In many places, the existing layout of roads and buildings means that there is simply not enough space to provide segregated cycle lanes without adversely impacting other users.
Boris Johnson, 23rd February 2011, in answer to question from John Biggs regarding segregated cycle lanes.
Here is a small selection of some London streets, for your perusal.
Piccadilly.
St. James’s Street.
London Bridge.
Portland Place.
Harley Street.
Wigmore Street.
Regent Street.
Berners Street.
Tottenham Court Road.
Gower Street.
Victoria Embankment.
As you can see quite clearly, there really isn’t any point asking for segregated cycle provision in London. There just isn’t enough space.
At last! TfL’s way of thinking has another convert!;)
I’ve seen the light!
These medieval streets could have been redesigned more modern cycling infrastructure if they had suffered the same fate as Amsterdam or Copenhagen, a 17th century fire or a 20th century blitz, perhaps. But as we all know, London’s narrow streets are hardly wide enough to take a cart and horse. Poor Boris, what a difficult job.
Yes, the roads are wide enough, and therefore there is hope.
But I missed the bit where you explained how million(s) of Londoners will be persuaded to sell their cars so that the parking space is freed up on the roads. Blogging is one thing; achieving it politically is quite another.
It took us 15 years of struggle in Cambridge (a supposedly cycle-friendly city) to achieve removal of 30 cars on a road used by thousands of schoolchildren, and where every house has two car parking spaces on their property. Read through this case study:
http://www.camcycle.org.uk/newsletters/95/article4.html
On the roads I have pictured here, there is very little on-street parking, and if there is, it can easily be accommodated alongside cycle paths, if the carriageways are narrowed and/or the central divider is removed, or a lane is taken away.
On the subject of Gilbert Road, I largely agree with David Hembrow – http://hembrow.blogspot.com/2011/03/gilbert-road-in-cambridge.html – on-road parking could have been kept.
London’s roads are such a nice bare canvas that I’d love to superimpose so bicycle planning, but let’s not get focused on individual lanes, actually don’t build lanes at all unless you have to, traffic calm some streets such that they become only suitable as through roads for bicycles, in cities, bicycle lanes are just for locations where you can’t avoid sharing the same road (like bridges, near train stations, etc)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tulenheimo/4159823943/in/photostream/ Gothenburg – cyclists and pedestrians have equal space to motor vehicles.
I’m still baffled by this idea that ordinary Londoners own cars. When I lived there (8 years ago) hardly anyone I knew owned a car and those who did only used them at weekends to get out of London, because train tickets on a Friday night were extortionate! The idea that people on ‘normal’ wages can afford cars in London is ridiculous. Housing costs alone account for about half of most people’s incomes. The only people driving in central London are the AbFab crowd in their chauffeured limos, white van man and taxis. Celebs are easily spotted in London because even they walk and use the tube. Why London’s transport priorities are to provide for the 1% I can’t fathom – well actually I can they the ones who buy our politicians. Occupyourstreets is the only answer ;-)
Pingback: This Westminster crap: I saw it coming | The Alternative Department for Transport
Pingback: How westminster plans to keep the cyclists out and Simon Cowell in