TFL Cycle Superhighways

Copenhagen is blessed with very wide roads. London's streets are confined and disjointed.

Looks like the Avatar premier before the guests arrived.

Copenhagen is blessed with very wide roads. London's streets are confined and disjointed.

Pretty much, it's much easier to just paint a bicycle symbol on the road.

the road is large and plentiful enough to ride our bicycle, why can't we share that?

Seattle have got it spot on;

Basically because most drivers want to go faster than most cyclists do/can.

It's still a better option than the other frankly, drivers can't tell us to go onto the 'blue box', they can't says 'get off the road' because the road said cycles use it too, etc.

For some of us maybe, but not every commuting cyclist is going to feel comfortable pulling out into the middle of moving traffic. The bike-assigned blue lane/gutter reinforces the idea that cyclists do not belong in the road. It's not about 'what Ed will choose to do anyway'.

after all the faults of these links, they arent proposing to change the highway code,
so, you skilled riders can still choose to use the main roads as often as you like.

agreed that there are plenty of places a 1.5 metre lane will seem scarily like less width, and yes there will be some twattish drivers, isnt there always going to be?

however, the mere fact that TFL and the authorities have the front to say, "were trying, give it a go, and use this as a main commuter route into town" has got to be good. London are likely to follow best practice guidance for what goes in.

In the regions, Council cycling officers are actively ignored when it comes to cycle infrastructure, they can argue hard for improvement, get best practice designs approved, and STILL engineers will then go forward with sub-standard narrower lanes.

more here:-

 http://www.lfgss.com/thread29283.html

now wheres Oliver?

Indeed let's see what happens but the dotted lines mean that motorised traffic can use them right or will that be an offence? I

Lets hope they at least feel a bit more commited to police the ASLs and keep the cycle lanes car free because they're painted blue. That in itself would be an improvement.

Thoroghly underwhelmed, the fact that they are still in the gutter means that these will be full of parked cars and have been torn up by heavy buses/HGV's when the tarmac is too hot/broken up when it is or cold. This will result in cyclists being forced back into the path of motorised traffic.
I hadn't looked into any proposals before now but had the impression by the term Superhighway that these would be stand alone lanes not just another shared bit of tarmac.

So rather than a Superhighway they are really just the same as the old lanes but they link up a bit better and are blue.

Plans look shit. Not surprised.

When I originally head about "Superhighways" I had visions of sleek wide purpose-built lanes, something new and different, something that respected cyclists and their safety. Not just painting the existing cycle lanes blue.

The idea of pootling along a Cycling™ SuperHighway™, and some pell-job on a mountain bike with super wide handlebars bombing the other way, just inches from myself, sends shivers up my spine, into my brain, and out my mouth.

I don't want to criticise these - I'll wait and see what they're actually like. I will say, though, that if they're as narrow as some of those artist impressions make them look, then having two 15-20mph cyclists coming towards each other could be dangerous.

Looks like a load of old shit and a waste of cash that could be better spent.

Either total segragation or total integration and better driver edumucation.

All across the nation.

Indeed let's see what happens but the dotted lines mean that motorised traffic can use them right or will that be an offence? I

it means that vehicles can move into them when necessary, the thinking being that all users are supposed to negotiate who goes when pinch points appear.
Having looked again at the locations, there isnt actually much that is new here, many of these routes are exisiting, and just being highlighted, my earlier comment still stands about something being done to try and encourage riders who might not have previously ridden( to work e.g)
I have non cycling friends who are looking forward to their route from Wimbledon being opened, they know about it, it is something positive for them.
still waiting for Olivers voice of reason........

All these bike lanes will do is turn bikes in to second class road users (having to wait at every junction like peds). If they really want to help. They need to re-serface some of the main roats into town (Kentish Town Road, Holloway, others from the south that I am not familier with). This will mean that for those who are nervouse can cycle closer to the paivement. It will also meen that we arnt weaving across the lane unpredictably (for the diver behine anyway) to avoid pot holes and drains. We dont need bike lanes on pavements, that will make riders feel like that is the place to ride and anger even more peds.

Bit of a ramble there.

Yeah Pink. Some parts of Holloway Road, especially the bus lane heading South just before the 7 sisters junction, are just uncyclable. A mass of pot holes. Try avoiding those when some motor bike is flying up behind you at 30mph in the rain!

Also, anyone else noticed the new Road Layout on New North Road heading North over the canal. An absolute fucking death trap. Mark my words. It's only a matter of time before there is a serious accident there :(

I just hope that trucks and buses can't cross over into them and create huge craters. I also hope they are free from speed humps that are present on the cycle lane on Royal College Street, Camden.

reality check

+1

funny (as in sick, not ha ha) that CS7 delivers everyone to Lower Thames Street: a fucking cyclists' nightmare. And the 'superhighway' just stops.

yeah, where's oliver? what do we pay him for, anyway?

The bike paths in paris are usually narrow, usually segregated with a kerb (but still in the road), and only rarely two-way things. The drivers are pretty good at giving cyclists space (perhaps because they're presumed liable in case of collision?), and those of us who don't want to cycle in the bike lanes, don't have to, and don't get hassle for not doing so. They're talking about opening up bus lanes to motorbikes, surprise surprise.

I struggle to see this as anything other than green --> blue. There's some paint company somewhere saying "sucking in through teeth noise 1.5m wide, a few miles long, that'll be....£22 million. Do it in cash, and I'll knock off the VAT"

TWENTYFUCKINGTWOMILLIONPOUNDS???

actually, at least they're spending money on cycling.

I just hope that trucks and buses can't cross over into them and create huge craters. I also hope they are free from speed humps that are present on the cycle lane on Royal College Street, Camden.

Those things are THE most annoying thing in Camden. And they're for bus stops so for some reason people like to loiter on them and are dumbfounded when a nice sharp Get out of the way is shot into their ears.

Only plus im seeing from these "superhighways" is clear paths from central to Londons outskirts (for those who dont know their way around, or cant read a map).
Still dangerous though

What exactly do you want me to add to the issue?

The LCC has been quite critical of this project:

http://www.lcc.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=1513

We've criticised in particular the extremely tight timetable for delivering the first two routes and we're not optimistic that they'll be very good. We'll continue to engage with the process:

http://www.lcc.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=1673

There's no point in opting out of it, as the project can only benefit from us staying involved, but we certainly don't think it's the best possible project TfL could be running. It falls under too many of the constraints imposed by TfL concerning motor traffic capacity and isn't being given enough priority inside the organisation.

There are of course very good aspects to the project, such as the 'soft measures', e.g. smarter travel projects, but little is being done about junctions and major barriers to cycling, like one-way gyratories, for improvements that would really make a difference. Hopefully, more things like this will happen in the next two phases, but it'll be a lot of work.

I now cycle to Barking. This is a Hipster free zone

I can't see why any cyclisst would want to ride down the A13.

What's needed in East London are safe river crossings for the Roding and the Lea.

On my way back from Souths last night, they'd put a contra-flow on Tooting High Road, leading to Colliers Wood and there were workmen everywhere - I thought they were going to dig the road up, found out otherwise this morning on my way in

2 Attachments