Blackfriars - what have they done??

Lbaguley

I have noted that a number of posters on here have often commented on the frankly dangerous cycle lane on the north end of Blackfriars Bridge (although they were better then they used to be). I am also aware that one new poster was involved in a fairly serious accident there last year and is now thankfully on the mend

I cycle over that bridge pretty much every day and I am always very wary of the junction at the north end of the bridge. So imagine my shock and utter dispair when I found in the last week or so that in their infinite wisdom the powers that be have decided to make the cycle lane narrower. Hmm, that's going to help matters isn't it!? :evil:

Fingers crossed that no-one else is hurt, or worse, there.

PeteinSQ

I cycle over the bridge every day and I couldn't believe my eyes when I noticed that they have made it so much narrower. What are they thinking?

(probably that cyclists are preventing vehicles turning left onto the embankment and as we all know motorised vehicles are much more important than us).

jonginge

They've also made a right mess of the bike path just after the east end of Blackfriars tunnel. Awful, awful, awful.

Greg T

JonGinge wrote:

They've also made a right mess of the bike path just after the east end of Blackfriars tunnel. Awful, awful, awful.

That's a really crappy piece of road at the best of times, two lanes of traffic, the outside lane just after the lights often stops as cars turning right block it forcing a Ben Hur style chariot race situation. The cycle lane is full of steel work.

A guy was killed there last year - just got hoovered up by a lorry.

You have to keep away from the pavement and grab a piece of road. I hate it too. Going the other way is not much better.

jonginge

Greg T wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

They've also made a right mess of the bike path just after the east end of Blackfriars tunnel. Awful, awful, awful.

That's a really crappy piece of road at the best of times, two lanes of traffic, the outside lane just after the lights often stops as cars turning right block it forcing a Ben Hur style chariot race situation. The cycle lane is full of steel work.

A guy was killed there last year - just got hoovered up by a lorry.

You have to keep away from the pavement and grab a piece of road. I hate it too. Going the other way is not much better.

Unfortunately, I turn left there. I was aware of the fatality so anything that slows me getting off the road onto the path annoys me mightily. The edge of the path is now not flush with the road which will be fun on wet days...

Furbes

Lbaguley wrote:

I have noted that a number of posters on here have often commented on the frankly dangerous cycle lane on the north end of Blackfriars Bridge (although they were better then they used to be). I am also aware that one new poster was involved in a fairly serious accident there last year and is now thankfully on the mend

I cycle over that bridge pretty much every day and I am always very wary of the junction at the north end of the bridge. So imagine my shock and utter dispair when I found in the last week or so that in their infinite wisdom the powers that be have decided to make the cycle lane narrower. Hmm, that's going to help matters isn't it!? :evil:

Fingers crossed that no-one else is hurt, or worse, there.

And then the "powers that be" wonder why so many cycle on the footpath (that's for another thread) :!: Bean counting pencil pushers with no experience of the dangers of the roads to us :evil: TOSSERS :!:

jemjah

how the hell is that going to make it any safer???? what is the reasoning behind that? :evil:

flamite

I totally agree suggest everyone logs on to www.fillthathole.org.uk and complains about that stretch of cycle lane east of the tunnel...

then surely they have to fix it...

jonginge

flamite wrote:

I totally agree suggest everyone logs on to www.fillthathole.org.uk and complains about that stretch of cycle lane east of the tunnel...

then surely they have to fix it...

I was kinda thinking the same thing. I've only complained about it on here about 3 times Time to take action.

il_principe

What really pi$$es me off is this:

I wrote to TFL about Blackfiars last year and suggested they consult cycle commuters re cycle facilties, making the point that the design of so many is so poor, and specifically mentioning Blackfriars. Here's the response I got:

"Dear Mr Ashburnham

Thank you for your email of 18th September giving your views about cycling facilities in London.

London Cycling Campaign (LCC) and other cycle representatives are consulted at preliminary and detailed design stages on most cycle infrastructure schemes as part of Transport for London's ( TfL's) consultation procedures. On the Blackfriars Bridge scheme, we worked closely with the LCC representative on agreeing the final scheme. TfL's Cycling Centre of Excellence is also able to give input to all designs, and most, if not all, members of that team are regular cyclists. More and more of our scheme designers are themselves cyclists.

We do welcome any comments about existing or required cycle facilities, although we do not have a formal system for consulting individuals, relying on representative groups for their input. I have passed your comments to our team so that they can note your comments.

I trust that I have addressed your query, if you have any further comments, please do contact me.

Yours sincerely

Joanna Croom

Customer Services Advisor - London Streets

Transport for London

Surface Transport Communications"

If they do consult the likes of LCC then they're either ignoring suggestions made or worse, the LCC are giving them bad advice. I'd love to see them form a committee of ACTUAL CYCLE COMMUTERS WHO ACTUALLY CYCLE COMMUTE IN LONDON ALL YEAR ROUND.

What I really love is this line:

TfL's Cycling Centre of Excellence is also able to give input to all designs, and most, if not all, members of that team are regular cyclists

:shock: Most, MOST! They should all be regular cyclists, and cycle commuters to boot.

:evil:

il_principe

flamite wrote:

I totally agree suggest everyone logs on to www.fillthathole.org.uk and complains about that stretch of cycle lane east of the tunnel...

then surely they have to fix it...

Agreed. I passed through here this morning escorting the GF to work, it's an awful bit of road.

Also while peeps are on www.fillthathole.org.uk can they complain about Borough High St as well. Has to be the most poorly maintained road in London, it's been a total mess for years.

Greg T

jashburnham wrote:

Also while peeps are on www.fillthathole.org.uk can they complain about Borough High St as well. Has to be the most poorly maintained road in London, it's been a total mess for years.

I rode down there the other week - I was seeing if the route south of the river to Waterloo and beyond was any better

Answer = Good God No.

spen666

Greg T wrote:

jashburnham wrote:

Also while peeps are on www.fillthathole.org.uk can they complain about Borough High St as well. Has to be the most poorly maintained road in London, it's been a total mess for years.

I rode down there the other week - I was seeing if the route south of the river to Waterloo and beyond was any better

Answer = Good God No.

Are you stupid?
Every sane person knows there is nothing worth going south of the river for! :twisted: :twisted:

lost_in_thought

My immediate thought on this is that someone like Jemjah could contact one of the London papers like the Standard or similar, tell them your story and about the cycle lane, try to kick up some media interest and get it changed. Clearly the TFL don't give a flying f*ck.

Just a thought.

Lbaguley

I like that idea LiT. Maybe thelondonpaper, given that they seem to be having a bit of a focus on cycling at the moment.

I would get in touch with TfL myself, but given the generic nature of the reply to jashburnham's contact, it does not seem like they give any time to such letters/e-mails. :roll:

nation

jashburnham wrote:

If they do consult the likes of LCC then they're either ignoring suggestions made or worse, the LCC are giving them bad advice.

It might be worth contacting the LCC directly to find out exactly what was discussed, if they were consulted on this particular project at all (note that they only say there is external consultation on some, not all projects).

The evasive wording of the letter throws up all kinds of red flags for me. It's very possibly a stock response.

moonio

This lane?

Lbaguley

Yep, that's the one - thanks.

The cycle lane is now half the width it was in that picture and there's dozens of cyclists using it when I go over there in the morning.

The whole junction is a mess and the roadworks that are going on have made it even worse. To top it all off, they did this!

PinkPedal

I cycle over the bridge most days and it is a mess and dangerous. So many bikes build up and back up on the cycle lane at the red light that in between you checking for left turning vehicles and moving forward with the bikes some car (white van!) will overtake you and make a left turn. Combined with all the mopeds etc filling up the bike box at the front it's a complete 'mare. Reduced cycle lane - way to go TfL :roll: ?!!

I'm presuming that with the Blackfriars station redevelopment we have months (years?) of roadwork mayhem to come.

Actually, perhaps the contractors employed to re-paint the lane just c*cked it up royally. In which case who does one complain to about badly painted roads?

jonginge

PinkPedal wrote:

I cycle over the bridge most days and it is a mess and dangerous. So many bikes build up and back up on the cycle lane at the red light that in between you checking for left turning vehicles and moving forward with the bikes some car (white van!) will overtake you and make a left turn. Combined with all the mopeds etc filling up the bike box at the front it's a complete 'mare. Reduced cycle lane - way to go TfL :roll: ?!!

I'm presuming that with the Blackfriars station redevelopment we have months (years?) of roadwork mayhem to come.

Actually, perhaps the contractors employed to re-paint the lane just c*cked it up royally. In which case who does one complain to about badly painted roads?

<flippant-mode>maybe they only had a limited amount of paint. The cycle lane on embankment heading east towards blackfriars bridge has recently doubled in width.</flippant-mode> Left hand, right hand...

jemjah

lost_in_thought wrote:

My immediate thought on this is that someone like Jemjah could contact one of the London papers like the Standard or similar, tell them your story and about the cycle lane, try to kick up some media interest and get it changed. Clearly the TFL don't give a flying f*ck.

Just a thought.

i am definitely going to do all that i can to campaign for safer cycling, but at the moment i have to be really careful because of the court case. i was contacted by the london paper when i was in hospital (my housemate is thier in house photographer - so i have e good contact when i can talk to them!) and i really wanted to talk to them, but was advised by the police not to, not until the court case is done.

lost_in_thought

jemjah wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

My immediate thought on this is that someone like Jemjah could contact one of the London papers like the Standard or similar, tell them your story and about the cycle lane, try to kick up some media interest and get it changed. Clearly the TFL don't give a flying f*ck.

Just a thought.

i am definitely going to do all that i can to campaign for safer cycling, but at the moment i have to be really careful because of the court case. i was contacted by the london paper when i was in hospital (my housemate is thier in house photographer - so i have e good contact when i can talk to them!) and i really wanted to talk to them, but was advised by the police not to, not until the court case is done.

Very wise, I didn't mean to put any implied pressure on you to do anything. Obviously, with your recent posts your story was at the front of my mind.

Best of luck with the case.

jemjah

thanks, not looking forward to it. i just want to move on and stop thinking about it... think i am going to buy a mountain bike though, and do lots of cross country cycling

Big Wib

surely bassjunkieuk as the famous one with his photo in the papers has all the contacts for this.

navt

WTF? Been away for a week only to return to this. Better only be temporary for works, else I too will be kicking up a fuss. The cheek!

therealrog

i go over BF bridge twice a day so thought I would post a clip of what the revised road layout looks like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxSDRrMvomk

its not much better on the other side of the bridge either as the 'suicide lane' which feeds you into New Bridge St is now even more deadly thanks to the road works that have been conveniently located at the exit to the cycle lane! :shock:

jemjah

therealrog wrote:

i go over BF bridge twice a day so thought I would post a clip of what the revised road layout looks like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxSDRrMvomk

its not much better on the other side of the bridge either as the 'suicide lane' which feeds you into New Bridge St is now even more deadly thanks to the road works that have been conveniently located at the exit to the cycle lane! :shock:

i can't believe they have done that!!!?!?!?!

thank you for posting your clip - i have just watched it and although my heart is now trying to bust out of my chest, it feels good to have seen what was my journey. i now feel a bit more ready to actually go back there.