Police stopping cyclists on Blackfriar's Bridge this morning

[caesar]

At the south end of the bridge, northbound. I think they (may just have been one) were booking people for cutting the corner between Upper Ground and the start of the cycle path on the pavement just to the north of the crossing.

They had not appeared to do anything about the FIVE trucks blocking the mandatory cycle lane on Upper Ground just around the corner. Also looked to be ignoring the usual load of motorbikes using the bike lane at speed without leaving enough room when passing cyclists, and clogging up the ASL.

Harrumph.

 

[benb]

I'm getting fed up with this.
Yes, I don't think cyclists should jump red lights, but when do we ever see large police operations to crack down on motorists jumping red lights, which is a far more dangerous problem.

 

[EthelF]

Interesting. As there is a shared pedestrian/cycle crossing at that junction, and a feeder cycle lane from there onto the bridge, that pavement must surely be shared use to get to/from the crossing. Which begs the question what they were booking cyclists for.

 

[EthelF]

According to Google Streetview it IS a shared pavement though typically the council has managed to put up some of the signs back to front!). So unless this has changed recently we appear to have the police ignoring motor vehicles blocking cycle facilities and instead going after cyclists legitimately using facilities designed for them. Madness!

 

[caesar]

I'm not 100% sure that he was booking cyclists but he was standing next to the pavement feeder ramp for the on-road cycle path with a notepad and giving someone what looked like a stern talking to. No sign of the police bike marking tent that is there sometimes.

I'm not sure that the area of pavement between Upper Ground and the pedestrian/cycle crossing is shared use, so it may be that he was stopping people from cutting across approx 3 metres of footway. I do ride across this corner to the filter ramp usually because the left turn out of Upper Ground is often blocked by traffic if the light is red, the road is quite narrow there (for two lanes) and there are always lots of bikes, motorbikes etc filtering and also lots of peds walk across the end without looking as it is one-way except for the cycle path.

 

[smutchin]

Interesting. As there is a shared pedestrian/cycle crossing at that junction, and a feeder cycle lane from there onto the bridge, that pavement must surely be shared use to get to/from the crossing. Which begs the question what they were booking cyclists for.

My thoughts exactly. I often come along Upper Ground and use the shared crossing to get to the southbound carriageway off Blackfriars Bridge, and that's exactly what I do. I'm fairly certain there are signs indicating the path is shared use (for the last few metres, at least). I really don't get this at all. What else are you supposed to do?



d.

 

[mangid]

According to Google Streetview it IS a shared pavement though typically the council has managed to put up some of the signs back to front!). So unless this has changed recently we appear to have the police ignoring motor vehicles blocking cycle facilities and instead going after cyclists legitimately using facilities designed for them. Madness!

That's would be the shared use with the tree growing in the middle of it? Unless things have changed it looks like it's shared use on that corner.

http://g.co/maps/d6ady

--
Dan

 

[jefmcg]

What time? I was there 8.30 this morning, cutting the corner, and saw nothing.

 

[caesar]

about 9:10