Hammersmith Bridge is open again

Good to see that Hammersmith Bridge is open again for people rather than cars. And possibly ' indefinitely'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-47891838#

Time for a bridge party

Maybe they could turn it into a garden?

No, that’s a fucking stupid idea, Boris...

Also just spotted:

https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/332742/#comment14694533

Went to the Bridge today. Quite a lot of people using it.

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It's terrible, it's as if we're back in the Stone Age, where people didn't constantly use massive not-fit-for-purpose machines for short local trips.

Just got back from riding across Kew Bridge (and along Chiswick High Road) and feel like my lungs are full of crap. Might take the detour and use Hammersmith bridge now, looks so civilised.

I avoided Putney bridge and Fulham Palace road this morning by going along the Thames path and crossing Hammersmith - it's very very nice.

It may stay nice.
Following a tweet to a H&F transport planner suggesting that picnic tables and planters would be nice on the bridge, he responded 'You never know, watch this space'

https://gb.eventbu.com/london/future-of-hammersmith-bridge-as-world-class-walking-cycling-link/14854394

This looks promising.
Will be attending this on Saturday
@hippy you around? Event involves beer (Early I know)

And I thought the bl**dy Garden Bridge was dead. :)

Not sure what's happening. Was talking about riding a 400 with the missus but I think I should heal more first so I might be about.

Well DM me if you are about and up to meet on the Bridge at 11 or The Pub at 12

Will do!

You're not seriously suggesting that hippy should step onto that bridge, are you?

I'll have you know I've already crossed it since it was closed to auto traffic... thanks mostly to Garmin's shitty navigation and me being 300k+ into a ride.

Well, it can't be long before it falls into the Thames, then.

I wrote a letter to Andy Slaughter MP following the meeting about the bridge:

Hi Andy,

I read in your recent email update that you are keen to see Hammersmith Bridge open again soon for motor vehicles. (It is open currently for walkers and cycle riders).

I understand that funding has not yet been found and that it may be 2 or 3 years until it is fixed for motor transport, and even then may need further refurbished within a decade.

Since the bridge is such an iconic local structure, as you pointed out, wouldn't it be a wonderful opportunity to encourage its use now as a fantastic walking and cycling link with a low cost intervention such a greening it with plants and flowers?

A short term solution for people who may have used public transport to cross the bridge could be the use of side-by-side cycles (see image attached, taken on a recent visit to Seville). Where people can ride across the bridge and choose whether or not they wish to pedal.

(This concept been trialled in LB of Hackney where people over 60 or with issues of mobility were able to make local trips on these cycles and funded by a DfT innovations grant)

Should such measures be successful in encouraging alternatives to motor vehicles in the short term, coupled with an expected reduction in traffic across the network (as happened last time the bridge was forced to close in the mid '90s as evidenced in a report published at the time), there may be no need to spend the large sums of money required to make this iconic Victorian bridge able to carry heavy double decker electric buses.

In this era of climate change emergency, political leaders in H&F can take this opportunity to demonstrate alternatives to the motor-centric status quo with a little imagination.

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He replied pretty quickly:

Thank you for your creative suggestion. I think the
funding/programming issues will be sorted fairly soon but you are
right that the scale of the repairs will take years rather than months
(though I hope you are wrong about them only lasting a decade). I am
pursuing all these issues.

On the future use of the bridge I am just being honest that I think
we need it open to general traffic subject to whatever weight limit is
feasible/affordable.

But I agree we need to maximise the use during closure and I will ask
TfL and LBHF to make travel across – and links with public transport –
as flexible as possible. It may well be that the use over the next
1-2 years and monitoring of traffic displacement does influence future
loading and restrictions.

Walkers and joggers banned from the bridge, apart from the narrow pavements where people pushing buggies struggle to pass. 4 H&F officers needed to enforce this. It looks a mess with all the cones and signs too.

Not unexpected though considering how our transportation culture struggles when the motor hierarchy is challenged

Crazy situation when the bridge could be a fantastic place for walking and courteous riding.

(Though seems you can walk if you're pushing a motorcycle)

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Sigh

(Though seems you can walk if you're pushing a motorcycle)

This, even as a motorcyclist myself, has been boiling my piss since the closure.

What a mess

That really is completely daft. It should just be shared use--wasn't it like that for previous bridge openings?

https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/332742/

I cycled down from Putney to Richmond around lunch time today.
Normally a very clear an enjoyable ride but it was chocka with traffic in sheen mostly heading right towards kew bridge.
Completely fine on the last bit towards richmond.
Not sure what's better open or closed.