Forum Topic

Cycle Lanes

Cycling along the two way cycle lane stretching all along King St today I had a lightbulb moment.Why not make all bus lanes 24 hours to exclude all traffic except bicycles and motorbikes?This would keep buses moving and offer a good level of protection to other users, save a lot of time, money and pavement loss.I for one feel safer when I in the bus lane.Clearly I have missed something preventing it but I can't think what.

Adrian Irving ● 2342d17 Comments

Adrian, we are planning to do precisely that with nearly all bus lanes in Hounslow. It takes a little time for legal reasons and also because street sign manufacturers are extremely stretched at present, for reasons that are probably obvious.

Guy Lambert ● 2342d

Thank's Guy.That begs the question why not make them permanent and scrap a large if not all part of CS9?

Adrian Irving ● 2342d

That has been tried already in Chiswick (between Chiswick and Hammersmith) and was a disaster.  Traffic frequently backed up between the 2 and often at non peak times, when the bus lane was empty.

Mike Chisholm ● 2342d

If, like me, you're a slow cyclist, having 10 tons of double decker chugging along behind your back wheel doesn't feel safe.

Ken Munn ● 2342d

Cyclists slow down buses between stops and buses slow down cyclists at stops. It’s lose-lose for both and is basically a game of dangerous leapfrog for the cyclist as they try to overtake the bus then the bus tries to overtake the cyclist...

Michael Robinson ● 2342d

Yes, I can see it wouldn't be perfect but then what is?When I am on a bus I have noticed that it has to slow because of a  cyclist but that is normally approaching a stop otherwise nine times out of ten they simply overtake.Leapfrogging can be tricky agreed, but it is only as dangerous as the cyclist whats to risk it. my bike, like all others, has brakes and sometimes you just have to wait until the bus moves off.What is dangerous is nut jobs whizzing up the inside with only inches to spare.I do hope any new scheme includes scooters and motorbikes as well. Deaths on these seem to get ignored compared to cyclists.  There are a lot of unskilled L plate riders out there who need protection from themselves.

Adrian Irving ● 2341d

"we are planning to do precisely that with nearly all bus lanes in Hounslow"FYI, Guy, I advocated for doing this in Chiswick. Took it to Ruth Cadbury and Hanif Khan. It was based on using the real estate, if you will, of the bus lanes intended to be a quicker, easier and more cost-effective transformation of the tarmac into cycle infrastructure sparing any reconfiguration of pedestrian pavement. Given TfL's strategy of reducing bus use in general, it took that premise to the extreme.I also advocated for putting in place a temporary measure to act as a full-scale modelling to monitor behaviors of all road users. It would seem that is precisely what is happening in Hammersmith at the moment at the cost of a few plastic barriers. Lots to see and learn on the cheap. I'd expect that to be put in place on CHR once the gas works is complete.

David Lesniak ● 2341d

Ken, this 10 tons is driven by possibly the best trained and experienced drivers in the UK and although he/she probably feels like squashing the odd oblivious cyclist I can assure you that you are perfectly safe.I cycle along the cycle lane in Hyde Park occasionally.Boy, do you have to watch it. I travel at a medium speed but it is just wide enough for speed merchants to overtake so whatever you do , don't wobble off course slightly because you are likely to have one hundred kilos of man and machinery wack into you.

Adrian Irving ● 2341d

Some bus drivers are absolutely awful.They try to overtake you, and then realise their stop is coming up, and just pull in when they are halfway past you, and force you to brake sharply to avoid being squeezed.  When I was commuting into town on routes with lots of buses, that was a regular occurence.

Al Webber ● 2341d

Agreed. And for some reason the vast majority of my nasty experiences with buses have been in Kensington and Chelsea. It is almost as if they feel they are on home ground where the cyclist is the unwelcome outsider.

Paul Campbell ● 2341d

Sorry to hear that Al.I  used to commute into Town regularly but I can't say that was my experience.Must be just lucky I guess.

Adrian Irving ● 2341d

I am a slow cyclist, and I have no problem with double decker behind me. In fact what I do have a problem with are fast cyclists who overtake me without giving any warning (as they have no bell) and with little care about being too close when overtaking.

Alex Shpinkov ● 2341d

“ 10 tons is driven by possibly the best trained and experienced drivers in the UK “... with scratched and unheated mirrors that make it difficult to see anything behind particularly in bad weather.The safety record of London buses when it comes to pedestrians, cyclists and passengers isn’t particularly good. The bus routes are contracted out to private companies with penalties if they don’t keep to schedule so there is always a concern that may be seen as more important than safety.There is an entire website http://saferoxfordstreet.blogspot.com/ about safety issues with a London buses run by someone who was seriously injured by one.

Michael Robinson ● 2341d

OK,  bus drivers aren't perfect, cyclists aren't perfect, pedestrians aren't perfect,cycle lanes aren't perfect, the world isn't perfect and you will always be able to find fault what ever you do.What I have suggested just seems to me like a fair,reasonably easily installed and cost effective alternative to some proposed cycle paths such as CS9No more no less.

Adrian Irving ● 2341d

Ok-ish for adults maybe but no good for children and people who will still be scared. Properly segregated cycle paths are the most inclusive way to make cycling accessible and they are the minimum acceptable standard in the guidance from both the DfT and TfL. So the debate is over as all of the authorities are unanimous in their agreement. But good to see us moving from denial through anger and into the bargaining phase of acceptance of change now. Almost there. They’ve put wands along the length of the cycle path from Millbank to Chelsea Bridge on the Embankment and banned left turn for vehicles onto the bridge. It has been transformed from a very dicey route up to a junction where pregnant schoolteacher Charlotte Landi was killed by tipper truck driver Jason Edmunds into a safe route for anybody on two wheels. Now it needs to be extended the length of Chelsea Embankment through the most anti-cycling borough in London.

Paul Campbell ● 2341d

" safe route for anybody on two wheels"I would have hoped you would have said SAFER rather than safe.These routes will still be crossing junctions,interact with pedestrians and it is very important for users not to be complacent by feeling "safe".When I am talking to people about motorbike and scooter riding they often say " do you feel safe on that thing? "My stock answer is "the day I feel safe is the day I will probably crash"

Adrian Irving ● 2341d

I see what you mean Adrian but the particular lane I am talking about really is safe now. As safe as the pavement next to it at least, which, yes, is immeasurably safer than it was before. I’d take my kids on it. Maybe one day soon we will be able to get all the way over to it in segregated lanes.

Paul Campbell ● 2341d