Cycle superhighway - to use or not to use...

[Osem]

Just been listening to an LBC live report on the newest section of TFL's* cycle superhighway at Vauxhall. The on-site reporter (Political Editor Theo Usherwood) claimed, IIRC, that only c. 40% of cyclists he'd seen so far were using the new highway and interviewed a number of other road users and pedestrians who were raising serious complaints about what many people feel is a thoroughly ill-conceived scheme and the problems it has created.

They then switched to the studio to interview Andrew Gillighan**, the mayor's cycling commissioner, who proceeded to call Usherwood a liar, more than once. Now Gillighan has plenty of previous with Red Ken*** so maybe something nasty rubbed off in the process... I wonder if he'll emulate his old enemy and apologise...

TFL and Gilligan evidently don't like criticism or acknowledging that cyclists aren't actually required to use the cycle superhighways and plenty appear to be choosing not to. This begs the question why they aren't required to do so. Having been allocated their very own multi-million pound road space, much to the annoyance of a most other road users, a lot of them don't seem all that keen to use it. Gilligan, and TFL presumably, didn't seem to think that was an issue at all however carried on in typical 'we know best mode'...

Maybe whilst we're in the process of trying to free ourselves of the EU's madness, we should have a London referendum on getting shot of TFL.

* For those who don't know, TFL is London's very own version of the European Commission which imposes chaos and misery all over the City and never seems to be held accountable for any of it. They really don't like being told they've got it wrong, preferring to tell us what's best for us at every turn and employing the well known EC tactic of closing their eyes, sticking their fingers in their ears and chanting loudly to block out objections.

** https://www.london.gov.uk/media/mayo...g-commissioner

*** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Gilligan

[heero_yuy]

Boris is using it but he's not too popular:

A CYCLIST gives Boris Johnson the finger as he launches London's first dedicated bike path.

The London Mayor also laughed off a volley of abuse from three separate commuters as he pedalled along the new cycle superhighway.

But Mr Johnson said it was "fantastic" to see the path get so much use, and said the overall reaction has been very positive.

He said: "The people I met on the cycleway seemed to love it.

"This is probably, in a hotly contested field, one of the most difficult things we have had to do.

"It has caused an awful lot of aggro, particularly with senior colleagues in parliament who like to travel around in cars."

The segregated bike route, which stretches from Oval to Pimlico, has been used by more than 750 cyclists at its peak since opening three weeks ago.

Linky

1BorisJohnson_s.jpg

[Osem]

Boris can afford to be hated now, he's off to the safer, greener, pastures which have been secured for him. Maybe the cyclist shown felt a bit lonely in his nice, new, virtually empty cycleway...

In my experience there is a fairly tight correlation between the amount of lycra worn by a cyclist, and the degree to which he is an arrogant, contrarian twit who will avoid a cycleway simply on the principle that it has been put there in order to get him off a main road he is nevertheless legally entitled to use.

If the lycra is adorned with the name of a local cycling club, then it's all the worse - you are effectively asking that person to get out of the way of motorised traffic, and it's like waving a red rag at a bull.

[Osem]

Yes, I've noticed how the multi-coloured two wheeled speed merchants often respond to slower less 'able' cyclists too, you know, ordinary mortals just out for a nice ride... They're a bit like the idiot drivers who speed, get much too close and try to intimidate others out of their way. We may well see a reduction in incidents of cyclist v. vehicles in places but I have a feeling we're going to see more involving cyclists and pedestrians in others.

All I require is that cyclists use the pavements and cycle ways assigned to them and actually remain OFF the pavements that are for MY use as a pedestrian.

Then we have to persuade the what seems to be 50% of vehicle drivers from parking on the pavements allocated to everyone else to use..

Of course this doesn't cover mobility scooters but then we can't have everything..It just seems that it's become a very crowded world for the mere pedestrian.

[Osem]

Here's a link to he rather unsavoury interview with Gilligan on LBC this morning.

http://www.lbc.co.uk/boriss-cycling-...-a-liar-120104