London Cycling Campaign slams 3-month CS3 closure

Transport for London and Tower Hamlets Council are ignoring safety guidance on managing cycling around roadworks with a three month closure of Cycle Superhighway 3 (CS3), says the London Cycling Campaign.

The group says: “For years the CS3 Cable Street route has been notorious for random closures for all sorts of street works.

“Sections of it seem to be dug up every other month.”

Now, thanks to works to improve pedestrian crossings of the road and cycle lane, the lane is entirely blocked, and the remaining road is one-way only, causing chaos for riders who are not signposted onto the road or pavement.

London cyclists to benefit from expanded plans for Cycle Superhighway 1

Nice bit of driving on CS3 in East London

LCC says this could be the moment to experiment with making the road traffic-free altogether.

“There is a great opportunity to trial the effects of filtering out through traffic on this route during construction.

“Motor traffic can be diverted via Pinchin St.

“Filtering out motor traffic to provide adequate space for cycling has been proposed by LCC and is being considered by Tower Hamlets council.”

Last year Transport for London published draft guidance for managing cyclists at roadworks as part of the London Cycling Design Standards. The guidance says  :

•     there should be adequate warning notices for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians
•     priority should be given to maintaining access during the works
•     when cyclists and motor vehicles share use of narrow roads there need to be 20mph limits and signs saying 'Narrow Lanes - Do not overtake cyclists'
•     a diversion for motorists should be considered before sending cyclists on a long poor quality diversion
•     providing a diversion for cyclists is the last option - it must be clearly signposted and the signs maintained throughout the work period
•     simply placing  'Cyclist Dismount' signs at the end of the works is not acceptable.

The group says: “These are all welcome improvements but fall far short of the Mayor's commitment to the LCC Love London Go Dutch campaign to ensure that the Cycle Superhighways are completed to the best practice design standard.”

Earlier this year we reported how a cyclist with a helmet camera captured the moment a man riding one of London’s Santander Cycles hire bikes was apparently targeted in an attempted bike-jacking – with fellow riders helping fend off his attackers as a fight developed.

The footage of the incident, which happened on Cycle Superhighway 3 on Cable Street, east London at around 4.30pm on the afternoon of 1 June, was posted to YouTube by user Dark Shadow.

With several cyclists stopped at a red traffic light, a man who had been standing nearby seems to try and grab the hire bicycle, saying, “This is my bike,” with the rider pushed to the ground.

Other riders then intervened, causing the apparent mugger and his companion to leave the scene.