Portsmouth Rd cycle lane

[Twizit]

...but I humbly suggest this is a wider problem than winter maintenance or a few cycle tracks.

Absolutely agree - don't think we see anything particularly unique around our parts - other than perhaps the sheer number of cycles on the roads on a weekend.

Also just remembered that on my morning commute in, I very often overtake one of those mini street cleaners - it's never in use at that time, more appears to be making its way into Kingston (from where I don't know but often encounter it around Thames Ditton). It's the perfect size to run along and clean a cycle lane... but I'll give you good odds that I never see it in use on the Portsmouth Road stretch of cycle lane - even though it appears to run down there most mornings!

 

[mjr]

It's the perfect size to run along and clean a cycle lane... but I'll give you good odds that I never see it in use on the Portsmouth Road stretch of cycle lane - even though it appears to run down there most mornings!

And now I'll give credit where it's due - the minisweepers of West Norfolk Borough Council often get from A to B by sweeping any reasonably-easy-to-access cycle tracks as they go. They aren't quite wide enough even for minimum width, so it's pretty obvious when they've been by a track of between 25 and 80% of the width that's clear of leaves or debris or whatever. Sadly, they use the carriageway around Highways England's A10/A47/A149 interchange because they can't get around the zero-radius cycle track corners safely any more than I can. That must be hellish scary in a mini-sweeper as they don't move much quicker than a bike, are even lower and can't see backwards as easily.

It might be worth suggesting it to the local streets team as it might not have occurred to them.

 

[Twizit]

It might be worth suggesting it to the local streets team as it might not have occurred to them.

Thanks, good suggestion .... any ideas where one would start to find them to contact? Local council (Kingston) or Surrey CC? Goes off to Google....

 

[hatler]

I have seen a street sweeper cleaning the two way cycle lane on the south side of Kingston bridge. So there doesn't appear to be a policy of not sweeping cycle lanes.

 

[mjr]

Thanks, good suggestion .... any ideas where one would start to find them to contact? Local council (Kingston) or Surrey CC? Goes off to Google....

Depends whose street-sweeper it was! I think Kingston's a London borough council and Surrey CC is the highway authority for Spelthorne borough. Probably the boroughs do street-sweeping as they're usually responsible for waste removal. This sort of stuff is why I use fixMyStreet.com rather than figure it out for myself. I get confused about exactly where boundaries are, let alone which level of government does what where!

 

[Simontm]

Thanks, good suggestion .... any ideas where one would start to find them to contact? Local council (Kingston) or Surrey CC? Goes off to Google....

Info@cyclekingston.net

 

[Simontm]

Case in point about driver attitude this morning. I thought I'd try the cycle path but it was so full of stones and crap that I went back on the road just past the TA (in fact where it originally cut off).
For my sins a 4x4 overtook me, hooting their horn and gesticulating.
I should be on the cycle path you see. So I gesticulated back

 

[Twizit]

Cheers both. Will see what success I can get.

Also tried out the path this morning, and ha... just as I got onto it, said street sweeper went past me on the road at a faster lick than normal.

My views on the cycle path now it appears to be fully open... heading into Kingston...

- first section not good - narrow entrance ramp and it's shared used with pedestrians - bound to be some conflict
- section section where properly segregated, is not too bad. Had a few leaves gathering but generally ok, provided you have your wits about you over the crossings and odd entrance to the boat house and pub
- latter section of shared footpath into Kingston is horrible. Again it appears to be shared use, although not sure if the footpath will eventually be run alongside the river. The surface isn't properly flat and at any speed is like riding over mild pave, like it hasn't been rolled smooth enough. It's totally covered in wet slippy leaves for a good section, so definitely needs sweeping. One bit as Simon noted is covered in stones and other crap, and there's a nasty section nearing Kingston where it changes to paving stones, which are lovely and slippy in this weather.

Heading away from Kingston I'll try tonight. My biggest bug bear is how you're supposed to safely cross the road to enter and exit the path. No way am I pulling over on the road, only to walk my bike across, remount and use the lane, then repeat at the other end...

 

[mjr]

Heading away from Kingston I'll try tonight. My biggest bug bear is how you're supposed to safely cross the road to enter and exit the path. No way am I pulling over on the road, only to walk my bike across, remount and use the lane, then repeat at the other end...

I read something saying that was a temporary layout but I'm not sure what they plan for the final one.

I agree that the first section seems narrow and should have a separate footway. The second section should have a wider gap in the kerb near the ends to make it easier to join/leave without using the rejigged footpath bits which could get busy with pedestrians and there's no excuse for the last section being washboard with debris on it. That's basically what I summarised as "isn't quite right".

 

[mjr]

I read something saying that was a temporary layout but I'm not sure what they plan for the final one.

I agree that the first section seems narrow and should have a separate footway. The second section should have a wider gap in the kerb near the ends to make it easier to join/leave without using the rejigged footpath bits which could get busy with pedestrians and there's no excuse for the last section being washboard with debris on it. That's basically what I summarised as "isn't quite right".

Looking at
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgFD5cbMQsk
- if the ends were too busy with walkers, I would probably use the accesses opposite The Mall and the northernmost zebra crossing, but it would need a bit of care with such acute merges/splits.

 

[Simontm]

Looking at
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgFD5cbMQsk
- if the ends were too busy with walkers, I would probably use the accesses opposite The Mall and the northernmost zebra crossing, but it would need a bit of care with such acute merges/splits.

According to a friend of mine, later on round 8ish he is regularly seeing near collisions between bike and ped.

 

[Simontm]

Heading away from Kingston I'll try tonight. My biggest bug bear is how you're supposed to safely cross the road to enter and exit the path. No way am I pulling over on the road, only to walk my bike across, remount and use the lane, then repeat at the other end...

Aren't we meant to stop at that first pelican and join? Think I'll stick to Penryn/Maple/Balaclava

 

[mjr]

According to a friend of mine, later on round 8ish he is regularly seeing near collisions between bike and ped.

It would be interesting to know if there are any common causes... also, if your friend means close-passes or emergency stops by "near collisions".

 

[Simontm]

It would be interesting to know if there are any common causes... also, if your friend means close-passes or emergency stops by "near collisions".

He just said that pedestrians aren't looking. Then again,because of the bike signs he thinks they shouldn't be there anyway!

 

[Twizit]

Finally got around to reporting some Portsmouth road issues to Kingston BC and Surrey CC.... or rather I managed it with Surrey CC for the stretch of very poorly surfaced road that they maintain... I couldn't report anything to Kingston BC, as their wonderful online map tool kept telling me that an issue with their stretch of the Portsmouth Road had already been noted, and therefore I couldn't report another issue for the same stretch - of course I've no issue what has been reported already, it could be completely unrelated but their website couldn't cope with telling me this.

Anyway.... let's see what happens, I'm not holding my breath....