How would you improve central London Cycling?

[User16625]

Drop a neutron bomb then wait a while. This may work best if you have access to a cryogenic lab as the wait can be a bit long.

 

[Lonestar]

Went to Brighton for the day today. Driving along the Lewes road (A270?) they had lovely cycle lanes. Separate painted lines alongside the bus lanes, so well separated from other vehicles, and at bus stops the cycle lane went around the back of the bus stop so that buses didn’t cross or block the cycle lane - brilliant!

I hope that you told any cyclist who was riding on the road to get on the fkin cycle lane.

 

[srw]

Went to Brighton for the day today. Driving along the Lewes road (A270?) they had lovely cycle lanes. Separate painted lines alongside the bus lanes, so well separated from other vehicles, and at bus stops the cycle lane went around the back of the bus stop so that buses didn’t cross or block the cycle lane - brilliant!

Which is fine until anyone gets off the bus, and in order to get to the pavement has to cross the cycle lane. It's a daft design.

Why were you driving and not cycling?

Or indeed taking the train. It's a simple and quick journey - just change at Clapham.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

Works ok in Berlin.

I can't it imagine it being anything other than a complete failure here, as people would just stand in the bike lane while waiting for the bus.

And the NL.

 

[Etern4l]

Sorry for a bit of necro, but how about robustly prosecuting all those drivers parking on yellow lines and in cycle paths? Would start with £300 a pop and go from there. What's the point of having cycle lanes if they are completely or partially blocked off by parked cars, as is the case in Shepherd's Bush and Acton, for instance.

Has anyone tried reporting this based on helmet cam evidence?

 

[lazybloke]

Lots of vans parked in cycle/bus lanes today, but my biggest gripe with cycling in London is the massive amount of waiting at traffic lights, often for no reason.

 

[HLaB]

Sorry for a bit of necro, but how about robustly prosecuting all those drivers parking on yellow lines and in cycle paths? Would start with £300 a pop and go from there. What's the point of having cycle lanes if they are completely or partially blocked off by parked cars, as is the case in Shepherd's Bush and Acton, for instance.

Has anyone tried reporting this based on helmet cam evidence?

Cycling Gaz and Bent Mickey of YouTube fame (they were here but left) have had quite good success from submitting helmet cam evidence to the police in London.

 

[Etern4l]

Cycling Gaz and Bent Mickey of YouTube fame (they were here but left) have had quite good success from submitting helmet cam evidence to the police in London.

Thanks. Took a look, but while Cycling Gaz has some blocked cycle lanes videos, he doesn't comment on convictions. I assume you meant Cycling Mikey? He doesn't seem to focus on blocked cycle lanes. I wonder if this is because such cases are difficult to prosecute, or for some other reason.

 

[HLaB]

Thanks. Took a look, but while Cycling Gaz has some blocked cycle lanes videos, he doesn't comment on convictions. I assume you meant Cycling Mikey? He doesn't seem to focus on blocked cycle lanes. I wonder if this is because such cases are difficult to prosecute, or for some other reason.

One of Gaz's videos recently talks about 6 points and £600 in his description. He has reported a few like that. I think you are right Mickey goes as Cycling Mikey these days, his original YouTube/Forum name was Bent Mickey as he used to ride a recuBent. He's caught a lot of folk using their mobile and reported that which has resulted in fines, lol I think he caught Chris Eubank and Frank Lampard (although I think the latter got off). The other thing he is infamous for is 'Gandalf' corner. He reports and remonstrates with drivers trying to illegally cut the corner and the police I think prosecute based on his helmet cam.

 

[Etern4l]

Mike's recent videos tend to focus almost exclusively on Gandalf corner and catching people stuck in traffic using mobile phones. Frankly, I think the reckless parking on yellow lines and blocking cycle paths is much more annoying and dangerous to cyclists than the latter. Wonder why it's so prevalent. One way to find out would be to file a couple of reports and see how it goes. Hopefully it's not too much hassle.

 

[Etern4l]

Lots of vans parked in cycle/bus lanes today, but my biggest gripe with cycling in London is the massive amount of waiting at traffic lights, often for no reason.

Right. In my limited experience towpaths are much quicker. Unfortunately, some canal areas are also excellent as remote ambush spots.

 

[Etern4l]

One of Gaz's videos recently talks about 6 points and £600 in his description. He has reported a few like that. I think you are right Mickey goes as Cycling Mikey these days, his original YouTube/Forum name was Bent Mickey as he used to ride a recuBent. He's caught a lot of folk using their mobile and reported that which has resulted in fines, lol I think he caught Chris Eubank and Frank Lampard (although I think the latter got off). The other thing he is infamous for is 'Gandalf' corner. He reports and remonstrates with drivers trying to illegally cut the corner and the police I think prosecute based on his helmet cam.

Why did those guys leave this forum BTW?

 

[HLaB]

Why did those guys leave this forum BTW?

I don't know, folk just come and go it seems to be the same with a few forums.

 

[DaveReading]

Mike's recent videos tend to focus almost exclusively on Gandalf corner and catching people stuck in traffic using mobile phones. Frankly, I think the reckless parking on yellow lines and blocking cycle paths is much more annoying and dangerous to cyclists than the latter.

A parked vehicle is more of a danger than a moving one whose driver is distracted (he doesn't just report on stationary phone usage) ?

 

[Etern4l]

A parked vehicle is more of a danger than a moving one whose driver is distracted (he doesn't just report on stationary phone usage) ?

The distraction is just an assumption. Yes, the risk is there but it would be perfectly possible to use the mobile phone while waiting for the lights to change without any material distraction. The vehicle is stationary in both cases, but in the more dangerous one it blocks cyclists' route and forces them to change lanes in presence of vehicles in motion on the adjacent lane. Again, I'm contrastic this specifically with the case where cars are stationary due to red light, which seems to be the bulk of BM's reports lately. The fact that he also catches more serious offences is quite commendable but irrelevant.

Back to the cycle lane parking issue, there seems to be a lot of confusion around it, but the bottom line seems to be that the behaviout would constitute an enforceable offence when the vehicle is parked on permanent rather than advisory cycle lane, or when parked over yellow line if no examptions apply. It also seems this is not a matter for the police but rather the councils (or sometimes people say Tfl, depending on who administers the route) . What a mess.