TfL considering modifying cycle lane on Blackfriars Bridge

LCC reaction here:

http://lcc.org.uk/articles/conservative-assembly-members-shun-blackfriars-debate

Oliver
LCC

I still vote for blocking the bridge.

Time for Boris to be Roberto Calvi'd?

Am pleased the LCC got a response out there pronto. Any ideas, other than stopping up the bridge and flooding me out of house and home, to keep this issue hot greatly appreciated. Looking on Twitter and the blogs there is certainly a lot of strength and feeling about this!

Yep, we've tried FOI requests, and they've turned them down - the hunch being that they haven't actually DONE any models or done models which can successfully cope with the actual volume of cyclists currently using the bridge.

Kate Hoey, Vauxhall, is worth an email as well.

http://cyclelondoncity.blogspot.com/2011/06/tfl-wont-release-any-data-to-support.html

nice post from futilitarian here:

http://cycleoffutility.wordpress.com/2011/06/08/tory-walk-out-a-pr-stunt-that-might-just-work/#comment-100

On BBC News London:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-13703431

http://cyclelondoncity.blogspot.com/2011/06/tfl-wont-release-any-data-to-support.html

I hope you* didn't lie back and think of England while they tossed such a pithy exemption at you*. That exemption inparticular is very easy to argue against and I would strongly recommend appealing the decision and, if necessary, following the appeal process as far as possible. If they think they can get away with it this time, they'll keep doing it.

*A broader you, not you specifically.

Can you tell me, " why you have used these maps in between the post ? "

I still vote for blocking the bridge.

How about forcing the traffic to hold 20mph by riding lots of boris bikes back and forth across it at that speed? (assuming boris bikes can go that fast.)

And maybe monitor traffic nearby to show it has no ill effects?

That'll just get motorists to do stupid things to get past cyclists.

You could appropriate some cones and police diversion signs and simulate the traffic chaos that arises when there's a real accident.

Of course any form of blocking the bridge would get the message out there but isn't going to get you any support from other bridge users, which is a factor that would be key in making it easier. The real trick of course would be to persuade drivers that they already don't want to use the bridge. If I were looking to run a campaign, I wouldn't do a flashmob, I'd go out to as many cycling groups, clubs, organisations, bloggers, campaigners and individual cyclists I as could and try and persuade anyone that rides across the river between 8am and 9am to use Blackfriars Bridge, especially if they otherwise use Southwark Bridge or Waterloo Bridge and to keep doing it for a month. Anyone else that wants to add Blackfriars Bridge to their ride of a morning at that time, all the better. Same time, every day, a soap-mob if you will.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23957740-bike-crash-doctor-in-plea-not-to-raise-speed-limit-on-bridge.do

^^nice idea.

I don't commute across the river, but whenever i've got time and am in the area i think i'll do a few laps of the bridge.

The last week has been epic on the Blackfriars Bridge debacle. The LCC is leading with the campaign to get the bridge redesigned, or at the very least keep it 20mph.

Over 2000 people have signed the petition supporting the Assembly Motion demanding it be kept 20mph, but the LCC is taking things a step further - they want to show the public face of the people who want the Bridge to be made a better place so we can't be dismissed as crazy hippy cyclists. I think this is a great idea, and if we could get everyone on LFGSS to take their pic and email it it would really help - wouldn't it be great if we could span the whole of the Bridge with pictures of people who really care about this issue, to show it's an important one?

Here's the LCC page where you can send your pic and see the others:
http://lcc.org.uk/articles/add-your-snapshot-to-our-photo-petition-give-us-the-freedom-to-walk-or-ride-blackfriars-must-stay-20mph

And a bit of rabble rousing by me, if you need further convincing!...

http://ibikelondon.blogspot.com/2011/06/blackfriars-lets-make-it-bridge-for-you.html

I've sent my pic already, and some others have started to trickle through, but it would be fantastic if every corner of the London cycling scene could be represented. It's not exactly hard to take a picture with your camera phone and email it, is it?

JUst giving this a bump bump bump...

Lots of pictures starting to appear in the LCC photo petition for Blackfriars, it would be great if you could all add yours please!

http://lcc.org.uk/articles/add-your-snapshot-to-our-photo-petition-give-us-the-freedom-to-walk-or-ride-blackfriars-must-stay-20mph

Thanks, Mark. Just to remind everyone: If you want to help change TfL's unjustifiable stance that '20mph wouldn't work' and you ultimately want to see the bridge approaches redesigned (a simpler junction at the northern end, a better layout for the southern approach, e.g. not four narrow lanes southbound), get involved in this. The more support for the campaign, the better. Keep the pictures coming!

Oliver
LCC

Indeed, Oliver. If we as cyclists want to get this bridge on our own terms we need to show that there is lots and lots of public support - not just cyclists but pedestrians, kids who go to local school by the bridge, people who want to walk and cycle but are too afraid. Over 100 pics have been uploaded but there needs to be lots and lots more - so tell your friends, and your family - this is just part of an ongoing campaign on the Blackfriars issue but everyone's help is really important.

Here's the link again:

http://lcc.org.uk/articles/add-your-snapshot-to-our-photo-petition-give-us-the-freedom-to-walk-or-ride-blackfriars-must-stay-20mph

I just looked at the pictures which have been uploaded to the LCC Blackfriars photo petition and there's loads of great shots of all sorts of different London cyclists there uploading their photos and saying they want Blackfriars to be made better. Not many from the LFGSS contingent that I recognise though - come on team, do your bit! Bumpy bump bump...

i don't understand why they can't make it like southwark bridge. install a tidy, smooth, segregated bike lane, and perhaps a bike filter light at the first set of lights (going south to north), to prevent any incidents with vehicles turning left.

Sadly, Southwark Bridge cycle lane buffers were only ever installed to protect the fabric of the bridge from errant trucks straying from the main carriageway, as oppose to help us cyclists, which is why at each end of the bridge you just get chucked in to the carriageway again :o( I'm sure London can do better! Our approach to road design here is so outdated it's not even funny.

i don't understand why they can't make it like southwark bridge. install a tidy, smooth, segregated bike lane, and perhaps a bike filter light at the first set of lights (going south to north), to prevent any incidents with vehicles turning left.

I did not like Southwark Bridge for that reason, I get honked at if I choose to ride on the road as it's faster, easier and have more error room, a lots less riskier than the narrow cycle lane with a ridiculously huge kerbs inbetween both lane.

segregated bike lane usually reduced the driver's awareness because they think cyclists won't be on that particular road.

^ good but often forgotten point.

Also, drivers who feel cheated by being behind a cyclist, don't realise that cars get in the way of cyclists far more often. But cylists don't f and blind about it do they? Or make dangerous manouvers as a result? Oh no yea, they do.

Of all the bridges, the least justification for a segregated track was on Southwark Bridge. It has made riding conditions there worse, although not by much, as there was never much of a problem with that bridge to start with. The main area in need of improvement is the southern bridge approach, which is chaotic and untidy.