Police spotting (junction watch)

What is the reason for no bikes in there though? There must be some sort of logic behind it, given they're ok in every other bus lane?

Take this with a pinch of salt- I seem to recall that last time this subject came up it was explained by reason of the bus lane being too narrow for a bus to pass a cyclist.

Which never sounded very convincing, I will admit.

The situation is a lot better now, but there was a time when cyclists were not permitted in most contraflow bus lanes in London, and I'm sure that there must still be examples of this left apart from the Bloomsbury Way one, although admittedly I'm not familiar with any.

The Pentonville Road contraflow officially didn't permit bikes (although cyclists, of course, constantly used it, anyway) until about 2002. The Tottenham contraflow bus lane (which is due to be changed because the one-way system is going two-way) didn't, either. The bus lane in Russell Square on the east side northbound (now gone) didn't permit cyclists because the stub lane for buses to go straight on from Southampton Row was too short to accommodate a bus and a bike, which would have meant that a bus would have stuck out into the traffic lanes turning left into the (then one-way) square, if behind a cycle in the stub lane. Ditto for the Piccadilly contraflow bus lane (also gone).

With the Bloomsbury one, I can't remember the exact reason, but it will have been a combination of safety and capacity concerns, i.e. buses would have been feared being held up by cyclists, and, paradoxically, if cyclists had overtaken buses (i.e. not been holding up buses but buses holding up cyclists) they would have been in the opposite direction general traffic lane. This was all part of the Route 38 Bus Priority Project. If and when Holborn goes fully two-way, these problems will hopefully be addressed.

Roads in central were lovely and quiet this morning. Coppers waving cyclists through closed off roads around Blackfriars - fantastic.

Just as I went through here, the police started double-depth placing their cones so cyclists couldn't get through!

downtown boston right now shed loads of coppers all over the streets
jumping reds will likely get you SHOT !

I had a very lucky escape this morning. OB on the Outer Circle nicking people cycling over the canal Bridge that joins prince Albert Road. Luckily for me, as I got to the top of the path they were already nicking two other cyclists and had their backs to me. I gave the poor unfortunate guys a wry smile and shot across the lights into the park. A very close call!

I got stopped today for riding on a closed road, seemed a bit petty to me as the road was completely clear but I didn't bother arguing as I don't know the legalities & it didn't cost me anything - is it illegal to ride on a closed road?

There's a bunch of police stopping people at the junction near Notting Hill Gate.

Depends if it's closed to motor traffic (not you) or all traffic (possibly you), but you start getting into the realms of semantics, and also risk getting mired down in the sort of darty-eyed finger waving which does no-one any favours in the credibility stakes.

Cheers - thought it might be something along those lines. Really don't want to get into one of those self-righteous cyclist vs hobby bobby fine print of the law conversations first thing in the morning when there isn't even a fine to be haggled over!

Sometime they let you through, sometime they don't.

Best to approach the officier directly to ask if it's possible for you to go through, then ride slowly.

Police were this morning handing out what appeared to be leaflets around Vauxhall for ASL encroaching.

About 6 police were hiding out on Shoreditch High St just past the junction with Hackney Road, doubtless waiting for those naughty rlj cyclists. I laughed as I cycled past and got a 'morning' and big smile off one of them

Cops at Shepherds Bush green looked like they were manning a bike tag/id station. Good on 'em.

CSOs and police at the junction of Vaxuhall Bridge (rd) and Millbank today.

What were they doing?

Telling off vehicles encroaching into the ASB!!!!

Didn't fine the fuckers but it's a start.

I thanked the chap doing it but I think he thought I was taking the piss. I wasn't if you are readign this.

The Rozzers were leafleting motorists encroaching on the ASL outside Brixton Police Station last night. Good to see, bit of education probably more constructive than on the spot fines...

Police are leafletting drivers in ASLs acoss London warning them that the penalty fines will start shortly.

Can we have a really big leaflet for the tw*ts in the open top tourist buses please?

Saw on Twitter this is the leaflet they were handing out to drivers regarding the ASLs. I wonder if they gave these to people on motorbikes too?

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/roadusers/driver-cyclist-safety-tips-asl-flyer.pdf

Police having a field day with cyclists going through the no cycling sign at the top of Theobalds road where it joins bloomsbury way.
Amazing how many carry on through that way despite being able to see the police constantly pulling people over.

Didn't know the bit about being allowed to go in the ASL if you are going so fast you can't stop in time not to.

The logic seems a little flawed. Either you have to stop behind the line or you don't, surely?

Sometimes you can't. Or it's more dangerous to stop than not.

The rule is the same for red lights in a car - one of the acceptable reasons to go through is that you were going too fast to safely stop when the lights changed. That's why people speed up to "catch" the lights

Big crowd of cyclists and police on the kennington island in front of oval station. Looks like they're doing a bike marking /advice session. The good kind of police/cyclist/junction interaction.

Sometimes you can't. Or it's more dangerous to stop than not.

The rule is the same for red lights in a car - one of the acceptable reasons to go through is that you were going too fast to safely stop when the lights changed. That's why people speed up to "catch" the lights

So make that the rule, if you can't stop safely before the first line then go through. It's unnecessarily complicated isn't it?

The rule is the same for red lights in a car - one of the acceptable reasons to go through is that you were going too fast to safely stop when the lights changed. That's why people speed up to "catch" the lights

One of the acceptable reasons to drive through a red light?

Really?

Saw on Twitter this is the leaflet they were handing out to drivers regarding the ASLs. I wonder if they gave these to people on motorbikes too?

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/roadusers/driver-cyclist-safety-tips-asl-flyer.pdf

PCs and PSCOs were handing out those at E&C roundabout this morning.

The rule is the same for red lights in a car - one of the acceptable reasons to go through is that you were going too fast to safely stop when the lights changed. That's why people speed up to "catch" the lights

One of the acceptable reasons to drive through a red light?

Really?

Brun's scepticism is correct. s785 has confused his colours
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/3113/regulation/36/made

the amber signal shall, when shown alone, convey the same prohibition as the red signal, except that, as respects any vehicle which is so close to the stop line that it cannot safely be stopped without proceeding beyond the stop line, it shall convey the same indication as the green signal or green arrow signal which was shown immediately before it;

Yus. https://www.gov.uk/using-the-road-159-to-203/road-junctions-170-to-183 (cf. 175 etc).

In fairness, the existence of a "yellow" phase means you should never really be using this to go through a red but I can think when it might happen.