Is it time to start calling out bad cyclists?

The picture doesn't show the right part of the street, further up it's one way and cyclists are always riding the wrong way down it. Pedestrians are also forever stepping out in to traffic without looking too.

It's also the same bit of road where that fixed rider slammed in to the side of a bus after blasting through the red light about a month back.

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Check out the M.E.N Facebook page. The comments under the article on there are full of the usual hilarious comments.

To my eyes it looks like they have much less space in which to travel straight ahead.

I don't think that space has changed this at all (but then I'm going from memory of running past it the other day). If all of the riders on Millbank who want to turn South take the diagonal path onto the segregated lane then there will be fewer cyclists held at the lights, so more space for people going straight on.

At peak times there are certainly situations where there are far more cyclists wishing to go straight on down Grosvenor Road than the ASL-box can cope with, and they [those not as far up as the ASL-box] have to contend with vehicles who want to turn left from Millbank onto Vauxhall Bridge, however there's a fair amount of fuckwittery that goes on here (on behalf of both cyclists and motorists). But a lot of this is due to the current design which puts cyclists going straight on in a left hand turn only lane.

When I approach this junction (rarely now but I used to cycle this way every day on my commute) either I can see it is relatively clear and be able to get directly into the ASL (away from the far left hand side) or, if it's busier, I'll filter up the outside (RHS) of the left hand only turn lane to avoid any conflict with vehicles wanting to turn left.

It'd work better if the cycle lane had solid lines where motorists were not allowed to enter and would have to give way to those going straight ahead instead of those forcing their way across the cycle lane to turn left. Better still stagger the lights to allow cyclists to get through then engines.

Cycle lanes with solid lines that cars can turn across don't make sense in terms of the road markings currently in use (and training/experience drivers have had) and have no precedent (that I can think of anyway).

Personally I'm surprised they didn't consider a separate left hand turn only lane (like Parliament St approaching Parliament Sq) with an island between it and the straight on lanes? That way you eliminate all path crossing contention. I guess there's not quite enough space for something like this though, and the bus/cycle lane already being there makes it tricky to make lots of people wanting to go straight on have to move one lane to the right and (cars mostly) wanting to turn left have to move one lane to the left.

What will be interesting to see is the behaviour of cyclists on the two way cycle lane, and the diagonal cut through from Millbank onto it. I'm sure there's going to be a load of cyclist/pedestrian aggro once it starts being used. I know I'm not looking to my run commute coming through exactly this bit every other day.

Any thoughts on filtering between two lanes of cars to get to the ASL? On lanes where the left lane is going straight?

Mr "I need no brakes" fixieskidder did that this morning, and the light was already going green. I never do it unless I'm 100% sure light won't go green, or use outside lane if there's room. Am I too safety conscious?

(I checked my left mirror before setting off in car...just in case...)

Filter, take a lane if lights turn green.

I just rode up there, saw a guy on red 'dale ss ride wrong way down but he was on the pavement outside the theatre weaving thru peds....

Yeah that seems to be a favourite method of avoiding going around the one way system. It's a shit piece of road for everyone who uses it.

I do that now and then, but i go about walking pace.

And don't hit people.

Should try it, there's on ASL on my way to work that's nearly always unreachable :)

I generally do it no handed whilst screaming "MOVE PEASANTS"

Remember that overzealous plod may not like you entering in the middle (unless there's an official entry).

http://thecyclingsilk.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/metropolitan-police-letter-to-cyclists.html

"The police have taken the trouble to remind me that I would be committing an offence if I cross the first line at red other than through a lead in cycle lane (or 'cycle entry'). "

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2002/023113am.gif

The comments also give plenty of examples of ASL boxes which don't have any legal entry point.

Hopefully common sense will prevail (ha!) and the law will be amended so that bicycles are not required to stop at the first stop line when there is an ASL present.

Was just about to ask this

What do the police say about the frequent boxes without any entry lane? Surely they are rendered completely pointless.

I do this reasonably often (assuming that it's a reasonable gap and only cars on either side). You've got a good view of what's happening, if the lights change it's not normally too difficult to tuck back into the left lane.

The boxes without any entry lane often have a dotted line section (usually by the kerb) through which you can enter legally.

why do i always find myself checking this thread when i've been out for a ride

#notabadriderreally

The boxes without any entry lane often have a dotted line section (usually by the kerb) through which you can enter legally.

No, the point of the examples is that they have no legal entry at all, no dotted line section. Try these two:-

http://goo.gl/maps/5SqG5 (better in Streetview: https://goo.gl/maps/YgCUN )
http://goo.gl/maps/Ul7Lm

I know at least one example where the stop line apparently forbids you to enter the ASL from the cycle lane. Farcical.

Yep, that second image it more what I was think.

Well, the people that paint the lines aren't often the sharpest tools in the box.

Look closely here: https://goo.gl/maps/lbPCf and you can see they put the original disabled parking bay across the driveway and then had to burn it off and repaint it.

Ah, in those cases, who knows. I suspect it would weaken any argument re: entering an ASL illegally.

On the subject of telling people they are dangerous... This morning in wimbledon there was a front brake only singlespeeder at the lights with me, I turned and ask interestedly "is that a singlespeed" he says yes... "Did you know you're supposed to have 2 brakes?"... Went on to point out a fixed wheel counts as a brake and that all vehicles on the road have two brakes... Lights changed before I got to mention it was incase one failed... But all in all the exchange was pleasant... I think it's mostly about smiling leading into it and not telling people they are wrong, but what is right...

brklz4lyf

Still don't follow. It's okay that traffic control indefinitely delay one type of road user because that road user will eventually "bully their way through"?

If you took those twenty cyclist and put them in cars, ahead of the car in question then they would have to wait a few light changes as the snake of cars inches forward.

"Oh but, the bikes keep getting to the front of the queue". Yes they do. And on fast A-roads the cars keep overtaking the bikes.

Appropriate vehicle for the environment = winning.

Again, slightly myopic. If the "environment" always comprises a 10 mile commute, maybe. But what if the journey is 50 miles, or involves carrying a full set of power tools, or an elderly or infirm passenger.

I wouldn't want the cyclists' usually legitimate moral high ground in this argument to be lost for the sake of some unnecessary straw man fallacies.

You make it sound like an emergency, fit sirens job done.