This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Been commuting using the new north-south cycle superhighway this week and I'm convinced that it's only a matter of time until some serious accidents take place. People overtaking each other and playing chicken with oncomers all for the sake of rushing to an office to perform a job they most likely resent...

The question is always whether there will be more serious incidents than before implementation of the tracks. I share your worry, but risk-taking behaviour that is alarming and confusing doesn't always produce what you expect. It is certainly known that cycle tracks don't mix speeds well, but in London fast riders do have the option of staying in the carriageway (unlike in the Netherlands and other countries, where you're compelled to use a cycle track where one exists). We know that on the A118 Stratford High Street injuries to cyclists went up hugely in the first year of operation (2014) of the new cycle tracks, but we don't know how high cycle flows are almost anywhere (where cycling takes place, you can expect people to crash), one year's worth of data isn't enough to draw conclusions (you need at least three, ideally more, plus a baseline), and the designs around the E&C are very different. Also, data from similar designs around the world isn't strictly applicable, as the London context is really quite unique. In all cases, it's best to wait for the evidence to come in, but that will take a while.