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Human Streets by Greater London AuthorityTaxi complaints as runners use cycle superhighway...that's not finished yet
The partially complete cycle superhighway along London’s Victoria Embankment, aka the Crossrail for Bikes, has apparently become very popular with lunchtime joggers ahead of its opening at the end of the month, just in time for the London Marathon.
Although the route is still closed in places, that hasn’t stopped a handful of angry cabbies sharing pictures online of cyclists using the road, while joggers populate sections of the cycle tracks.
Some drivers are using images of the empty lane as “evidence” the cycle superhighway programme is a waste of money.
Gilligan urges new mayor to back Cycle Superhighway programme
@standardnews @JimJimbose9 at least somebody using it cause cyclists dont
— steve hodges (@stephenhdg) April 6, 2016
Although a number of people have pointed out the route is closed while it’s still being built, it doesn’t seem like the message is getting through.
£1 billion for joggers to use ... Where's the bikes ? #cyclesuperhighway #london #tfl #BorisJohnson #fail #waste pic.twitter.com/IGPlARZper
— drose (@canarywharf2015) February 25, 2016
About 50m in front of where that photograph was taken... https://t.co/EgCUpN7yit pic.twitter.com/xJLQuy2dvZ
— Mark Treasure (@AsEasyAsRiding) April 6, 2016
The Evening Standard quotes one cyclist posting in CycleChat forum a month ago raising concerns about people running on the cycle route wearing headphones, oblivious to the presence of bikes, but the feeling among cyclists seems to be one of live-and let live - and as some have pointed out the route will be less attractive to joggers once it's actually open to cyclists.
@x_ray_bex @london_cycling hi! I've seen a few joggers along CS2. When I see them, I slow down. When they see me - they slowly move aside
— aviewoflondon (@sw19cam) April 6, 2016
Transport for London’s Nigel Hardy, head of road space management at TfL, told the Standard: “London's cycle superhighways are dedicated routes to encourage even more people to take up cycling.
“The overwhelming majority of joggers stick to using the pavements.”
He added: "We cannot 'ban' pedestrians from entering the cycle superhighways. And once they are fully open, the volumes of cyclists on them will mean there is little or no attraction for joggers in using them."
The London Cycling Campaign has echoed those sentiments, saying: "We are fairly sure joggers will revert back to the pavement once the superhighway has finished being built."
From mums cycling with children, to women on Dutch bikes, to people delivering Christmas presents by bike, as seen on the newly-completed CS5 near Vauxhall last year, the signs are promising that the new protected cycle routes, some of which are due to open imminently, are a hit with cyclists of all stripe.
As a final note we’d like to wish those training for the London Marathon - or any other running challenges this year - the best of luck.
Laura Laker is a freelance journalist with more than a decade’s experience covering cycling, walking and wheeling (and other means of transport). Beginning her career with road.cc, Laura has also written for national and specialist titles of all stripes. One part of the popular Streets Ahead podcast, she sometimes appears as a talking head on TV and radio, and in real life at conferences and festivals. She is also the author of Potholes and Pavements: a Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network.
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16 comments
People running in the superhighway are normally at lunchtime when everthing is quieter. Partly due to the pavement have large amount of building materials on it in places while they finish the work. When I have come across a runner or two there haven't been any problems.
Once it's fully open the number of cyclists will mean less runners will use it.
The Taxi driver just like to moan. The road along the embankment is also quieter outside of the rush hours.
It's working pretty well already - joggers avoiding tourists at lunchtime and cyclists during the peaks; not personally seen any conflict.
the actual issue with that bit of the CS is that some of the traffic lights are hidden by trees - it is easy to mistake the main road lights for the cycle lane ones - only a matter of time before some pedestrian and some poor cyclist both think they've got the green light and clout each other.
As long as taxis sit in the ASL box, why should anyone give a shit about what they say?
That's a great argument. As long as you make comments like this why should they give a shit about sitting in the ASL?
Not every cab does it and if you tar them with the same brush you'll lose the ones that are sympathetic. Not all cab drivers hate cyclists, not all cyclists are RJLers.
Let me know how you get on.
Being in an ASL isn't per se an offence.
it only ceases to be an offence if you cross the first line on Amber/red and have to stop at the advance line and have no choice in encroaching the ASL. Any other time you MUST stop on the 1st white line on amber or red. Given the length of time given on lights changing down there is ample time to not encroach the ASL I refer you to Rule 178 of the Highway Code
And some of them do it deliberately to stop you getting back in front of them... they know exactly what they're doing...
You might have been better off quoting Rule 178. If you enter an ASL box on a green light, but are unable to proceed through the junction, being in that box isn't an offence.
Are there ANY nice, calm, level-headed Taxi drivers in this city?
What d'you mean that city? It's a similar story everywhere. Driving messes with your mind.
Yes, plenty.
You won't find many of them on twitter however, the headbangers are just as hostile to them as they are to cyclists.
I did find the embankment a bit crowded with them last week, but I was using it at lunchtime. Marathon is the week before the route properly opens, so should all be fine.
Best not take Twitter users as ever being representative of any group. The world would be truly a bleak place if they were.
I'd put it a little differently, lots of people on twitter are representative of groups, but usually of subsets of the one they claim to speak for. The twitter representation for taxi drivers is certainly biased towards the agressive and intolerant.
It's also true that very few cyclists will identify themselves as primarily cyclists on twitter, and the ones that do aren't typical of most people cycling. I do have a unique account for cycling stuff, but that's to keep it seperate to my professional identity which is completely different.
Oh, and for aggressive and intolerant taxi drives, @cabbiefacts has been quite funny.
I accidentally clicked through to Steve Hodges page (the first twitter quote) and it's a depressing mix of boderline racism and misogyny. There's also a nice video complaining about minicabs blocking the road, shot handheld from the drivers seat of a moving black cab.
But to take your point - he's just one guy with an axe to grind.
Yes.Hi.