Another death

[inkd]

RIP and condolences to family.

 

[livpoksoc]

I know the council are currently looking at amending the signalling at the city end of the itchen bridge, but i'm not sure this is the best use of money, sure it's a busy junction but it has cycleflows in place that already work.

IMO the money could be spent on improving/bringing in safer cycle routes like at TLW

 

[downfader]

I know the council are currently looking at amending the signalling at the city end of the itchen bridge, but i'm not sure this is the best use of money, sure it's a busy junction but it has cycleflows in place that already work.

IMO the money could be spent on improving/bringing in safer cycle routes like at TLW

I would disagree slightly about Itchen Bridge. I've stood and watched traffic there many times (eg taking the bus from there or just simply stopping out of curiosity). There are several issues:

- The approach from the bridge on to the RAB heading towards central bridge has problems. You are directed around and out of the eyeline of drivers waiting to pull out of Saltmarsh road. Several cyclists have been hit by drivers here (including myself)
- Drivers exiting Saltmarsh often use the cycle lane as an extended giveway line
- the cycle lane is very narrow, if you wish to overtake a slower cyclist it is impossible during peak times due to traffic-lock, and difficult when traffic is flowing
- if you're heading on to the Itchen Bridge then coming from central bridge - then there are two issues - risk from large left turning vehicles heading towards Northam, and drivers who frequently cut into the cycle lane by the bus stop making it dangerous for riders when buses are present and there is no where to go.

Money is having to be spent due to the behaviour of motorists in several places, or the behaviour they end up with due to the road design

 

[livpoksoc]

I don't dispue that using the bridge isn't perfect, my daily commute used to be over the bridge & i hated it when they were installing the new lighting & closed to cycle lanes in parts, but for me the most dangerous end is the roundabout by the toll as it isn't controlled

 

[CopperBrompton]

As an aside, thread titles like this might give the impression to cycling newbies that cycling is much more dangerous than it is. Cycling deaths like this are tragedies, but are extremely rare compared to the death-rate for most everyday activities, including driving.

 

[Frood42]

Thomas Lewis Way reminds me somewhat of Epping New Road

http://goo.gl/maps/IOcGn

It's a wide 40mph road where motorists typically do at least 60mph.

The council put in a 'cycle lane', but it is poorly surfaced, full of debris, not very wide and not maintained (not to mention when there is accident between cars they sweep the glass into the cycle lane and leave it there ).

Myself and most cyclists who use the road regularly do not use the 'cycle lane' as it is just pointless and a load of crap.

Make sure if you can push for a cycle lane and can get one that it is not as p*ss poor as the one on Epping New Road.

 

[downfader]

Thomas Lewis Way reminds me somewhat of Epping New Road

http://goo.gl/maps/IOcGn

It's a wide 40mph road where motorists typically do at least 60mph.

The council put in a 'cycle lane', but it is poorly surfaced, full of debris, not very wide and not maintained (not to mention when there is accident between cars they sweep the glass into the cycle lane and leave it there ).

Myself and most cyclists who use the road regularly do not use the 'cycle lane' as it is just pointless and a load of crap.

Make sure if you can push for a cycle lane and can get one that it is not as p*ss poor as the one on Epping New Road.

On roads like that you NEED a concrete wall to prevent the crap getting on the cycle lane

 

[glenn forger]

Tell you what you often fine in those sort of cycle lanes, the dirty great mud flaps off lorries that have fallen off.

There's something badly wrong about this horrible tragedy. Cyclists get fined £60 for avoiding lethal junctions. Then, if a cyclist gets killed by a lazy/inattentive/distracted driver at one of these lethal junctions a fine is issued to the driver for the sum of..£60.

 

[CopperBrompton]

How do cyclists get fined £60 for avoiding "lethal junctions"? On the rare occasions I choose to take a back-road to avoid one rather than adopt primary and an assertive riding style, nobody has fined me.

 

[glenn forger]

Another pedestrian pushing a bike (like me) stopped to ask why they were doing it. "It's busses only" they said. But why? we asked. "Because it's too narrow for a bus to pass cyclists safely, you have to go round."

Going round involves dropping onto Holborn and negotiating four lanes of traffic.

http://andywaterman.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/death-on-holborn.html

 

[CopperBrompton]

I cycle that junction regularly, and don't have an issue with it. There are ASL boxes at both sets of lights, and they are, amazingly, widely respected. You do need to be clear in your road positioning, taking primary in the appropriate lane, but that's true in lots of places.

If you're not comfortable with it, there are lots of legal ways of avoiding it. For example, right on Catton Street, left on Kingsway, right on Parker Street (then right on Newton Street if you want to get back onto the main drag, or continue on the back streets if you're less comfortable with traffic).

If you choose to break the law, whether by running a red light or going through a no-entry sign, then of course you risk being fined, but nobody will fine you for choosing legal back-road ways around any junction you dislike.

 

[glenn forger]

Bus lanes are legal all across London. It seems cyclists chose a safer route and got fined for it. Why were the cops devoting resources to that?

 

[CopperBrompton]

You're mistaken: most bus lanes are open to cyclists, but not all. That particular one is clearly signposted 'Buses only'.

 

[Frood42]

On roads like that you NEED a concrete wall to prevent the crap getting on the cycle lane

I wouldn't be a big fan of a wall as the cycle lane is quite narrow.

What I would like to see is the cycle lane resurfaced and then painted in a green or red color to make it stand out, and for it to then be maintained to a reasonable standard.
I know this can cost money, but if they are going to put in a cycle lane they need to do it properly otherwise it just won't get used and puts cyclists back into the stream of traffic with even less room, making it a completely pointless and maybe bordering on dangerous facility.

Then what would be really nice would be the local police force setting up random speed traps to catch speeding motorists, but they won't.

 

[Riverman]

I wouldn't be a big fan of a wall as the cycle lane is quite narrow.

I know this is stating the obvious but another benefit of walling off the lane is that it stops people parking on it - a very real problem around here I can assure you, although wouldn't be a problem on TLW. Also, generally speaking you don't have to apply much paint.