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Old May 24th 04, 12:21 PM
David Arditti
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Default The _Observer_ on "deadly" bike lanes



[Note: I have not been on Blackfriars bridge, and the article seems
quite
vague on the "problem" with this particular cycle lane....]

Scandal of our deadly cycle lanes snip


Good article, which sounds like it was written by a cyclist, though I think
the figure that UK cyclists are 10 times more likely to be killed or injured
than those in Denmark is probably an exaggeration. Data I have studied (per
person km cycled) indicates the ratio is more like 2 or 3.

The problem on Blackfriars Bridge is essentially the high speeds, the long,
exposed nature of the cycle lane between an ahead and a left-turn lane, and
the way buses have to cross the lanes to stop to the left of the left lane
and then get into the ahead lane again. The design cannot overcome the
inherent conflict between trying to have a priority cycle route running
ahead and a high-capacity left filter for other vehicles on the same road,
and is a prime example of confused thinking about such things.

The article also brings up problems with the position of CTC in the
statements by Geffen and Russell (both of whom I know). The author rightly
attacks the British systems compared to the far better segregated bike
engineering of The Netherlands and Denmark. But CTC has always tended to
oppose the segregating of cyclists and motor vehicles on British roads,
wrong-headedly (in my view) fearing it that creates more danger and
marginalisation for the cyclist - when anyone who looks at the situation in
continental countries can see that exactly the reverse is true - the danger
and marginalisation occur here, where we try to combine cyclists and motors
in the same unsegregated space, not there. Russell saying "most accidents
are caused by motorists not being careful" is a silly statement as it misses
the point. We all know that. The object of cycle engineering is to protect
cyclists from the mistakes of motorists.

David Arditti

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