Who nicked my cycle lane?

snooks

OK own up, who's nicked my cycle lane?

On Mile end road heading west, just before Mile End tube station from here east

It was there last week, now it's been scrubbed out, and replaced with a single red line, and no pretty picture of bikes on the road at all.

When the traffic is stationary, like Monday mornings and tube strikes, it was easier to buzz down the middle between the traffic (preferably behind a motorbike), but when the traffic is moving it was nice to have a bit of road that had my name on it, or when the traffic was stationary cars left room on the inside so at least I had an option of where to cycle....Now it's gone, just the scrub marks are left behind.

Less assertive or less confident cyclists aren't given any room there now until they get past the station and into the bus lane

UndercoverElephant

*shuffles feet, looks nervous, tries to keep "something" concealed behind his back*

OldSkoolKona

Maybe they're "upgrading" you to a shared footpath ;-)

snooks

OldSkoolKona wrote:

Maybe they're "upgrading" you to a shared footpath ;-)

I think they will be "upgrading" it to a Cycle super highway, but it seems a bit counter productive to remove any vestige of a cycling infrastructure until Summer 2011 when they might have finished with the blue paint

spen666

This sort of thing seems to happens quite often. Cycle lanes appear and later disappear. I cycle from Redbrdige into Westminster along that bit of road.

I often wonder what consultation goes on and with whom before such changes are made. I have never had the chance (AFAIK) to express my view on proposed changes to cycle facilities.

If consultation is only in the borough (Tower Hamlets?) then those who use roads to pass through the borough will not get to express their views

snooks

spen666 wrote:

This sort of thing seems to happens quite often. Cycle lanes appear and later disappear. I cycle from Redbrdige into Westminster along that bit of road.

I'm secretly hoping they will turn it into a bus lane, as it goes down to one on the other side of the junction/bridge anyway. :twisted:

W1

To be honest if there genuinely isn't enough space a cycle lane which will be squeezed by traffic is probably more, rather than less, dangerous for the inexperienced as it gives them a false sense of security.

OldSkoolKona

snooks wrote:

spen666 wrote:

This sort of thing seems to happens quite often. Cycle lanes appear and later disappear. I cycle from Redbrdige into Westminster along that bit of road.

I'm secretly hoping they will turn it into a bus lane, as it goes down to one on the other side of the junction/bridge anyway. :twisted:

Admit it, you're just missing being in Richmond. That sort of thing never happens out this way.... :roll:

snooks

W1 wrote:

To be honest if there genuinely isn't enough space a cycle lane which will be squeezed by traffic is probably more, rather than less, dangerous for the inexperienced as it gives them a false sense of security.

There was enough room for a cycle lane before it was removed, the road hasn't shrunk

At least before the drivers would see the lines, and the pretty image of of bicycle and give cyclist on the inside space, now they are a foot away from the kerb all the way down the road.

It has two lanes, and motor bikes could go down the middle and cyclists could go down the cycle lane. Now motorbikes and cyclist share the gap between lanes. No problem for me, but it would suck if you bumbled along on a Pashley with a wicker basket on the front had 1000cc fire blade on yer rse.

W1

snooks wrote:

W1 wrote:

To be honest if there genuinely isn't enough space a cycle lane which will be squeezed by traffic is probably more, rather than less, dangerous for the inexperienced as it gives them a false sense of security.

There was enough room for a cycle lane before it was removed, the road hasn't shrunk

At least before the drivers would see the lines, and the pretty image of of bicycle and give cyclist on the inside space, now they are a foot away from the kerb all the way down the road.

It has two lanes, and motor bikes could go down the middle and cyclists could go down the cycle lane. Now motorbikes and cyclist share the gap between lanes. No problem for me, but it would suck if you bumbled along on a Pashley with a wicker basket on the front had 1000cc fire blade on yer rse.

I don't know the road so was commenting in general. But there are examples of a cycle lane being painted on the road without considering that it reduces the lane to such an extent that cars can't use it or must do so whilst breaching the cycle lane. That's a false sense of security..

snooks

W1 wrote:

I don't know the road so was commenting in general. But there are examples of a cycle lane being painted on the road without considering that it reduces the lane to such an extent that cars can't use it or must do so whilst breaching the cycle lane. That's a false sense of security..

Agreed.

This cycle lane had a broken white line, so cars could use it "unless it was unavoidable"

spen666

snooks wrote:

W1 wrote:

I don't know the road so was commenting in general. But there are examples of a cycle lane being painted on the road without considering that it reduces the lane to such an extent that cars can't use it or must do so whilst breaching the cycle lane. That's a false sense of security..

Agreed.

This cycle lane had a broken white line, so cars could use it "unless it was unavoidable"

Sure you've not got that confused? :twisted:

snooks

spen666 wrote:

snooks wrote:

W1 wrote:

I don't know the road so was commenting in general. But there are examples of a cycle lane being painted on the road without considering that it reduces the lane to such an extent that cars can't use it or must do so whilst breaching the cycle lane. That's a false sense of security..

Agreed.

This cycle lane had a broken white line, so cars could use it "unless it was unavoidable"

Sure you've not got that confused? :twisted:

There's always one who picks up on my mistakes...

This cycle lane had a broken white line, so cars couldn't use it "unless it was unavoidable"

Happy?

spen666

snooks wrote:

...
Happy?

No, now you come to mention it

1. My lumbago is playing up
2. The hip replacement operation has been cancelled
3. The damn government are stealing my pension
4. The bloody kids of today give me no respect
5. The old folk wont give us kids a break etc etc etc

snooks

spen666 wrote:

snooks wrote:

...
Happy?

No, now you come to mention it

OK, Happy are you with my post?

I neither have the time or inclination to worry about your life, I'm worried that I might get a cold nose on the way home, and that my (own personal) cycle lane has vanished.....I'm not bothered by the students' antics on Millbank, cos I'm heading in the other direction

I was worried that my post was incorrect, cos I forgot the n't on the end of couldn't, which seems to be a common error of mine, but hey ho that's life, I've corrected it now. I was just checking that you were satisfied with my post.