2012-09-25 - Rider Down, Gordon Square

I came across an incident at Gordon square this morning at around 9.30.

It was next to the church by the cycle lanes along Byng place.

Ambulance in attendance, two people down lying very flat being ventilated. Didn't look very good to be honest so I'm very much hoping they're both ok.

There seemed to be no car involved and only one bike, so I'm guessing it was a pedestrian cyclist collision.

This is such a difficult junction. I regularly have to do some very controlled stopping to avoid all the cars, peds and other cyclists.

Fingers crossed for the two people involved, hope get back on your feet soon.

Oh no, I passed this at around 10am and it looked serious; ambulances, police and the area taped off. Hope all are ok.

Oh dear, it doesn't sound good. My hope was that as there seemed to be no car involved then serious injury was less likely.

My wife has now told me that they were not actually being ventillated but had oxygen masks on. This is different and more positive.

I passed by the incident at about 9:15. It looked bad. The male was conscious. I think the other person was female but couldn't tell as they were laying face down slighly on top of the guy with the dark coloured bike to one side. At first I thought the guy was talking to the her, reassuring her perhaps, but then he moved away a little showing his face, which wasn't in a good state. I couldn't tell who was the cyclist and the pedestrian as there didn't appear to be a helmet present, but I think it may have been the female, not sure. There were lots of people assisiting them so I didn't stick around.

I hope they are both holding in there and get better soon! Cycle safe all and look first.

Glad to hear that; oxygen masks is much more positive news than being ventilated.

Hello all, I was the female cyclist in the accident. We were both cyclists and I think he was travelling in the opposite direction. Can't remember what happened so I don't know who was at fault if anyone. Think it was probably the result of the lanes being too narrow. I've got a broken nose, black eye and most seriously some very deep cuts which required stitches but luckily no long term damage.

Not sure about the other guy, think he might have fared a bit better. Thankfully it would seem this was a forgiving accident.

Anyway thanks for all your best wishes and I definitely hope that the council think again about how best to keep cyclists safe on that stretch of road as there seem to have been quite a few accidents there.

Glad you're ok. Hope everything heals up soon, both of you.

Glad you are ok. Not much consolation to you but the cycle lanes around the University must be some of the most dangerous cycling lanes in London. I personally tend to avoid them

Glad you're doing ok. A head on collision like that must be horrible.

+1 for improving cycling path in that area. I did see some grand plans for lots of pedestrianisation around bloomsbury but I have no idea if they got approved.

Swazine, glad to hear you're on the mend

Glad to hear you're healing up. I cycle that way every day and it is a very poorly implemented bit of infrastructure. Hope you feel better soon!

Swazine, good to hear that you are on the mend. Camden Cycling Campaign have asked Camden council for details of the crash when they come through the reporting system. It would useful to find out what actually happened and quite understandably you cannot remember. This cycle route is meant to be helpful for cyclists but there have been far too many crashes at that junction.

Yep, good luck on your recovery.

This junction is awful. I got hit by a car here last year as he cut across the cycle lane without looking/definately looked and decided to try and race me which resulted in me flipping over the top of the car. Luckily wasn't badly injured.

Whenever I'm there I never use the cycle lane. Always stay on the road. A few motorists might get a bit annoyed at me but at least I'm still breathing.

^This. I do that too when I cycle through there. To hell with the motorists if they get agitated at being "held up" by a bicycle that is travelling at the same speed as the car in front.

Definitely a dangerous area. I was hit by a car turning left from the square heading towards Tavistock Square. The driver saw an opening and gunned it, completely ignoring the double bike lane and taking me out. I "scorpioned" on the bonnet and my back has never been quite the same. It's seems so often that pedestrians and drivers are completely oblivious to the double lane there. After my accident I never used the Bloomsbury bike lane and haven't had any problems being on the road, drivers just need to be patient, we have every right to use the road there as well.

Glad you to hear you are on the mend Swazine.

Yes, that junction is terribly designed. Drivers turning right from Gordon Sq across the track have to look for cars going the other way way, and for bikes going in both directions. Then there's no place to stop and give way to the cycle track, because they're stuck in the middle of the opposite carriageway.

Potential solutions:

• Traffic lights
  
• Ban the right turn from Gordon Sq across the cycle lanes into Gordon St
  
• Set the cycle lanes back a car's length into Gordon St
  
• Build a zebra across Gordon St next to the cycle lanes (to make motorists more aware of the need to give way..)
  
  

any others?

• Ban the right turn from Gordon Sq across the cycle lanes into Gordon St
  
  
  

This would be the best by far but I think it unlikely. Gordon st is a major route north for cabbies heading to euston station. Also there are regularly coaches that pick up and drop off outside the bloomsbury theatre, uni groups, kids outings etc.

Traffic lights would be a great idea but the opposition might be great and they might be tricky logistically. The other lights on the cycle path are quite restricted, no left turn etc, and might more trouble than good.

But basically the whole concept of a two way cycle lane intersecting and being alongside a two lane road is just awful. The Judd street junction for example.

I don't think the idea is awful in itself (the Dutch do it very well in many places) - it's just that this example is terribly designed - mostly because there isn't enough space here to do it safely, and keep two-way working. To be fair to the people involved, I think in the original design, the road was to be made one way, and the track would have been wider and better-engineered - but politics got the better of engineering.

• Ban the right turn from Gordon Sq across the cycle lanes into Gordon St
  
  

I think that Camden Cycling Campaign asked for this as soon as the lane was put in, and several times since then.

Personally I think the solution is to knock down the whole frikking lane and make it a regular two way street with the extra width provided by the old lane. Problem solved.

Indeed, removed bike lane altogether.

Except that then, sure, you're happier - but the people who hate riding with traffic, and really like the lane (despite the crappy design), and there are plenty of them, won't have anywhere to ride..

Surely, it would be better to just improve it to the point where everyone's happy using it?

Glad riders are ok and on the mend.

This cycle lane is one of the few stretches of road in London where I feel unsafe. Both due to interaction with junctions and also the narrowness of the lane compounding the risks of variable ability riders combined with impatitient cyclists overkeen to overtake.

I normally join the main carriageway. Just seems safer than running head to head with a load of bikes in limited space.

Except that then, sure, you're happier - but the people who hate riding with traffic, and really like the lane (despite the crappy design), and there are plenty of them, won't have anywhere to ride..

Surely, it would be better to just improve it to the point where everyone's happy using it?

Even those who hate traffic will have to ride into traffic, these area often have cycle lane ending dramatically when entering another borough, so for those who tend to take that route, will still do if there's no cycle lane.