Collision at the junction of Southwark bridge and Boris Cycle Superhighway

pmorgan1

The cyclist looked hurt

Wondering if a pedestrian was involved, and if so, if there's something that should be done to secure that crossing.

bigmat

Its one of the most appalling pieces of transport infrastructure I have ever come across. Every morning for a year I have had to weave through pedestrians whilst avoiding oncoming cyclists. If they just marked out a cycle path, even if mixed use, it would at least encourage people to be in a particular place. At the moment it is just a complete free for all. I have to say some of the cycling through there is a disgrace, very much of the "I'm entitled to be here therefore everyone else has to get out of my way" school of thought.

smokey_bacon

Hope the cyclist is ok. Agree with Mat its a liability around there with so many different angles where dangers can come from. The eagerness of some to overtake a big group into oncoming cyclists on the stretch east is very dangerous IMHO.

pmorgan1

BigMat wrote:

Its one of the most appalling pieces of transport infrastructure I have ever come across.

Simple human psychology: pedestrians would not cross a 4-lane street with cars and lorries in it, but crossing a bike lane is fine. Even though the bikes may be reaching speeds of about 50kmh.

pmorgan1

Smokey Bacon wrote:

Agree with Mat its a liability around there with so many different angles where dangers can come from.

Hordes of office workers cross that stretch of the cycling path whenever they please during the morning rush hour.
Perhaps the firms based in those building should educate employees about the risks.

smokey_bacon

pmorgan1 wrote:

Smokey Bacon wrote:

Agree with Mat its a liability around there with so many different angles where dangers can come from.

Hordes of office workers cross that stretch of the cycling path whenever they please during the morning rush hour.
Perhaps the firms based in those building should educate employees about the risks.

Not much employers can do when employees get locked into their imobiles and become zombies. Its the one thing ive trained myself to spot and assume the absence of perception and general sense.

rhodrich

My city office is on Lower Thames Street, and 2 emails have gone round so far warning our employees to look both ways before crossing the cycle path. I suspect that this may have been as a result of people getting hurt.....

imatfaal

I was knocked off around there by a phone-gazing ped - luckily on a pootle into a headwind otherwise the roadrash might have been awful. The standard of cycling is pretty damn poor too

Guanajuato

pmorgan1 wrote:

Even though the bikes may be reaching speeds of about 50kmh.

If there's quite a high likelihood of pedestrians stepping out without looking, 50kmh probably isn't an appropriate speed to be doing. Just because you CAN, doesn't mean you should.

fat_tail

Guanajuato wrote:

pmorgan1 wrote:

Even though the bikes may be reaching speeds of about 50kmh.

If there's quite a high likelihood of pedestrians stepping out without looking, 50kmh probably isn't an appropriate speed to be doing. Just because you CAN, doesn't mean you should.

^^^^ what he said. Some of the cyclists don't seem to be able to distinguish between where they should or shouldn't put out the power.

Also, can just add that there is a lot of red light jumping.

rhodrich

fat_tail wrote:

Guanajuato wrote:

pmorgan1 wrote:

Even though the bikes may be reaching speeds of about 50kmh.

If there's quite a high likelihood of pedestrians stepping out without looking, 50kmh probably isn't an appropriate speed to be doing. Just because you CAN, doesn't mean you should.

^^^^ what he said. Some of the cyclists don't seem to be able to distinguish between where they should or shouldn't put out the power.

Also, can just add that there is a lot of red light jumping.

If we're talking about the ped crossing ones, I jumped the lights a few times before I realised that they were there. The sight lines are so awful that I daresay that they're not actually legally enforceable. The minimum clear visibility distance for any warning sign on a road with 85th percentile speeds of up to 20mph is 45m. Some of these aren't even viewable from 5m away.

secretsam

Which end of the bridge? Near the City? If it is, I know that junction well, and now avoid it - use Blackfriars bridge. Far too many I-Peds and idiots on two wheels.

Agree with other posters - there needs to be some education of peds that a cyclist may be flying! But there is also a case for appropriate speed depending on the conditions and how busy it all is.

imatfaal

fat_tail wrote:

Guanajuato wrote:

pmorgan1 wrote:

Even though the bikes may be reaching speeds of about 50kmh.

If there's quite a high likelihood of pedestrians stepping out without looking, 50kmh probably isn't an appropriate speed to be doing. Just because you CAN, doesn't mean you should.

^^^^ what he said. Some of the cyclists don't seem to be able to distinguish between where they should or shouldn't put out the power.

Also, can just add that there is a lot of red light jumping.

RLJing should be punishable by enforced PT at rush hour for a month - first offence.

But on the speed - yes we need to be sensible but I find it a little odd that a speed limit of 30mph for huge lumps of steel is acceptable on the "car side" of a tiny median pavement but is reckless endangerment of the pedestrians on the "bike side".