This morning's commute and other commuting stories

I've been thinking recently that Royal Mail

Their drivers can be absolutely awful, a mix of taxi driver "I'm an expert, I know what I'm doing," and "I'm a proper working class man so get out of the way and let me do my job."

I wear a hi-viz tabard at work (school cycling instructor) and last week we were on the street when a Royal Mail van came past. The driver must have mistaken me for the police because she quickly reached over to put her seat belt on.
Generally anyone who gets paid to deliver anything is going to be in a hurry. When I was a bike courier I didn't always cycle in a patient, responsible way.

Must be a big case on at the Royal Courts Of Justice today? Big police presence of about 10 vans parked up out the back on Carey street making it an absolute nightmare to travel through with the construction vehicles that are going around there at the moment for the numerous building projects on Carey Street, Portugal Street and Lincoln's Inn Fields blocking things up completely

I think it's because of the extinction rebellion protest - I had a very nice cycle along fleet street this morning (after a nightmare getting down chancery lane)

Ah I see. Yeah the short section of Chancery Lane I use was also a nightmare, more so than usual. But it's to be expected when people park several lorries and vans up it for deliveries and then try to squeeze more vehicles along at rush hour

Bit of an old pic from google street view but does anyone know this turning? After Westminster bridge heading towards Trafalgar Square.

Who technically has right of way (red line or yellow) Or neither?

Unless I'm mistaken red line has to go around Parliament Square and then follow yellow line.
ETA - I stand corrected - there is a cycle right turn concession for red line there.
I would've thought yellow line has priority.

You mean 'priority'--the concept of 'right of way' in the UK means something different.

It's an interesting question. The expectation would be that the two movements should not be in difficult conflict (the right turn (red) is only permitted for local buses, so low frequency, although I expect a fair few bike riders probably turn right there). As it's a signalised junction, 'priority' is expected to be regulated largely by the signal phases. The left turn (yellow) is on a separate signal phase to the adjacent straight-ahead lane, and in the same phase as the right turn, so that right-turners (red) don't have to wait for straight-ahead traffic to clear.

So, exercise common sense and there should not be any serious conflict. Have you had a bad experience with a bus turning across you?

there is a cycle right turn concession for red line there

Where do you see that? The right turn is banned on the cycle track (coming off Westminster Bridge), too. Obviously, in practice, not legally, 'buses only' is often interpreted as being usable by cyclists.

Here:
https://tinyurl.com/yx8hwc9b
Or have I got that wrong?

ETA - TBF, that picture is from 2012 - so things may've changed.

Ah, thanks for the correction.

Yes, so normally buses will wait for traffic going straight ahead (towards the bridge) to be stopped by the lights (or for an opening) and then proceed to follow the red line. In my experience when a bus does this traffic flowing via the yellow line gives way, even if they are on their green phase.

I never have an issue here really, but today I had somewhat committed to the red line turn, with a black cab approaching via the yellow line. It would have been fine if he’d held his speed, but he accelerated and forced me to give way.

Felt irksome but maybe I was in the wrong. Not worth getting into conflict over in any case

Odd that it should serve you this old image, without the 'history' option through which you can see successive layers of StreetView photography.

Try this for the current layout:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5009452,-0.1255892,3a,22.1y,253.03h,87.34t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s07pfj6QZchdMbUvcu97vhQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

I suppose in this situation it's just a question of etiquette. Obviously, bar trams and some lorries, buses are the biggest thing on the road, so other drivers give way to them more readily than to a lowly bike rider. Still, it's bad manners to cut you up.

Yep, suspected it might be the case that just needed both parties to be a little more polite than usual...

There’s actually give way markings on the yellow route shortly after the lights. I feel like they’ve been removed (painted over) but left very visible, and are a bit misleading.

Those give-way markings were part of an older traffic scheme, installed around 2012, I think.

A bit faded by 2014, but the left turn used to be unsignalised.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5010597,-0.1265033,3a,75y,44.02h,83.53t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sczLW3Hyyi2wcEGRiwc_F6w!2e0!5s20140701T000000!7i13312!8i6656
It's a little confusing to track via StreetView, as the camera positions vary and you jump a lot between years, but with a bit of elbow grease you can work it out.

Ah cool, that makes sense. Has made the whole thing a bit clearer to me thanks :)

‘Legally’ as a cyclist coming off Westminster bridge on the cycle lane turning right onto Whitehall you have to make a two stage right turn by waiting on the pavement on Parliament Square corner. It’s nuts and no one does it but TFL Cycling 🤷🏼‍♂️

1 Attachment

Yeah, if you’re in the cycle lane. I usually join the right hand lane of traffic to avoid that..

Yeah, technically you have to be a bus to turn right in the general traffic lane there (doesn’t mean that the taxi has to be an ass though).

It’s nuts

That's one thing, but it's also not clear from the signage. Looking at the picture, the placement of the arrow suggests to me that I shouldn't mount the pavement (which is also my default assumption anyway, I avoid cycling on the pavement wherever possible).

My commute goes through Bristol Bridge, which is currently occupied and blocked by The Extinction Rebellion. So my commute has overnight become suddenly almost car-less. It was a beautiful feeling cycling in the sun with no cars, so free, so quiet. They are in a prison of their own making.

no one does it but TFL Cycling

Not quite; two-stage right turns like this are modelled on the example of Denmark. They are very cyclist-unfriendly and designed to increase motor traffic capacity (rather than providing a proper arrangement for making turns). I missed that that was there (probably because for heritage reasons, e.g. not being able to create markings on the footway, they couldn't make it very obvious). It's yet another regrettable feature of this appalling scheme.

As SwissChap says, the arrow is pretty unclear. Also, you have a cycle track opposite, in Bridge Street, with a prohibition to turn right. There is no indication there at all that in order to perform a right turn, you're meant to mount the footway and wait at the stop line painted there. As to make this possible this section of footway has to be shared-use, the area of shared use should be demarcated by appropriate paving so partially-sighted people can detect it, but I imagine they couldn't do that there for heritage reasons, either (it does look rather ugly).

Another thing that's always annoyed me here, unrelated to the scheme, is that there's no pedestrian crossing from the west side of Parliament Street to the island in Parliament Square. That's been the case for as long as I can remember.

Mine doesn't but I'm thinking of detouring past (on bicycle, obvs) to give a bell-ring and wave!

It's yet another regrettable feature of this appalling scheme.

It's a long way from great, but it's also a long way from appalling. I know you dislike any notion of segregation Oliver but for those that do these scheme works well.

Gold star cuntery on Kensington Road this morning. Black BMW X5 coming eastbound tries to turn right into Queens Gate from the filter lane. Lights are green both ways and have been for some time. Driver almost drives straight into the cyclist in front of me (about 150 yards in front) and sounds his horn like it's the rider's fault. 100% the driver not looking. Driver then accelerates towards me shouting something about being sorry when I'm dead - fuck you, X5 wanker. No evasive action needed as I had slowed. Rider who is in front then blasts through the next ped crossing through the middle of crowd of peds and small dogs - any sympathy I had for the last incident evaporates. Much fuckwittery.

Didn't get reg - so can't roadsafe/popo. Arse.