Cycle Super-Highways

[zimzum42]

BBC article about the CSH today...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-10648330

 

[gaz]

[QUOTE 462318"]
I cycled past those marquees this morning. Thought about stopping but it looked very, well, clean. Would've stopped if they'd had a fry up on offer.

Those freebies given away to cyclists for brekkie at Blackfriars and St Pauls are alright. Satchels, fruities, croissants, muffins.
[/quote]

There was some food, from a really small burger van. the queue was quite long so i didn't see what it was.

 

[Origamist]

I've added the CS concept defintion guide (pdf) to the downloads forum, if anyone is interested.

 

[gaz]

Will have a gander at that later on.

 

[Origamist]

From TFL re: the slippiness or otherwise of the CSs:

Yes we are aware of some reports that some people have expressed concern as to
the skid resistance of the surface. We have reviewed these comments and they do
not appear to match with the actual performance of the surface when it has been
assessed, either informally by cyclists riding on the surface and specifically
testing its grip with a bike in a range of conditions, or by some more formal
testing that we have undertaken.

In overall quality terms we expect the experience to be a very positive one for
cyclists, as in many cases the blue surface is being applied after re-surfacing
or other carriageway works which will have extensively improved the ride
performance.

There are three types of blue surface being used on Barclays Cycle
Superhighways.

The first is a `high friction' surface which you will be able to observe at
junctions. This has a high level of skid resistance and is a blue form of other
high friction surfaces currently used in these circumstances.

The second is an `encapsulated' surface (where the aggregate used to provide
grip is encapsulated within a blue glue-like material). This is being used
`on-carriageway' on links in-between junctions where the cycle lane forms part
of the highway and provides a level of skid resistance equivalent to tarmac or
other surfaces (such as bus lane surfacing).

The third is a blue paint which is applied `off-carriageway' (e.g. on pavement
or shared cyclist/pedestrian mixed use circumstances) which has a level of skid
resistance appropriate for that circumstance.

Each of these surfaces has undergone rigorous pretesting to review fade, wear
and skid-resistance. Formal skid-resistance testing has also occurred at a
significant number of locations on Route 7. Our tests to date have demonstrated
that the surfaces are fit for purpose and are performing to a satisfactory level
when being applied `on the ground'.

One effect that may be occurring is that when the new surface is first laid it
is very blue and appears quite smooth and slick. We believe that some cyclists
may be perceiving this as slippery even though in practice it is not.

If you have any specific examples of locations that any of your members feel do
not provide appropriate levels of skid resistance, please do let me know as we
will of course look into it.

I hope that this is useful.

 

[NickM]

I use one of these on part of my commute (Route 7, I think).

Except for a raised boundary at the northbound junction near Stockwell Tube station, there is nothing to stop motorised traffic from impinging upon the blue lane/zone. And on my initial trip homewards down Clapham High Street I came upon 3 vehicles parked in the blue area within the first hundred yards or so. And they are not exactly continuous, either, degenerating into disconnected blue blocks wherever motor traffic might conceivably be inconvenienced or inhibited by their presence.

What is the point of them? They are a typical sop, and do absolutely nothing to alter driver behaviour. Just as we might have expected...

What a useless waste of money

 

[clarion]

Posted this elsewhere, but I thought it might be of interest:

CS7 Rain report

We've had some speculation on how the smurfway would perform in the rain, so today was a good time to test it. Here are my impressions:

Traction
It was feared that the blue paint would be slippier than normal tarmac or painted bus lanes. Well, it is and it isn't. The painted sections are a bit more dicey, but the gritted bits at junctions seem to be as good as in the dry. There wasn't an appreciable change in moving on or off the lane.

Visibility
We've heard that the blue is visible under streetlights at night. I don't know, as I've not really ridden it after dark. What surprised me this morning was that, in the rain and gloom, the blue was in places virtually indistinguishable from the normal grey tarmac. This might be a concern.

Standing water
Well, roads are designed so that the water clears to the gutter, so it's unsurprising that the water is running onto the CS. And we know that the drains in various places, including Stockwell and Tooting Bec, are a bit rubbish, so the unwary cyclist can end up ploughing through, or stopping in, a significant puddle.

I found myself indicating more definitely than normal because I didn't expect dozy motorists to work out that I might need more space to go round the little lakes. But I didn't really get any bother.

Junctions
Those junctions which have been amended to have a raised section of block paving at the road mouth became quite sketchy, especially where the edging wasn't set fully into the road and formed an unintended kerb.

 

[gaz]

experienced pretty much the same today. Damn lakes in parts of the superhighway where a pain, but i was already soaked from the OCEANS in croydon

 

[gaz]

I got quoted in Cycling Plus about the superhighways.
"I use the superhighways a lot.. A shame it's not more like some of the Dutch systems, but Rome wasn't built in a day. There are still some issues that are going to need to be ironed out from a cyclist's point of view.. I think we should be grateful that we are getting more for cyclists, even if it's not up to scratch."

 

[Origamist]

Cycle lanes through the mouths of junctions create a tension between cycling education and traffic engineering. Did this lane help me, hinder me, or did it make sod all difference...

[media]

]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrksX3uMvfg[/media]

 

[ManiaMuse]

Might have helped him spot you traveling at an insane speed?

 

[Origamist]

Might have helped him spot you traveling at an insane speed?

What's my "insane" speed?

 

[gaz]

I don't even need to watch the video to guess what happens. A very silly bit of road design here!!!

Do you know there is a survey on going about the sh? There is an email address you can use to bring such things up.

 

[theboytaylor]

surely the lane isn't the problem there, just the driver not seeing you and nearly turning right across you? looks like it would have happened even if you were painted blue rather than the first 3 ft of road!

 

[gaz]

But the lane puts you on the left, next to the curb. Is this always the right place to be?
What happens if you don't use it when it's provided for you?