dumbass LCC bike lane on Stratford High Street

[Fab Foodie]

quite. The rules governing cycling in Belgium seem to me to be designed to stop groups of people going out for a fun ride.

When the beer's that good, sod cycling ....

 

[stowie]

I use the CS2 from Aldgate to Stratford fairly regularly as well (East bound more often than West).I have no huge problems with the segregated path. It is a bit too narrow Eastbound (is it my imagination or is Westbound wider?) and using the flyover isn't as easy, although still possible. The worst bits are the fact that, as Frood says, it starts and ends in places that are horrible for cycling. The Bow junction is still a travesty. In fact if CS2 extension attracts more cyclists then Bow could become horrible as any more than two or three cyclists using the "early start" facility means the tail enders will come into direct conflict with turning traffic.

It might be interesting to note that Newham have bid for £25M of the "mini Holland" money to convert Stratford Gyratory back to 2 way. I am in two minds over this - removing the gyratory could make this area back into a nice high street, but, for God's sake Newham have recently had one of the biggest sporting events on the planet and had regeneration money poured into the area, yet it is the "cycling" funds that have to be used to make the area better?! And £25M sounds too little for such a project - Tottenham Hale reversal of the one way system cost £34M apparently, and that isn't a major bus, train, coach and underground hub.

I like the idea of "home zones", or basically removing rat-runs and turning streets back into streets and soft measures such as denoting cycling space with armadillos or planters which can be re-organised if the scheme doesn't work out as planned. I think quite a lot of the other proposals have these types of measures and I wonder if this might be better than one huge project like removing the Stratford Gyratory.

 

[toontra]

I shan't be renewing my LCC membership at the end of the month. They are putting all their eggs in one basket and the basket is fabricated from utter cack.

 

[subaqua]

I use the CS2 from Aldgate to Stratford fairly regularly as well (East bound more often than West).I have no huge problems with the segregated path. It is a bit too narrow Eastbound (is it my imagination or is Westbound wider?) and using the flyover isn't as easy, although still possible. The worst bits are the fact that, as Frood says, it starts and ends in places that are horrible for cycling. The Bow junction is still a travesty. In fact if CS2 extension attracts more cyclists then Bow could become horrible as any more than two or three cyclists using the "early start" facility means the tail enders will come into direct conflict with turning traffic.

It might be interesting to note that Newham have bid for £25M of the "mini Holland" money to convert Stratford Gyratory back to 2 way. I am in two minds over this - removing the gyratory could make this area back into a nice high street, but, for God's sake Newham have recently had one of the biggest sporting events on the planet and had regeneration money poured into the area, yet it is the "cycling" funds that have to be used to make the area better?! And £25M sounds too little for such a project - Tottenham Hale reversal of the one way system cost £34M apparently, and that isn't a major bus, train, coach and underground hub.

I like the idea of "home zones", or basically removing rat-runs and turning streets back into streets and soft measures such as denoting cycling space with armadillos or planters which can be re-organised if the scheme doesn't work out as planned. I think quite a lot of the other proposals have these types of measures and I wonder if this might be better than one huge project like removing the Stratford Gyratory.

I stopped riding CS2 when they started the extension works , as I could see what was coming , especially at Bow. I used to ride the flyover as it was safer than the RAB. I rode the extension on the 29 Dec to give it a go when it was quiet. it was not a great experience. it was still flooded in parts, and I nearly got wiped out at Rick Roberts way. Have gone back to the longer route that I don't get too many eejits pointing and shouting to ride on der cycull paff

 

[steveindenmark]

So what's the London answer, or isn't there one.

Is this a post that is going to round in circles and keep resurfacing every few weeks like, helmets and vis vests?



Steve

 

[stowie]

I stopped riding CS2 when they started the extension works , as I could see what was coming , especially at Bow. I used to ride the flyover as it was safer than the RAB. I rode the extension on the 29 Dec to give it a go when it was quiet. it was not a great experience. it was still flooded in parts, and I nearly got wiped out at Rick Roberts way. Have gone back to the longer route that I don't get too many eejits pointing and shouting to ride on der cycull paff

The flooding is unfortunate. I am reliably informed that drains are very costly to move, so I am guessing a compromise was organised which had the run-off surface water all going to the drains in the cycle path and the camber simply wasn't done correctly. There is a perma-pool of water at the start of the CS2 segregation which is a shame as it is hardly an inviting sight.

Rick Roberts way was always horrible even without CS2. I remember on several occasions taking the lane only for the driver to go into the next lane in order to left hook. I think it needs clear instructions on signs to drivers to give way to cyclists. It should be obvious but clearly isn't.

As I said, I don't mind the actual segregated section but I have a horrible feeling it was agreed to because the Olympic lanes proved taking away the space would affect "traffic flow". It seems fine to splash cash on projects as long as drivers aren't affected and as soon as tough decisions are needed, such as at Bow roundabout, then we get a terrible compromised mess.

 

[toontra]

So what's the London answer, or isn't there one.
Is this a post that is going to round in circles and keep resurfacing every few weeks like, helmets and vis vests?
Steve

Don't know what the answer is - there almost certainly isn't a single one. But I sure know what the answer isn't, that that's massively expensive and counter-productive infrastructure.

 

[steveindenmark]

Adrian, it is not going to happen and if it does I would prefer them to start at the top with perves and murderers first.

Steve

 

[subaqua]

The flooding is unfortunate. I am reliably informed that drains are very costly to move, so I am guessing a compromise was organised which had the run-off surface water all going to the drains in the cycle path and the camber simply wasn't done correctly. There is a perma-pool of water at the start of the CS2 segregation which is a shame as it is hardly an inviting sight.

Rick Roberts way was always horrible even without CS2. I remember on several occasions taking the lane only for the driver to go into the next lane in order to left hook. I think it needs clear instructions on signs to drivers to give way to cyclists. It should be obvious but clearly isn't.

As I said, I don't mind the actual segregated section but I have a horrible feeling it was agreed to because the Olympic lanes proved taking away the space would affect "traffic flow". It seems fine to splash cash on projects as long as drivers aren't affected and as soon as tough decisions are needed, such as at Bow roundabout, then we get a terrible compromised mess.

Drains may be costly to move , but proper civil engineering planning and construction really isn't. I work for a firm that has a rather large civil engineering department that has succesfully built lots of carriageways that don't flood.

 

[Fab Foodie]

So what's the London answer, or isn't there one.

Is this a post that is going to round in circles and keep resurfacing every few weeks like, helmets and vis vests?



Steve

I'll bite. My guess would be to strangle motoring ... for starters....

More CC
More expensive parking
Park and Ride
More Bus lanes
Re-engineering junctions/lights for cycle priority
Close suburban rat-runs for cars but leave open for cyclists
More pedestrianisation
More dual-use pavements at the expense of car space
More secure cycle parking
More joined-up train/bike, coach/bike, bus/bike thinking
Free cake and Espresso for cycle-commuters

 

[srw]

So what's the London answer, or isn't there one.

What's the question?

If the question is "how do you get lots of people to cycle in London?" then the answer is "heaven knows, but whatever you're doing, it's working."
If the question is "how do you stop so many cyclists getting killed in London?" then the answer is "11 in 2013, 11 in 2012 out of millions of journeys - considerably fewer cyclists are killed than pedestrians. Just sort out the HGVs and the number will halve overnight."
If the question is "how do you turn London into Copenhagen" the answer is "flatten all the buildings outside zone 1 and kill 93% of the population. But be prepared to be unpopular."

 

[subaqua]

I'll bite. My guess would be to strangle motoring ... for starters....

More CC
More expensive parking
Park and Ride
More Bus lanes
Re-engineering junctions/lights for cycle priority
Close suburban rat-runs for cars but leave open for cyclists
More pedestrianisation
More dual-use pavements at the expense of car space
More secure cycle parking
More joined-up train/bike, coach/bike, bus/bike thinking
Free cake and Espresso for cycle-commuters

I will cross out what hackney haven't done. Because it isn't within their control.

Waltham forest would have all crossed out.

the problem is that London is to segmented with no joined up cycle policy across boroughs , espite having a Greater London assembly run ( alledgedly) by a cycling mad person.or is that mad cycling person ?

 

[theclaud]

If the question is "how do you turn London into Copenhagen" the answer is "flatten all the buildings outside zone 1 and kill 93% of the population. But be prepared to be unpopular."

You'll have to excuse me. I'm enjoying the yellow face thingies this evening for some reason.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I will cross out what hackney haven't done. Because it isn't within their control.

Waltham forest would have all crossed out.

the problem is that London is to segmented with no joined up cycle policy across boroughs , espite having a Greater London assembly run ( alledgedly) by a cycling mad person.or is that mad cycling person ?

Then we need to add a 'coherent cross-borough cycling strategy' to the list!

 

[Fab Foodie]

You'll have to excuse me. I'm enjoying the yellow face thingies this evening for some reason.

drugs?