Cyclist leapt for safety on Blackfriars bridge

[davefb]

But the problem isn't the cyclists turning left is it? The problem is ones going forward. And wether it's the vehicles crossing the cyclists OR the cyclists crossing the vehicle lane.

I dunno, I'd love to say if I had a truck next to me, doing that , that I'd wait, swear like a trooper and merge behind it.. I'd certainly *never* attempt to do what she did, it just scares the crap out of me.
I'd certainly treat it the same as when I'm in the left lane at the lights and the truck in the middle is turning left, I just wait... That's in the car, the thought of chancing it would never cross my mind, so why you'd think to do this on a bike, god knows..

 

[davefb]

Driving into an ASL is already a TS10 offence, but the cops refuse to police them:

they'd make a fortune if they bothered to enforce it..

get some wierd looking bikes in those asl's.

 

[MissTillyFlop]

When I bought my bike, it came with a handbook advising me to keep as close to the kerb as possible. I'd probably be a stain on the pavement by now if it wasn't for the good advice on here.

Jesus! Which company wrote that rubbish?

Ok, rephrase - a briefing by someone who knows what they're talking about...

 

[Norm]

Skip lorries, scaffolding lorries and flat bed tipper lorries give me the serious heebie jeebies, the drivers are often knuckle-dragging sociopaths.

And cyclists are MAMILs who jump red lights and ride on pavements and are either snobs or suffering from Intelligence Deficit Disorder so cannot handle other humans as individuals.

Or you could just read the Things you hate as a cyclist thread to figure what I think of those who generalise.

 

[dawesome]

It's not a generalisation, it's my own direct, personal experience after cycling fifty thousand miles through London. You can argue that your experience is different, you cannot argue that my experience isn't true.

 

[Miquel In De Rain]

Exactly, you're not supposed to cut across a lane whether you're indicating or not.

You shouldn't rush up to pinch points determined to get through before the cyclist but that happens day after day.

 

[jefmcg]

There's another problem: there's often plenty of room in the ASZ, but cyclists choose to stay in the left side rather than filtering across. If you're at the back of the queue in the picture shown below, there's nothing you can do even if there is room for all of you in the ASZ. And half the time the vehicle blocking you from the ASZ is a motorcyclist.

That being said, I'd still drop in behind a turning truck and not go inside it.

 

[Red Light]

Or you could just read the Things you hate as a cyclist thread to figure what I think of those who generalise.

You are not generalising about those who generalise are you?

 

[Red Light]

And that pavement is so huge I'm not sure why a filter lane for cyclists couldn't be created, so that they may turn left and bypass the lights, with a big tall kerb projecting into the embankment road so they may merge safely.

That junction has been the subject of a big battle with TfL. Even though there are more cyclists than motorists crossing the bridge at peak times, they squeezed the cycle lane and did a stupid design so they could get an extra vehicle lane in deference to their mantra of not slowing motor traffic. At the same time they lifted the speed limit on the bridge from 20 to 30mph. Yes there are much better solutions available but the four wheels good, two wheels bad traffic planners at TfL couldn't grasp that.

 

[dellzeqq]

That junction has been the subject of a big battle with TfL. Even though there are more cyclists than motorists crossing the bridge at peak times, they squeezed the cycle lane and did a stupid design so they could get an extra vehicle lane in deference to their mantra of not slowing motor traffic. At the same time they lifted the speed limit on the bridge from 20 to 30mph. Yes there are much better solutions available but the four wheels good, two wheels bad traffic planners at TfL couldn't grasp that.

this is absolutely the case. And, let's be clear about this - it's Johnson who has insisted on the traffic smoothing thing. TfL has always been politicised - people were not allowed to mention 'traffic evaporation', but, right now, the politics is all about getting the car to places

 

[Sittingduck]

There's another problem: there's often plenty of room in the ASZ, but cyclists choose to stay in the left side rather than filtering across. If you're at the back of the queue in the picture shown below, there's nothing you can do even if there is room for all of you in the ASZ. And half the time the vehicle blocking you from the ASZ is a motorcyclist.

That being said, I'd still drop in behind a turning truck and not go inside it.

But the vast majority of cyclists at that junction are going straight on, up New Bridge St (via the cycle lane). I don't think it's a reasonable expectation that all of those cyclists spread out into the right side of the ASZ and then have to sweep back down to the left, with speeding cars up their backside and then all funnel into a narrow cycle lane (that's seperated from the main lane, by a curb - at one point). I use this junction everyday and sometimes I will hold the main lane, even moving across into the right hand lane that also heads up New Bridge St but normally I use the cycle lane. It's always a bit of a free-for-all there, especially when it's busy and even as an experienced cyclist, I feel under a degree of pressure, when the lights go green. It would only be worse if I was on the right hand side of the ASZ, as opposed to 4 or 5 feet from the curb but in front of the left hand lane traffic.
Another consideration there is the amount of asshats on mopeds and motorbikes who seem to enjoy invading our ASZs so much...

 

[Crankarm]

Answer = ride on the pavement. Far safer.

 

[Sittingduck]

Not for the peds!

 

[Sandra6]

I don't think I'd like the idea of being in a cycle lane going straight ahead when the traffic alongside is turning left. Wouldn't it be safer to be in the lane with the traffic?
She's one lucky lady anyway.