. Totally the wrong direction imo all round busier road for all and a more horrible place for a cyclist experienced or not, to be in.

the bus drivers are generally not in rush unlike cars and have no reason to dangerously over take because they will soon be stopping at a stop soon enough.

No

By removing buslane it just makes a car so much faster then the bus.

It could make being in a bus as slow as being in a car, which I agree kinda sucks.

This encourages people back into cars.

Possible, but I don't think people really take the bus because it's the quick option, no? Although as above it kinda sucks if we are slowing buses down.

£5 to the first person who can find which motabiek forum SouthLondoner frequents and is currently posting on about his mad troll skills.

Bike Chat Forums.

Too easy

Cyclists' lobbies have gained more and more power over the last years, especially in London.

In the capital, the roadworks for the cycle superhighways have been paralising traffic on the embankment for months, and will continue to do so for many more months.

The Oval to Vauxhall segregated cycle lane has eliminated the bus lane - this means giving priority to a private means of transportation, however green, like the bicycle, over public transport like the bus. And let'd not forget that not everyone can or should cycle: grannies, families with babies, people with luggage, etc.

Many councils are introducing 20mph speed limits, even on large A roads, with limited pedestrian crossings, and parking forbidden on both sides; I'm open to listening to the arguments in favour, but I haven't seen any evidence so far.

My question is: is anything being done to challenge the power of the ciclysts' lobbies? This is not just about motorcycles vs pushbikes, it's about cyclists vs everyone else, because most cycle-friendly initiatives are to the detriment of all the other road users (eg grannies travelling by bus).

The London transport watchdog criticised the impact cycle superhigwhays would have on buses ( http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/davehillblog/2014/jul/16/how-badly-will-boris-johnsons-cycling-vision-penalise-bus-users ), but evidently achieved nothing.

The Motorcycle Action Group has recently attended some conference/panel at City Hall, but I very much doubt anything tangible will be coming out of it.

Anything else being done? Are we just to suck it up and give up to the almighty cycle lobby?

PS I posted a question on a cycle forum about how segregated cycle lanes have caused the removal of bus lanes... and I was banned! Talk about a nazi attitude

he's getting slated on there too

he's getting slated on there too

Link pls I need a giggle

http://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=311948

Anyone who uses Dave Hill as a source can be instantly discounted

What's the objective of people who sign up to a forum to start threads like this?

To start a never ending argument where everybody descends to name calling and the usual flame war tactics?

Or to change the hive mind of the forum collective?

It seems like this chap really thought he'd be able to put every cyclist in their place with sound rationale and logic.

Ta :)

• Paging Dr Godwin. Paging Dr Godwin *
  

As I pointed out earlier, his view isn't actually that far from a significant proportion of this forum, though I was surprised he got such short shrift.

I totes agree with him, bus lanes absolutely should not make way for bike lanes. I Just couldn't be arsed to properly engage with such a tallywhacker.

I totes agree with him, bus lanes absolutely should not make way for bike lanes.

Yeah it kinda sucks - unless the bus lane wasn't working right in the first place and the analysis showed that taking it out wouldn't affect journey times.

I'd assume this is actually the case...?

They're planning on removing parts of some of the bus lanes on the Lea Bridge Road as part of the mini holland stuff.
According to the (admittedly partisan) blurb, TfL modelling has shown that there will be minimal impact on bus journey times.

I remember reading somewhere once that bus lanes are only really effective if they go on for quite some distance, and short lengths of them lead to buses having to merge back into traffic - with the resultant delays from other drivers not letting them back in - so it doesn't matter if you get rid of them.

Two pieces of anecdote cake for you all there - tuck in.

I like that he's also taking stick for his view over on the motorbike forum.

What I find interesting is that SouthLondoner has not complained about all the other normal traffic lanes taking up dedicated bus lane space. Shouldn't there be less space for traffic and more space for public transport? The ratio of space currently available to public transport vs space taken by cycles from public transport is, roughly, less than 0.01% of road space.

Car parking takes more space than anything else, remove car parking and you have approx 6m of road width on almost every non trunk road to play with.

Yeah but where am I gonna keep my crate if I can't leave it in the public realm?

No I can't leave it there, that's my front garden. What? You expect me to keep my thing on my property? Madness.

Silly, many people already keep their car in their front garden ( and sometimes part of the pavement too ). It's their 2nd car that needs parking space in the road...

Pushbike nazis the lot of us.

I daresay drivers were rather annoyed with bus lanes. Essentially, a road is a public shared space and the authorities segregate it by whichever means they need to serve to the public using it.

I think your argument is with the authorities and not any road users, irrespective of their mode of transportation.

I need to add an umlaut to my name just like gruppenführer Skülly

In case anyone can't be bothered to click the link, this is hilarious:

Londoner2015 wrote:

I am in favour of public transport and strongly oppose any initiative
that is to its detriment, like removing bus lanes.

well fuck off to bus wankers forum them

buses round here are shit slow dirty and a pain in the arse for anyone
besides the one old dear who is using it to go to get her pension