New Design for Bus stops in London

[Andybg]

The wife spotted this in the paper today:

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/cycle-lanes-for-undertaking-buses-8428588.html

Andy

[martinf]

The wife spotted this in the paper today:

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/cycle-lanes-for-undertaking-buses-8428588.html

Andy

Already got something similar on at least one of the cycle lanes in Lorient, near where I live. This cycle lane is on the side of the road, and moves up onto the pavement and behind bus stops. There is no bus lane as such on this road.

From the cyclist's point of view the danger spots are :

1) pedestrians near the bus stop.
2) watching out for cars encroaching on the cycle lane when it rejoins the edge of the road after the bus stop.

[il padrone]

Our road authorities have put these marvellous 'by-pass' bike lanes past some of the tram stops near my home.

Not impressed - I avoid them like the plague.

[Danneaux]

Our road authorities have out these marvellous 'by-pass' bike lanes...

YIKES! 

Be careful of those things, Pete.

Best,

Dan. (...who is very impressed, but not in a good way)

[il padrone]

They represent the triumph of disability-access over safety*. These sorts of stops were suggested as being rolled out all over Melbourne's extensive tram network. The kerb is brought out to the centre-lane tram track in a raised platform to allow wheelchair access. This removes one vehicle lane and cyclists are cut off, hence the path is routed around the back. Of course this creates conflicts with pedestrians, and in at least one case drops the path across a street exit.

Happily no more of these have been built in the suburbs, although similar 'Super-stops' have been built in the CBD.






* The first stage of disabilty-access beating out cyclist access was the removal of platform access ramps at  our major station during its reconstruction. Replaced with escalators and (inadequate) lifts. Ramps were simple and easy for someone to wheel a bike up/down, but apparently too steep for safe wheelchair access. I'm OK taking the bike down the escalators (even fully-loaded) but it's not easy for many - a barrier to PT access with a bike.

The second stage has been the widespread roll-out of tactile paving surfaces. These evil things may help the visually impaired, however they are lethal for bike tyres in the wet, and they're all over the place at bike-path road crossings.

[Andre Jute]

The photographs make me nostalgic for Melbourne, where I spent some happy years living in St Vincent Place in Albert Park.  It is one of the most civilised cities in the world. But that it ever was cyclist-friendly is a myth (I didn't know a single cyclist who in the calendar year 1974 didn't take one or more induced spills, including some who were seriously hurt in accidents with either tramlines or cars), and now we hear reports of it becoming less cycle-friendly, and elsewhere in Oz of a public hate-cyclists campaign.

Oh dear.

[il padrone]

But that it ever was cyclist-friendly is a myth (I didn't know a single cyclist who in the calendar year 1974 didn't take one or more induced spills, including some who were seriously hurt in accidents with either tramlines or cars), and now we hear reports of it becoming less cycle-friendly, and elsewhere in Oz of a public hate-cyclists campaign.

Ah, Melbs is a different place for cyclists these days, especially in the northern suburbs. Don't believe all the horror stories either.







Back on topic - I think from recent accounts these tram stops along Swanston Street may now be working without too many hiccups. The peds must have eventually gotten the hang of the new routine and stay clear of the bike route.

[Andre Jute]

Good heavens. That's an amazing number of bikes, and facilities. When I lived in Melbourne, bikes were so rare most of the cyclists knew each other, or so it seemed. -- Andre Jute

[il padrone]

Yes, well you probably wouldn't recognise the place now. Heck, back then Southbank was just a lot of old abandoned warehouses and seedy used car dealers. Look at it now. This is a photo taken from Princes Bridge, looking west towards the old Sandridge rail bridge, the CBD is on the right, Southbank (old South Melb warehouse land) on the left:



Jump onto Google Streetview and have a look at the city. It's changed enormously (as no doubt London and other places have).

In the 70s when I was moving from a teenage bicycle-denier to a beginning cycle commuter and newby cycle-tourist, the road scene was scary. I took to using a helmet virtually in protest, and soon after, in the early 80s if you saw someone else riding a bike wearing a helmet you waved to them, as they were probably a friend or fellow cycle-tourist.

[Andre Jute]

Thanks for that. Wow. South Melbourne, which was then a wasteland, lay between where I lived and the city, where I worked. I drove or walked through there daily. Very different! -- Andre Jute