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news
Cycleway 4, Tooley Street during London Marathon preparations (Rich, Twitter)“They would never block a whole road without permission”: London Marathon organisers slammed for blocking cycle lane, forcing cyclists “into oncoming traffic”
As the world’s finest long-distance runners, along with over 50,000 plucky amateurs in fancy dress and raising funds for charity, take over the streets of the capital this morning for the 2024 edition of the London Marathon, one cyclist has pointed out that the build-up to the event proved a little less accommodating for those on two wheels.
London-based cyclist Rich was riding on Cycleway 4 on Tooley Street, near the junction with Tanner Street, on Friday afternoon at 2pm when he discovered that the protected cycle lane was blocked by workers setting up the necessary infrastructure for Sunday’s marathon, an obstruction he claimed was forcing cyclists using the lane into oncoming motor traffic.
For the second year in a row @LondonMarathon workers setting up fully block Cycleway4 dangerously forcing contraflow cyclists into oncoming traffic with no signal. They don’t block the road of course & no formal closure. @TfL This is appalling. #LondonMarathon pic.twitter.com/Lu5znUV2pO
— Rich (@hoxtonrich) April 19, 2024
Posting an image on X (formerly Twitter) of a truck connected with the event’s set-up blocking the entire path, Rich wrote: “For the second year in a row, London Marathon workers setting up fully block Cycleway 4, dangerously forcing contraflow cyclists into oncoming traffic with no signal.
“They don’t block the road of course and no formal closure. Transport for London, this is appalling.”
As Rich noted, this is the second year running he has noticed vehicles associated with the London Marathon blocking Cycleway 4 in the run-up to the event, with the cyclist posting a similar image on social media last April:
Hi @arenagroup_plc @LondonMarathon why have your workers parked an HGV and car completely blocking the C4 cycle lane on Tooley Street? It is pushing cyclists into oncoming traffic. Not ok. #LondonMarathon pic.twitter.com/ga2s7gt3yK
— Rich (@hoxtonrich) April 21, 2023
Meanwhile, other cyclists criticised the lack of warning that the cycleway would be closed, with one social media user noting that the marathon’s impact on cycling infrastructure in London failed to warrant a mention on Transport for London’s ‘major works and events’ page (RideLondon, the annual cycle race and mass participation event, set to take place at the end of May, is included, however).
Checked again this year and the .@TfL planning tools still tell you to cycle down parts of the cycle superhighway that will be closed on Sunday. The marathon doesn’t even got a mention on the TFL “Major works and events” page https://t.co/R4PbRrRIcq pic.twitter.com/Vc4SH4IjdW
— Richard Dean (@deanx) April 19, 2024
“It is disappointing that the cycle lane is viewed as fair game for a convenient parking spot with no regard for the safety of those who need it,” Rich tells road.cc.
“Cycle infrastructure is still considered second class. They would never just stop and block a whole road without permission.”
Rich also criticised the lack of safety measures put in place to allow cyclists to navigate the impromptu obstruction.
“I think the marathon is great, but if there is no choice but to block the cycle lane for set-up then they should get proper permission, use signs, or traffic management and provide a safe alternative just as they would if closing a road,” he says.
“It is obvious they didn’t care. By parking here, cyclists travelling west have to go onto the road into oncoming traffic or end up on the pavement which is unfair to pedestrians.”
However, rather unsurprisingly, not everyone on social media agreed with Rich’s stance on the decision to block the cycleway to allow for marathon preparation.
“That’s a two-way street to your right. Not pushed into oncoming traffic, unless you’re really bad at cycling. Perhaps they should cancel the marathon for you,” wrote Steve.
“No, it’s a one-way street with a contraflow bus lane which is on the other side of the road so any westbound cyclists forced out of the cycle lane there are going directly into a lane of oncoming traffic,” Rich replied. “They just need proper traffic management it really isn’t difficult.”
“So if they had put in a full closure of the road and cycle lane, would that be beneficial to you?” asked Russ. “You still wouldn’t be able to cycle down there. Surely better to get off your bike, push it around the parked vehicle, and get on with your day?”
“They don’t need a full closure, they just need a permit for traffic management, temporary lights and a temporary lane,” Rich, again, gamely responded.
“Or just park a few metres round the corner. It really isn’t hard, but they don’t give a shit because it’s easier to put cyclists at risk by dumping the truck there. Also, if you look at the picture you’ll see the pavement is blocked too. No thought for accessibility?”
road.cc has contacted Transport for London and the TCS London Marathon for comment.
After obtaining a PhD, lecturing, and hosting a history podcast at Queen’s University Belfast, Ryan joined road.cc in December 2021 and since then has kept the site’s readers and listeners informed and enthralled (well at least occasionally) on news, the live blog, and the road.cc Podcast. After boarding a wrong bus at the world championships and ruining a good pair of jeans at the cyclocross, he now serves as road.cc’s senior news writer. Before his foray into cycling journalism, he wallowed in the equally pitiless world of academia, where he wrote a book about Victorian politics and droned on about cycling and bikes to classes of bored students (while taking every chance he could get to talk about cycling in print or on the radio). He can be found riding his bike very slowly around the narrow, scenic country lanes of Co. Down.
Latest Comments
- brooksby 18 min 6 sec ago
A plebiscite? Is that like when you start a petition calling for a new general election because you don't like the result of the last one?
- Flintshire Boy 42 min 26 sec ago
[Sorry - wrote mine before saw yours! You make the point much better than I.] .
- grOg 3 hours 23 min ago
Where does it state in the article that Ashley purchased the stock? it does state that Ashley bought the brand and intellectual property, not the...
- rogerwb 6 hours 3 min ago
Jump off the bike and run across. I cycle in trainers though.
- momove 7 hours 6 min ago
Cheers for the lesson! Wasn't expecting one so was pleasantly surprised, especially getting to find the origin of "laconic"!
- ktache 7 hours 53 min ago
Isn't it a rights issue?
- Daddy Feebs 8 hours 56 min ago
If anything, it looks a bit like an SL6
- wtjs 9 hours 32 min ago
Other commenters have different views True!
- Daclu Trelub 9 hours 47 min ago
Incredibly bone-headed.
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47 comments
Unpopular opinion. I'm fine with them using the cycle lane to provide logistics space for supporting a once-a-year world-famous event.
I think you are missing the point somewhat. The problem isn't so much the fact that they're using the lane as the attitude they appear to have demonstrated.
What attitude? I just see an article with some bloke called Rich getting all worked up about a minor inconvenience that in my world I would have forgotten about after 3 pedal revolutions up the street.
Imagine it had been the other way around, and they had casually blocked the road, without permission and without putting up signs of any kind. Motorists could have taken another route or used the cycle path to get past the obstruction (that curb doesn't look very high). No one would have objected.
Correct?
Most cyclists (those without disabilities) could go round but it increases the danger to them, and lowers the convenience.
And it's only once a year - but actually where I live (in Edinburgh) something like this (blockage of cycle path / lane) will occur on a significant fraction of the trips I make which involve cycle infra.
Of course in the UK we tend only to have such facilities where it really is very unpleasant and often measurably dangerous for cyclists.
However if there was a network of cycling infra that wouldn't be such a problem. I don't know the situation in this location but I suspect that is not the case as such networks don't exist in most of the UK.
This is unlike the roads - which are a network of driving infra. One which most current road cyclists could use, more or less, but in fact most people who could cycle simply won't / don't... (Also where generally - by law - advance notice is required, as are signs and marked diversions.)
Perhaps this one relevant also:
http://www.aviewfromthecyclepath.com/search/label/road%20works%20vs.%20t...
But the cycle path wouldn't have been suitable for drivers to use if the road was obstructed. Cyclists, however, can use the road for what, 20 feet? until they are past the obstruction.
We're losing our bloody minds on this extremely minor inconvenience. I think I'm the only cyclist here who has the ability to be at least a bit pragmatic.
Of all the things bad on our roads, this is the issue we're all moaning about today? We just love to feel victimised 🤷♂️
Pragmatic, or "I'm alright Jack"?
I can cope with obstructed cycle paths and lanes - I do so many days I cycle.
I'm not everyone though. I'm certainly not those people who might not drive that journey, if they could rely on the cycle infra.
I think one complaint is that it would be 20 feet into oncoming traffic…
It's not simply a matter of just hopping into the road there, it's a one-way street with a contraflow bus lane on the opposite side to the cycle lane, so you would have to wait for a gap in the oncoming traffic (on a very busy road), cut across the road to the bus lane and then cut back, again across the oncoming traffic, to rejoin the cycle lane.
On the wider issue, how many "minor inconveniences" does it take until they become a major inconvenience? First you get this, oh it's only once a year, what's the problem, then 200 yards up the road there's a delivery van in the cycle lane, so it's only there for a couple of minutes, what's the problem, then a bit further on a scaffolding van is unloading, well it's got nowhere else to go, what's the problem, then a bit further up they are digging up the pavement and so they've closed the cycle lane to let pedestrians through instead of asking them to cross to the other side of the street…it all mounts up into a succession of stop start, dismount remount, cross to the other side and back events that severely impact on the ability of cyclists to get quickly and smoothly across town, which is exactly what the infrastructure is designed for.
I cycle along this route. in the last couple of weeks I have seen all of these scenarios, so what you are describing is not that far fetched!
Indeed, I was drawing from personal experience – I don't use it that often but it's such a nice bit of infrastructure that I sometimes go out of my way to use it if I have business in the City or East End, but far too often it's not a clear run.
Absolutely agree with you however you have completed the cardinal sin of disagreeing with the cadre who truck no dissent ! 🤣
When, in the past it's been something like Ride London and it's a motorist that is affected, the overwhelming majority of comments are about it only being for the day, plenty of notice yada, yada.
No hypocrisy here 😂
How was your motorist affected exactly? By an officially approved road closure, of which advance notice had been given, or by a cyclist who decided to park his bike trailer in the middle of the road?
Yeah well it doesn't just happen once a year, it happens all the time, and as the original poster pointed out is systemically anti-cycling.
The Marathon may be once a year. But similar happens throughout the year. Many once-a-year events from construction to delivery to this. The ladder and sign leg are affecting the pedestrian passage too. And this section of the street makes getting off bike and stepping into road and walking with bike in road particularly scary and dangerous.
Having ridden there for 40 years, I wouldn't have a bike lane there at all but, if it is there, use and respect it properly because not doing so makes it worse
Standard stuff really. 3rd class infrastructure in their eyes. Absolutely fine if they just provided some warning signs and a proper diversion as they would with cars but nah.
Lost count of the number of times they've plumped a bunch of grey road signs (weeks before they're actually used) blocking the whole 2 way cycle lane on the old CS3. They are literally invisible at night when going against oncoming traffic but who cares?
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