Blackfriars - TFL start work on dangerous design Friday - Protest at Critical Mass

(new thread for the clearer title - please merge after friday..)

from markbikeslondon:

Really bad news on the Blackfriars Bridge front I'm afraid. Despite 1000s of people petitioning, writing, lobbying and protesting, despite the Mayor saying the designs "need work" and despite a cross-party supported motion from the London Assembly calling for a review of the design and 20mph limit, Transport for London are going ahead with their plans anyway from Friday night. By Monday morning it will be mostly a done deal. Everyone is f*cking furious about it. Talk about a slap in the face for democracy! Who exactly runs London?

Critical Mass is going to head for the Bridge on Friday night, and there's going to be a go slow flashride on Monday morning so that TfL don't think it's a done deal before work.

All the details (and rabble rousing) over on my blog here

http://ibikelondon.blogspot.com/2011/07/last-stand-in-battle-for-blackfriars.html

Please come Forumungers! TfL's road designs on this bridge have killed before, and we've exhausted all democractic avenues. What else are we supposed to do?

anyone who cares about their safety or the safety of their friends on london's streets should come to this.

"Sorry, the page you were looking for in the blog i b i k e l o n d o n does not exist."

click on the link you've just copied and you'll see it.

Done. It's early. Just wanted op to be aware.

thanks. corrected, i hope.

Yep. Ugh this makes me angry, but I'm going away for the weekend so can't go on Friday. Might try and make Monday. I think that has the potential to be the more effective of the two anyway.

Where can I find these plans please?

http://cyclelondoncity.blogspot.com/p/blackfriars-timeline-of-everything-you.html

indeed. but given the number of people wanting to head towards blackfriars, it would be surprising if the mass does not end up there, at some point...

I agree, Critical Mass is not organised, I'm certainly not the organiser, but there's nothing to stop enough people coming along to sway it in the direction which they wish. There's always Monday morning if Critical Mass is not your thing, which is why we are pushing for this 'double event' to get maximum attention to the issue.

The whole thing makes a mockery of democracy. Those of us who have been plugging away behind the scenes on the issue for months have literally run out of options.

And what happens at Blackfriars will happen elsewhere - have you seen the new plans for London Bridge?!

It's all in the original blog post, but essentially once TfL are done with the northern end of Blackfriars they're going to start on other bridges and major junctions... On Vauchall Bridge they plan to run the new cycle superhighway down the middle of two lanes of fast moving traffic (just like the design that used to be on Blackfriars which killed two cyclists):

http://cyclelondoncity.blogspot.com/2011/04/vauxhall-cycle-super-highway-plans-more.html

..in London Bridge the redevolopment plans aim to tear out the cycle lanes on Weston Street and route cyclists (via a dismount sign) to wheel their bikes down the station concourse:

http://lcc.org.uk/articles/1-pounds-2-pence-billion-redevelopment-of-london-bridge-station-fails-to-provide-for-cyclists

It's all about 'smoothing the traffic flow' and TfL are doing this without any democratic oversite. When the whole GLA votes to can their plans and they go ahead anyway what can you do? This is why we've been making a fuss about Blackfriars from the outset - what happens here will happen across the rest of London if we're not careful.

That's utterly disgraceful!

As I can't be at CM I'll be at the Monday thing. Will this continue or just be a one off?

hmm. two protest rides apparently.

http://cyclelondoncity.blogspot.com/2011/07/bulldozers-move-in-on-saturday-this.html

Phew! Everything is moving so quickly, which is why people are getting mixed messages. To be clear, the Monday action is now under review and on standby as TfL have revealled they now expect their works to take 3 months, as oppose to being largely finished by the weekend.

So, in order to get as many voices in one place at one time heard together the protest rides are being consolodated. The LCC and all the bike bloggers involved are going to start their ride at the Doggett's Pub, on the south side of Blackfriars Bridge, at 6PM PROMPT on Friday evening. We want this to be the biggest 'flashride' London has ever seen so please do come along. It will loop Blackfriars Bridge, before heading to Waterloo to collect Critical Mass (kicking off around 7 from the usual place) to guide them back to Blackfriars.

Sorry for any confusion caused, when things happen this quickly it's just the way things are. These plans are now set, so tell everyone!

in

Also in.

Probably only for Mass. 6pm a bit early.

in