Forum Topic

CHR Cycle Lane

Ok so we've got a new cycle lane, and I may even use it one day. But oddly, it's coned off, so cyclists have to go in the main roadway. Worst of both worlds?

James Tickell ● 2156d21 Comments

It's not open as it is clearly not yet fit for purpose.  Apart from sections being flooded (who knows what the water might conceal - potholes, broken glass, slippery leaves), full of leaves (a risk on their own but also what lies beneath) the cycle priority lights at junctions are not yet operational (unless that has changed very recently).  There have been some near misses at junctions, particularly at Chiswick Lane, plus there are other safety issues that councillors and residents have raised.

Joanna Biddolph ● 2156d

Thanks for update, Joanna. I guess my point stands. We have the benefit of continuing traffic gridlock, but without the convenience of a working cycle lane. Buses take ages to work along CHR, while cyclists still have to take their chances against the HGVs in the context of a narrower road way. It just doesn't seem very well planned or thought through.

James Tickell ● 2156d

Thanks for the update Joanna.So:- a lot of public money has been spent on it.- it is still not finished and it's unclear when it will be.- people already suffer form the traffic, congestion and pollution it is causing- Cyclists can't yet use it and have to share road space with other traffic- Drivers are rightfully upset about sharing with cyclists and the sacrificed road space that is not/cannot be used by cyclists - it really doesn't help with positive driver-cyclist relations- it is not being cleaned now,and future cleaning looks problematic especially leaf removal - I assume it will require some special equipment for cleaning.- cycling in the cycle lane covered with leafs is dangerous- some sections are being flooded and it is unclear if this problem will be fixed by the time the lane is declared operational, and how much will resolving the flooding issue cost.Looks like typical LBH operation(((.

Alex Shpinkov ● 2156d

Bang on. Unfortunately there are those with influence and/or power who want it come what may. It existence has become a point of principle - nothing else matters.

Bruce Hammal ● 2156d

James,You sum it up well.  It's not working for anyone at the moment.  A repeated point made by all nine of Hounslow's Chiswick councillors is that C9 and the Streetspace schemes are ill-thought-through.  However, and not wanting to sound as if I'm in favour of the current mess or indeed the schemes overall, construction takes time and even a so-called temporary scheme takes a long time because of the its so-called temporary measures - such as removing central refuges and building bus islands - as well as installing and making operational the cycle priority lights at junctions.  And now sections of the road have to be torn up and levelled to ensure drainage - a point that seems not to have been considered before construction started. It's back-of-an-envelope stuff - as if TfL has never built a cycle superhighway before, so-called temporary or otherwise.

Joanna Biddolph ● 2156d

Clearly there was no proper analysis done during the design phase, a layperson could point out all the issues, its real simple Chiswick High Road is NOT a suitable location for a cycle lane. Hounslow council must have another agenda because surely they can’t be so incompetent. Chiswick residents have been left with complete chaos from every viewpoint including cyclists. The road is now dangerous for all how on earth could someone have approved this design, words fail me.

Jayne Thorburn ● 2156d

Has anyone actually seen anyone working on it recently?A few bods peering into a hole by some lights is all I noticed.That is,one person doing the peering and the other two looking at him!

Adrian Irving ● 2156d

Is it TfL that’s overseeing the implementation of the temp cycle lane or LBH Joanne?

Andrew Jones ● 2156d

"I assume it will require some special equipment for cleaning."Alex, erm no, the 'special equipment' was 2 men with brushes and shovels 🤣🤣🤣They've just cleared the bit of C9 between Dukes Avenue and Heathfield Terrace

Loraine Pemberton ● 2156d

Alex  You seem to always be critical of cycle lanes.  Are there any that you like?

Philippa Bond ● 2156d

While watching the new traffic lights at the junction of CHR and Dukes Avenue, I was surprised to see that, while the main East/West traffic on CHR is allowed to flow through on green, E/W cyclists are still be held on red.  When Dukes Avenue traffic is on green, CHR cyclists are held on red as you'd expect, and also held on a red during the pedestrian period. Eventually, cyclists appeared to have their own green phase, which lasted for all of about three seconds! Maybe these timings will be altered when the cycle lane is in use, but such an extended red period for cyclists will cause frustration, misuse and avoidance of the whole scheme.  Meanwhile, I'm waiting to see what the proposed cyclists left turn into TGT 'in two stages' involves!

Peter Evans ● 2156d

Philippa And you always seem to pro all cycleways however ill conceived and dangerous they are for cyclists, pedestrians and motorists.In addition, rather like Ruth Mayorcas, if anyone says they have mobility issues you tell them about bicycles for the disabled ! Do you really think that people with mobility problems aren't aware of those type of bikes and that they know those bikes are not suitable for either their mobility problem and lifestyle ?

Loraine Pemberton ● 2156d

Adrian love that, we always laugh when we go past the typical British road worker because your described is a common site 😂😂😂 In terms of the lights given how few cyclist will use this lane and the hours they use it would be crazy to hold everyone else up,. The scheme is doomed to fail due to poor design, the inconvenience to every none cyclist is unbelievable including buses.....you have to laugh it is soooo bad.

Jayne Thorburn ● 2156d

It's TfL's scheme and TfL has the contract for installing it.  It seems I'm the only one bothered by how TfL and LBH fit together:Funding in London is administered by TfLTfL designs the scheme that goes through LBHLBH bids for funding for the TfL schemeTfL awards funding to LBH for the TfL schemeLBH contracts TfL to instal the TfL schemeTherefore TfL awards funding to TfL

Joanna Biddolph ● 2156d

Joanna, that made me smile as it reminded me of a classic scene in a Laurel and Hardy movie when Jimmy Finlayson come to collect the rent money that had been mislaid. "I gave it to you to give to her so she could give it to HIM" "No, you gave it to her to give to me so I could give to you and you could give it to HIM.....and so on and on.

Adrian Irving ● 2156d

Philippa, I've been on my bike for over 50 years now - perhaps more than a lot of cycling lobby here lived. But the changes currently proposed to 'improve cycling' are useless and inappropriate. Firstly - cycling is quite safe now as it is. As long as cyclists get concerned about their safety themselves and don't concentrate just on speed and keeping momentum. Scaremongering cycling as unsafe must stop.Secondly - building of proper cycle lanes in an existing London environment is a difficult and often impossible task. Especially proper cycle lanes as expected by the 'keep-momentum' cyclists. Thirdly - there are cycle lanes that I fully support - e.g. along A4, along Chertsey Road... There was space to buld them - and that's what had been done. Unfortunately the 'keep-momentum' cyclists don't like them - as there are places where they have to slow down or even stop to give way to other road users.Fourthly - there must be a balance between the needs of those who make 2.5% of journeys (and the optimistic Sadiq Khan's fantasies are to bring this number up to a huge 5%!) and the needs of other road users.A could go on and on with fifthly, sixthly, etc. - I simply have no time for that. We need to be realistic with the transport infrastructure and try to make the lives of the largest number of people better, not worse.

Alex Shpinkov ● 2156d

Love this post Alex. Safety: Saw a bloke on a bike in all the gear including helmet,nothing to illuminate him or the bike though, texting on his mobile whilst peddling in Coombe Road heading to travel up one way Brackley Road the wrong way towards CHR in the pitch dark at 11.15 last night. Why do these people let cyclists in general down. Has Tfl ever asked cyclists to obey the rules of the road and also to equip themselves with a bit of light, oh and a bell!

Rob Manners ● 2156d

Traffic volumes are still a fraction of peak, once lock down eases end of February March rush hour will render the high road impassable.

Craig David Mcdowell ● 2156d

"Has Tfl ever asked cyclists to obey the rules of the road and also to equip themselves with a bit of light, oh and a bell!"Good point!And I believe that's what should be the first priority of people like Michael Robinson, Paul Campbell, Ruth Mayorcas, Tom Pike, etc.! But they don't do that - instead they are lobbying something that will not make cycling much safer.

Alex Shpinkov ● 2156d

Alex, you have it in a nutshell. Lousy inconsiderate drivers accepted, it is the rise of the "keep momentum" cyclist that has a lot to answer for in explaining where we are now. Cycling on public roads is a great way to travel, but it shouldn't be considered as something akin to a road racing time-trial. You know what - slow down a bit, accept that red lights and other traffic regulations apply to you as well and just occasionally smile at pedestrians rather than shouting  "get out of the way, I'm not stopping!". That would be a good place to start before going any further. I notice that in Paris where they are also prioritising cycling at certain locations they deploy bike wardens who remind anti-social cyclists that they have responsibilities as well as rights - with penalties for those who think otherwise.We need to get the heat out of this otherwise we will end up in a constant state of anger and that's not good.

Bruce Hammal ● 2156d

Thanks Joanne ... but is it possible for someone else to be contracted by LBH to install the TfL scheme?Hounslow isn't unique among the London Boroughs in having TfL schemes implemented - have the other boroughs done it differently i.e. had someone other than TfL to install the scheme.

Andrew Jones ● 2152d