Embankment, London - painfully slow route!

Sewinman

I went to to RP last night for a lap, so took the Embankment. I have to say I think it is a right pain in the ****, the traffic was terrible after Parliament and I ended up wobbling along the shared pavement past a huge traffic jam.

Everyone recommends the Embankment, NKR etc to get to RP, but I suspect that it would be quicker to go over Westminster bridge, Albert Embankment, Vauxhall, Nine Elms, York Road, then Upper Richmond Road. I could get the stop watch out I suppose...

MonkeyMonster

pah, reminds to enter some comments in the rant, but its normally perfectly servicable tbh.

jzed

Sewinman wrote:

I went to to RP last night for a lap, so took the Embankment. I have to say I think it is a right pain in the ****, the traffic was terrible after Parliament and I ended up wobbling along the shared pavement past a huge traffic jam.

Everyone recommends the Embankment, NKR etc to get to RP, but I suspect that it would be quicker to go over Westminster bridge, Albert Embankment, Vauxhall, Nine Elms, York Road, then Upper Richmond Road. I could get the stop watch out I suppose...

Embankment was fine but over the last couple of weeks it has become a nightmare (not sure if CS8 is playing a part) - I'm on the verge of heading south at Westminster too. The nice big bus lane is calling.

cjcp

Never been a fan of the bit in Wandsworth, though (inc. West Hill, is it?), or Vauxhall Cross or the Wandsworth roundabout. And I don't much like the URR.

Not much I like about that route, is there?

keyser__soze

It's been shocking the past few nights, totally clogged up from Chelsea Bridge onwards. I really wish they'd have continued CS8 down to the New Kings Road. The on-pavement shared-use path is too cluttered with peds to be much good, if only they could take some pavement away for a wide bike lane.

pitchshifter

You mean you can ride on the pavement at Chelsea embankment? All this time I have been filtering on the right, snarly at the pavement pansies while risky my life pedaling into oncoming traffic.

Sewinman

Agreed that Wandsworth is not great, but Vauxhall cross is easy going West if you cross with the peds by MI6 and enter the bus station, take the right hand side of the bus shelter - emerging the other side of the gyratory to the right of Bondway. The buses have their own set of lights, so its easy to pick your lane.

clarkey cat

yes you can cycle on the pavement at chelsea.

sketchley

It's been bad, last night I filtered down the right the whole way. Problem with the pavement is the paving slabs make it a bit bumpy. Also remember peds have priority on shared pavement so give way to them and no racing!

W1

Embankment is still much quicker than going south of the river (even with the relatively poor traffic at the NKR end).

il_principe

Sewinman wrote:

I went to to RP last night for a lap, so took the Embankment. I have to say I think it is a right pain in the ****, the traffic was terrible after Parliament and I ended up wobbling along the shared pavement past a huge traffic jam.

Everyone recommends the Embankment, NKR etc to get to RP, but I suspect that it would be quicker to go over Westminster bridge, Albert Embankment, Vauxhall, Nine Elms, York Road, then Upper Richmond Road. I could get the stop watch out I suppose...

South of the river is faster IME. Now that I moved to Wandsworth I can take either route, but South is defo faster. Vauxhall is easy when you know how. I never bother with the the route through the bus station, just go with the traffic no problems. Same with Wandsworth roundabout. Looks worse than it is. 9 Elms is a dream as is quite a lot of Battersea. They're putting in a CSH at the mo as well which is making former pinch points much quicker.

Should probably have kept quiet about this...

iPete

WHAT, THATS A SHARED PATH!!

There I was filtering along last night as 90% of the peleton I'd left in my wake pootled past me along the pavement! You'd think I'd learn these things after nearly 2 years on that section!

cjcp

WTH is with the traffic at the moment? Another commute along the shared path.

kurako

Il Principe wrote:

Sewinman wrote:

I went to to RP last night for a lap, so took the Embankment. I have to say I think it is a right pain in the ****, the traffic was terrible after Parliament and I ended up wobbling along the shared pavement past a huge traffic jam.

Everyone recommends the Embankment, NKR etc to get to RP, but I suspect that it would be quicker to go over Westminster bridge, Albert Embankment, Vauxhall, Nine Elms, York Road, then Upper Richmond Road. I could get the stop watch out I suppose...

South of the river is faster IME. Now that I moved to Wandsworth I can take either route, but South is defo faster. Vauxhall is easy when you know how. I never bother with the the route through the bus station, just go with the traffic no problems. Same with Wandsworth roundabout. Looks worse than it is. 9 Elms is a dream as is quite a lot of Battersea. They're putting in a CSH at the mo as well which is making former pinch points much quicker.

Should probably have kept quiet about this...

They've taken out one of the lanes on the Wandsworth roundabout between York Road and Trinity Road. Makes it a lot easier to go straight over from York as there's less of a feeling of hanging out in no man's land.