Forum Topic

Our 'wonderful' cycles lanes

I'm probably not popular here but I honestly had to laugh at only by photo -  one bike on our roads on the cycle lane with so many cars stuck on the road- sorry can't remember where this photo was taken.   And yesterday when walking up to Chis. High Road I was nearly run down by a fool on an electric scooter on the pavement  - no noise - really dangerous -

Helen Bamberger ● 1893d50 Comments

You’ll be popular with most right minded people . It’s funny but it’s also tragic that this happening

Maggie Dodge ● 1893d

Yes it is Maggie - I used to drive all around London with joy - gave my car up as it became a horrendous jiggling  with buses , cyclists and now electric scooters and fines - what has happened to our city.

Helen Bamberger ● 1893d

“What has happened to our city?”https://roadtraffic.dft.gov.uk/regions/6Traffic increased by 20% in 10 years with a 60% increase on minor roads. I realise I’m talking to people who see cyclists as (a) evil, (b) in control of the council and (c) directly or indirectly responsible for all traffic congestion. All I can say is that at its most basic level, the issues we have are down to too many vehicles being driven (and parked) in the city, particularly on minor residential roads, and it has inevitably led to policies to restrict traffic on minor roads (e.g. LTNs) and policies to encourage modal shift (e.g. bike lanes). The issue isn’t too many cyclists but not enough!

Ed Saper ● 1893d

Too many people driving too many large vehicles.  Not enough people mix and matching all the different types of transport they can use.

Philippa Bond ● 1893d

I was just reading depressing predictions about how traffic is only going to get worse as electric cars get cheaper, because they are so cheap to run, removing one of the reasons not to have and drive a car.

Simon Pedley ● 1893d

Too many people full stop.  WFH must be encouraged to cut down on the need to take transport to work, and to encourage people to move away from the big cities.  Plus education on a real need to stop having multiple kids. That is where the real solution to this lies.

Claire Moran ● 1893d

When are the powers that be going to improve public transport.  The answer is not a bicycle for a lot of us.  It's painfully obvious that if there more buses, cheaper and going to more places, a lot of us would get out of our cars.

Maggie Dodge ● 1893d

Ed, you're a fan of home delivery so whaddaya think? Too many or too few? This was taken just outside Prebend Mansions. I've asked Hanif Khan to weigh in with his opinion. I must say he was very helpful with a Lime bike laying on it's side at a crosswalk.  

David Lesniak ● 1893d

Great photo! Is Zoom stocking you?

Ed Saper ● 1893d

Can't imagine any serious cyclist wanting to get stuck behind one of those in a cycle lane.

Mairi Franses ● 1893d

Yes a great photo which proves that too many cyclists cycle illegally on the pavement  !

Loraine Pemberton ● 1893d

A strong gush of wind might send him hand gliding 😉

Janice Evans ● 1893d

Janice: I think you meant hang gliding, although hand gliding sounds fun - how do you do it!

Justin Stephenson ● 1892d

As I understand most 'serious' cyclists choose (as they can legally) to ride with the rest of the traffic on the road.  The aggressive driving on roads is the reason many less confident cyclists don't cycle and this has been the excuse also for parents not allowing their children to cycle to school.  A generation or so back it would not have been a problem for children.

Philippa Bond ● 1892d

HA, I did, blame my iPad. ☺️

Janice Evans ● 1892d

Phillipa have yiu read all the threads about aggressive cyclists? The ones who don’t seem to understand how many road rules and laws they completely ignore. Let’s keep the balance. I am furious about the cycling infrastructure but I can probably miss you I amvery respectful of cyclists on the road.I have no desire to be responsible for causing them any physical  harm.

Maggie Dodge ● 1892d

Nope, Ed. Should come as no surprise I do the supply runs.Don't come crying to me when something like this should take out you and/or one of yours. I'm the one pointing out the insanity of it and how it endangers - well - just about all of us.You're the one making light of it!

David Lesniak ● 1892d

My last post was badly typed but I hope you get my drift

Maggie Dodge ● 1892d

I agree Maggie, in my view cyclists should use the cycle lanes and not roads. The lanes are reduced so cyclist cause issues, the whole reason for a cycle lane is for cyclists ha! The cycle lanes have been ill thought through and a real nuisance for everyone else. Unfortunately many cyclists are not drivers so they have no idea how to use the roads safely relying on drivers to eyes everywhere and predict their actions, crazy

Jayne Thorburn ● 1892d

My post at 1208 sound a bit naughty.

Janice Evans ● 1892d

Janice - you are never 'naughty' !!!!!!!!

Helen Bamberger ● 1892d

'IF' cyclists used the expensive C9 and road only if have zero problem but the majority use pavements !Yesterday an obnoxious, verbal and arrogant cyclist elected to barge through myself and my 2 Jack Russell's and my friend's Labrador outside the Waitrose pedestrian crossing- no attempt to dismount but was verbally abusive - hope you all get my drift...

Loraine Pemberton ● 1892d

The ‘majority’ use pavements?Do you mean occasionally or all the time Lorraine?I’m sure if counted how many cyclists you see cycling on the road (whether the ‘road’ is a cycle way or part of the road that all traffic can use, and compare it to those you see cycling on the pavement, the majority don’t cycle on the pavement.In the last 10 minutes at the junction of CHR and Heathfield Terrace I’ve observed 3 cyclists on the pavement. One was wheeling her bike along the pavement, one drove off the road, briefly cycled about 20 feet along the pavement then dismounted and crossed with her bike across the pedestrian crossing and then parked her bike, and one cyclist went along the pavement when they clearly should have been in the road. In the meantime 100+ cyclists were on the road, a sizeable proportion using the cycle lane.That’s not to say you don’t get aggressive obnoxious cyclists - I’ve no reason to doubt your account but your first comment about the majority using pavements doesn’t tie in with my observations whatsoever and just serves to demonise cyclists.

Andrew Jones ● 1892d

Front page says there’s going to be another survey regarding the cycle lane. What is the point if no one listens or does anything when the result says it’s not working?

Maggie Dodge ● 1892d

You think bikes endanger all of us?!More dangerous than the far more numerous, faster and heavier cars, buses, vans or HGVs that already kill and maim thousands via collisions and kill or sicken thousands more via air pollution?Well, thanks for pointing out that insanity.

Ed Saper ● 1892d

Nevertheless you should respond to the survey if you are disadvantaged by age or incapacity and feel the cycleway negatively impacts you. Your opinion can't even get as far as being ignored if you don't bother to give it!

Bruce Hammal ● 1892d

Great point and fantastic way to be advocating for wider cycle lanes.

Tony Smart ● 1892d

Do you mean occasionally or all the time Lorraine?Don't fuel the hatred. She is in a whole spiraling world of denial.

Tony Smart ● 1892d

It doesn’t  apply to me, but anyone can see the problems for the less agile or disabled, with that stupid floating bus stop in particular. I care about those people.  Isn’t this the age of health and safety gone mad. Where was the risk assessment ? Seriously, they shouldn’t need another survey, it’s obvious. Like the ambulances in LTNs they won’t be happy until something bad happens. Oh it did, didn’t it and even then, nothing !

Maggie Dodge ● 1892d

... or gets re-cycled, if you prefer:https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/britain-forgotten-1930s-bike-network

Richard Cathcart ● 1892d

Amazing. I hope they find all the lost cycle lanes and ensure cyclists use them.

Maggie Dodge ● 1892d

Bruce, you forgot to mention the impact the cycleway has on the LGBTQ+ community. Dare I say, that made me laugh.

David Lesniak ● 1892d

How is this relevant?

Tim English ● 1891d

David had me puzzled too, but having properly read the definition of "protected characteristics" I can see why he might have raised an eyebrow:"These include age, gender reassignment, being married or in a civil partnership, being pregnant or on maternity leave, disability, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation."Even the doughtiest equalities campaigner  would probably find it hard to make a case for most on this list being disadvantaged by Cycleway 9.However in fairness the article does go on to refine the invitees:"It is understood that the most affected of these groups will be the elderly, the disabled and pregnant women and the council is urged them to give their views in this survey."

Bruce Hammal ● 1891d

Are they making more of them?

Simon Temple ● 1891d

Did you read Richard’s  link Simon? Lots of old hidden and forgotten cycle ways.

Maggie Dodge ● 1891d

If that question is for me, Tim, I'd suggest you ask TfL. They are the ones asking the question.

David Lesniak ● 1891d

Didn't understand it. Sounded like disused tube stations. Are cyclists supposed to excavate?

Simon Temple ● 1891d

Many disused train routes are used for walks so using them a cycle tracks would make sense.

Janice Evans ● 1891d

As long as the sleepers were removed! Actually, keep them in.

Simon Temple ● 1891d

Give it a rest, Ed.Cycling a billboard on the pavements is dangerous. Embrace that truth before you spout the mantra. Namaste.

David Lesniak ● 1890d

This is from the article . Not underground or in stations IN THE 1930S, BRITAIN’S MINISTRY of Transport built an extensive network of bike highways around the country—at least 280 miles of paved, protected infrastructure dedicated to cyclists alone. For decades, it was entirely forgotten—overgrown and overlooked—so much so that no one seems to remember that these lanes had existed at all.

Maggie Dodge ● 1890d

What was the Bath Road halt?https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_closed_railway_stations_in_LondonI read in the NY Times yesterday there is an initiative to turn an abandoned subway station into an underground park: thelowline.org

David Lesniak ● 1890d

There was a railway line behind the houses in Abinger Road, (where the allotments are) from Acton Works, that joined the tube line.  There was a small station on Bath Rd for that.

Lucy Chambers ● 1890d

A lot of information and some photos here:http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/b/bath_road_halt/

Andrew Jones ● 1890d

Too late now, the coal yard( now Ravensmede Way) to Acton would have been a good pedestrian/cycle way.This line ran from the coal yard under the tube line and around the back of Southfield Park joining what is now the overground to South. Acton Station. Also Bath halt wasn't that where the church is now.(or has that gone!)

Paul Jennings ● 1889d

Bruce Hammal ● 1889d

1. We still have the 'original' 1930s bike lanes alongside the A4, but these useful and far-sighted facilities now appear to be neglected compared with installing a completely new facility along Chiswick High Road. with, as they say, hilarious consequences.2. The railway track that went round Bedford Park and crossed the Bath Road was captured in paint by Camille Pissarro when he briefly lived there in 1897. His painting of a passing train can be seen on one of the Chiswick Timeline panels under the railway bridge by Turnham Green station.

Peter Evans ● 1889d

Isn’t there a closed path that starts next to TGT terrace station and goes most of the way to Hammersmith? Could be fun to reopen that and join it up with similar remaining trackside paths that are north and south of the railway line.

Ed Saper ● 1889d

Thanks Bruce, I think that photo predates me. Did find one of the links interesting, found this line had two other stops i never new about.

Paul Jennings ● 1888d