hazards on the map..

iPete
iPete Posts: 6,076
edited April 2012 in Commuting chat
Had an email from the Times campaign to submit road hazards and well, despite having a super long commute I couldn't actually think of any beyond wanting to tag 4x4 mum school drop off points!

Might tag a few pinch points and monster pot holes I know are a hazard for the lesser experienced but it did make me realise how safe I actually feel.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cy ... y/contact/

Comments

  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    There's a short cycle lane on my way home that's not great, because it encourages you to hang left, in the lane, before the lane vanishes and you're pushed right by the kerb. At the same time, 2 lanes of traffic to your right merge into one. Cars are jostling for position with each other to move left, so can be distracted and not think about the cyclist being pushed right.

    It's a bit pointless, but I just ignore it now.

    As said, most of my problems are with drivers, not roads.
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 29,357
    Reported the bottom of Balham Hill where I and others were taken out.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Put a couple on in Cambridge.
    _
  • iPete
    iPete Posts: 6,076
    Ended up added the Hammersmith Gyratory, a pinch point on Cheyne Walk/Battersea and Harwood road junction on New Kings Road.
  • Jay dubbleU
    Jay dubbleU Posts: 3,159
    Added the new Whalebridge Junction in Swindon which makes traffic do a 270 round a mini roundabout to get to Prince Street
  • mudcow007
    mudcow007 Posts: 3,861
    nice!

    ive added mine
    Keeping it classy since '83
  • nameinuse
    nameinuse Posts: 71
    Excellent stuff... Some of Brighton's rubbish infrastructure is now on the map!
  • Gussio
    Gussio Posts: 2,452
    The thread title made me think along the lines of "Here be dragons"...
  • Applespider
    Applespider Posts: 506
    Hmm... I've marked a few - some of which I'm sure they must already be aware of like the southbound cycle lane on Vauxhall Bridge.

    Does make me think though that I'm fairly lucky on my route to work in that most of the junctions I use have ASLs or bus lanes and it's only the odd manic driver that cause me problems!
  • Applespider
    Applespider Posts: 506
    I was thinking about this today on my way in when I found myself doing a couple of illegal manoeuvres to make my life easier; I was nipping down a one-way street off Vauxhall Bridge Road. I realised that I only do it since otherwise you have to head around the Victoria one-way system which is long, currently mostly dug up, multiple lanes and full of trucks and buses. So I added the entirely of Vauxhall Bridge Road with all its 'no right turn' signs; it's not exactly a hazard but it's not cycling friendly either.
  • Gussio
    Gussio Posts: 2,452
    Walked down Vauxhall Bridge Road today and over Vauxhall Cross towards the Oval. I do not envy anyone riding over Vauxhall Cross - the road planning there is by no means cycle friendly.
  • iPete
    iPete Posts: 6,076
    Map now updated; I did lol at the state of blackfriars.
  • bigmat
    bigmat Posts: 5,134
    rjsterry wrote:
    Reported the bottom of Balham Hill where I and others were taken out.


    What's that all about? Wasn't aware of any problems there.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/41991871@N ... otostream/
  • mudcow007
    mudcow007 Posts: 3,861
    the thingy i reported has been sorted!

    i haven't been that way in a while. By-jingo the system works
    Keeping it classy since '83
  • UndercoverElephant
    UndercoverElephant Posts: 5,796
    BigMat wrote:
    rjsterry wrote:
    Reported the bottom of Balham Hill where I and others were taken out.


    What's that all about? Wasn't aware of any problems there.

    It's so damn steep that they literally stop dead and fall off.
    Sun - Rain - Snow
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    That's quite addictive, I just made 12.

    Hope it's as effective at getting things fixed as FillThatHole.

    We should tag every traffic light as a problem since it makes us leave at the same time as other traffic increasing conflict with other traffic and each other. Traffic lights should be Give Way for cyclists.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    In terms of injuries, the Times map seems a lot safer than the Guardian one :lol:
    Faster than a tent.......
  • gosport_commuter
    gosport_commuter Posts: 185
    Excellent stuff, added a few in my area.
  • shouldbeinbed
    shouldbeinbed Posts: 2,660
    Won't let me add anything, have I misunderstood how it works?
  • iPete
    iPete Posts: 6,076
    shouldbeinbed wrote:
    Won't let me add anything, have I misunderstood how it works?

    Zoom all the way in and a pin should appear..
  • shouldbeinbed
    shouldbeinbed Posts: 2,660
    iPete wrote:
    shouldbeinbed wrote:
    Won't let me add anything, have I misunderstood how it works?

    Zoom all the way in and a pin should appear..


    cheers, :D will try it at home.
  • Mrs_Ragbrutty
    Mrs_Ragbrutty Posts: 59
    I would have to highlight just about every road junction and roundabout where planners have seen fit to tighten the corner 'to slow motorists down'. This just means that they cut the corner and if you are in the way then tough.
    I also dislike the disappearance of cycle lanes just as the road narrows or as you come up to a junction. I guess these are general road planning considerations. It seems that whoever decides these things does not ride a cycle.
    Cyclists always seem to play second fiddle to cars. It's strange that roads in this country are so dangerous when you consider how much time and effort is put into making them safer. Or is it all trouser and income?

    Anyway, I added one junction which I think is dangerous and could easily be improved.
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    I tagged every set of traffic lights as 'causes conflict with motorised traffic, Give Way is more appropriate for bicycles' following the logic of Paris and Belgium. Why annoy drivers by bunching up in front of cars at the lights when your raised visibility (what you can see not who can see you, the're all blind after all), slower speed and (generally) higher levels of alertness and situational awareness mean they can (and often are) be treated as Give Way for generally smoother flowing traffic.

    Another thing to highlight everywhere: at junctions with an ASL 'move the traffic light back to the start of the ASL to reduce the number of drivers that stray into it, provide separate traffic lights at the ASLs end for bicycles with 30-60s advance timing, use junction cameras to enforce the ASL'.

    Go forth, tag them all, how are they going to know what we want otherwise?
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • Applespider
    Applespider Posts: 506
    Mrs_Ragbrutty wrote:
    I also dislike the disappearance of cycle lanes just as the road narrows or as you come up to a junction. I guess these are general road planning considerations. It seems that whoever decides these things does not ride a cycle.

    I'd agree - there's a public consultation going on for some road quietening near me where they are looking to narrow a road by adding an extra island and the plans show it will affect the cycle path. What's worse is that it's at the top of a longish hill so the average cyclist is already slowed by that point so having to pull into 'traffic' to get round will be horrendous.

    I've spotted a few of my 'missing ASL' flags have now sprouted white paint on the road to tell workmen to add them; no idea if they were planning to do it anyhow or if it's actually a result of filling them in on the Times map.

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