South Road, Southall
Ealing council is proposing a new road layout for South Road in Southall. It will remove an access road to create a wider pavement, but provides no extra space for cycling.
This section lists issues - problems on the street network and related matters.
Issues always relate to some geographical location, whether very local or perhaps city-wide.
You can create a new issue using the button on the right.
Listed issues, most recent first:
Created by Martin Gorst // 1 thread
Ealing council is proposing a new road layout for South Road in Southall. It will remove an access road to create a wider pavement, but provides no extra space for cycling.
Created by Simon Munk // 1 thread
Overview
We are proposing improvements for pedestrians and cyclists along the A406 North Circular from Bridge Lane to Golders Green Road and at the A406 junction with Golders Green Road and Brent Street. The proposals include converting some sections of footway to shared use for pedestrian and cyclists, and a new staggered shared pedestrian/cycle ‘toucan’ crossing on the westbound carriageway, adjacent to the Woodlands retaining wall.
The proposals for the crossing are in response to safety concerns that pedestrians are crossing the A406 independently and using the central reservation as a waiting area, rather than using the pedestrian footbridge located at the junction. The existing pedestrian footbridge will remain as a secondary crossing point for pedestrians and dismounted cyclists to use.
We propose the following:
- A new ‘toucan’ crossing for pedestrians and cyclists on the A406 North Circular westbound carriageway, adjacent to A406 Woodlands retaining wall. This would involve widening the central reservation by 4 metres to accommodate the crossing, central waiting area and guard railing, which in turn would require minor widening of the carriageway into the footway on the north west corner of the junction
- New shared use footway for pedestrian and cyclists at the A406 junction with Golders Green Road and Brent Street. This would involve resurfacing the footways on three of the four corners of the junction to ensure surface consistency; we would also resurface the footway north of the junction to link to our current footway works at the Woodlands retaining wall. Signage and tactile paving would be used
- Improve the shared use footway facilities from south of Bridge Lane to link to existing shared use facilities north of Courtleigh Gardens. This would involve resurfacing the footway to ensure surface consistency and adding new signage
- Build a retaining wall to enable widening of the footway into the grass verge embankment just south of Bridge Lane
- Widen the existing unsignalised crossing located across Golders Green Road to 3.2 metres to enhance facilities for the north/south movement
- Introduce Advanced Stop Lines for cyclists on the Brent Street and Golders Green Road approaches
Martin Lucas-Smith // 1 thread
A proposal has been floating around for a while for a change to this area. The opportunity needs to be taken to avoid the right-angle turn and remove pavement cycling entirely between the parking and the river.
Created by Rob Archer // 1 thread
There is no cycle (or foot) access to Freebridge Farm from Wisbech Road. Cyclists have to negotiate a series of difficult junctions and unpleasant service roads to access thus popular pub, hotel and restaurant. To leave the site and head into King's Lynn cyclists are faced with a choice of turning left and negotiating the very busy roundabout and returning towards West Lynn, or making an illegal right turn onto the busy Clenchwarton road. Many of the staff at the site cycle and several more would like to if there was safe cycle access. The service road is less than 50m from Wisbech Road with it's reasonable quality cycleway and there are existing gaps in the hedge that could be used. Ideally a controlled (toucan) crossing should be provided.
Created by Rob Archer // 1 thread
The junction where Wisbech Road joins Clenchwarton Road by East Coast Storage is unsafe. The cycleway continues directly across the junction but is not clearly marked. The red tarmac has been warn away and give way markings painted across the cycleway where it crosses the entrance to East Coast Storage. There are also give way markings across the exit to ECS making it very difficult to ascertain who has priority.
Created by Roxanne (CEO) // 1 thread
Mixed used development comprising a Day Nursery at ground floor and 40 self-contained 1xbed student rooms at the rear and on the upper floors along with a vehicle drop-off zone, cycle parking and associated landscaping.
Romsey Labour Club Mill Road Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB1 3NL
Cambridge
Application reference : 16/0821/FUL
Created by Peter Loader // 1 thread
The Reach Free School plans to move to a permanent site in Mill End, Rickmansworth, Herts. There has been a public exhibition of the draft proposals so that the Education Funding Agency can gather feedback before it submits a planning application to Three Rivers District Council. At the exhibition, the draft cycling/walking routes linking the school to Mill End and Maple Cross seemed to be unsatisfactory and to conflict with the adopted Three Rivers Local Plan.
The Cut Bridge linking King's Lynn with West Lynn has no safe cycle facility, despite linking two sections of reasonably good quality cycleway. There is a narrow (1.2m) footway which cyclists often (illegally) use but it is too narrow to pass a pedestrian or another cyclist. There is also a low parapet with a risk of a cyclist being knocked over into the river in the event of a collision. This would almost certainly be fatal.
The 'correct' way to cross the bridge is to rejoin the carriageway, which involves (westbound) crossing on a fast, blind bend then back again after the bridge.
Possible Solutions:
1) 20mph limit extended over the bridge - preferably accompanied by average-speed cameras.
2) Narrow the road and install a wider (Min 3+1 m) shared-use path.
3) Reduce the road to a single, bi-directional lane with a full-width (2m) cycle lane either side.
Created by Trothben // 1 thread
looking at areas where broken beer bottles are common. Is it happening so often that areas should be swept weekly, monthly?
Created by Richard Keatinge // 1 thread
Congestion (especially at travel-to-work times) on the two bridges across the Menai Straits has led to suggestions for a third crossing, now being evaluated by the Welsh Office. Preliminary estimates of the cost are from £100 million to £200 million. Meanwhile, many people live on Anglesey and commute over the bridges to Bangor and Felinheli by car, contributing greatly to the congestion. The routes are easy and convenient by car but hostile by bicycle. Bicycle commuting would be easy throughout this area if the journey could be made on good-quality facilities - most journeys are in the 3 to 5 kilometre range. The aim is to attract enough commuters onto bicycles to relieve congestion at rush-hour times. The benefits will be far wider than those of the third crossing, at far less expense.
The proposal is to make cycling between all of these destinations, and especially on the routes over the Menai Straits, a pleasant and inviting means of transport. This will require good-quality protected facilities all along the main routes, traffic calming (and some possible redirections) with 20mph limits in built-up areas. Most of the space would come from the existing highway, though a limited amount of extra land would need to be used at a few specific points.
The Britannia Bridge offers space on its car deck for cycle lanes (though not quite enough for the proposed third car lane), and an unused rail line on the lower deck which would be very suitable for cycling.
Thomas Telford's Menai Bridge has already been extended to the sides by the addition of pedestrian facilities; its appearance could be enhanced by a tasteful cycle facility, extending somewhat further to the sides.
Martin Lucas-Smith // 1 thread
Formation of new cycle park on Queens' College land directly in front of the Fisher Building on Silver Street.
Queens College Silver Street Cambridge CB3 9ET
Cambridge
Application reference : 16/0804/FUL
Created by Henry Gomersall // 1 thread
This is a pretty far reaching discussion point, but one I feel is important in establishing cycling as a first class means of transport.
I apologise if this is something for which a consensus is well established, but I was unable to find anything specific on it. Or indeed, or if there is little that can be done!
The issue is that though Cambridge has loads of pavement cycle lanes, they tend to be of the kind that stop at each and every adjoining road. This is suboptimal and really slows down one's progress.
In some cases there are "helpful" give-way markings to remind the cyclist that cars go first. Slightly better are give way markings to both the adjoining road and the cycle lanes, but my experience has been that the road give way marking is often simply ignored (and it takes a brave cyclist to not slow down despite knowing they'd arrive first). Also, cars turning into the minor road from the more major road are not clearly required to give way to cyclists.
The new slightly raised cycle lanes with bus islands are clearly much better in this regard and seem to be treated by drivers with the same priority as the road they are part of. So on the whole the new infrastructure seems to be dealing with the problem properly.
However, slightly against this trend, I noticed that the wonderful cycle lane by the guided bus route by the new Great Kneighton centre (marked on the map) has a dropped kerb to the not-yet-commissioned road and little in the way to indicate it's not going to be sliced in half when the road is opened properly.
Another trend seems to be to coerce cyclists to use pedestrian/cycle crossings at junctions, e.g. where the guided bus route ends at Francis Crick Avenue and the cycle lane continues onto the Addenbrookes site.
This is part of a bigger question about how much cyclists should be considered with the same priority as motorists (consider how long it takes the cycle road crossings on Fen Causeway to change, despite all the traffic moving at a snails pace).
What if anything can we do about this? What I really want is at a minimum for cyclists to be given _equal_ priority to the drivers.
Created by David Green // 1 thread
This morning I noticed that two new concrete bollards have been installed at the North end of the Carter Cycle Bridge. These seem to be completely unnecessary and the position will probably cause accidents to cyclists descending into Devonshire Road.
Were the Campaign aware of this and can we do anything to get them removed?
Created by T Harris // 1 thread
You may remember that Hounslow Council issued plans for a cycleway between Boston Manor Underground Station and the GSK complex back in 2014. The recent revised plan is for a bidirectional protected cycleway on the western side of Boston Manor Road. It includes plans for separation between the cycleway and bus stops. There are still places where cars can be driven over the cycleway at entrances to Boston Manor Park and car parking bays planned to be located between the cycleway and the properties opposite Manor Vale. We broadly support the plans, but please send in your concerns too. The consultation ends on 3rd June.
Anon // 1 thread
KCC are consulting on their first ever Active Travel Strategy
Cyclescape doesn't allow creation of a Kent wide issue, marker placed in Spokes East Kent area.
Created by Dominic Fee // 1 thread
Mayor Sadiq Khan's proposal "to rid part of the square of traffic and create a public space worthy of a Unesco Heritage Site.”
Created by Dominic Fee // 3 threads
Mayor Sadiq Khan's proposal "that would see all motor vehicles removed from Oxford Street and the space given over to pedestrians and cyclists".
Created by Roxanne (CEO) // 1 thread
Demolition of existing bungalow and erection of a three storey building consisting of 14 studio flats and associated ancillary works including a laundry room, bin store and bicycle store.
138 Brooks Road Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB1 3HR
Cambridge
Application reference : 16/0731/FUL
Created by Anna Langley // 1 thread
This morning 17.5.2016, I found this car blocking the towpath entrance on Fen Road. If you see this again, please call the Police non-emergency number 101 and report it. Especially if it is this same red Citroën MV62 JXD.
Created by Sam Wakeling // 2 threads
The nominated cycle route to avoid the University roundabout goes down Weston St and under the underpass. Entry and exit to this underpass is obstructed by metal barriers.
These make the route inconvenient for all people using bikes, and impossible to access for some recumbent, cargo bike, trailer or multi-wheeled disabled cycle users.
Created by Heather Coleman // 1 thread
Erection of 14 flats and associated bin and cycle stores following demolition of existing dwelling.
Hayling House Fen Road Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB4 1UN
Cambridge
Application reference : 16/0617/FUL
Created by JonathanF // 1 thread
Announced in 2015 as part of CCAG2. Manchester City Council, working in partnership with Transport for Greater Manchester and Salford City Council, is developing a City Centre Cycling Infrastructure Plan (CCCIP). The plan will:-
Provide a strategy to guide future investment
Provide a pipeline of cycling schemes
Prioritise cycling and transport infrastructure more effectively
Assist with bidding for future funding for investment in the city centre cycle network
A draft network plan (v3.2) was circulated at the 22nd March 2016 Stakeholder Workshop: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_1SI7iBXu3BN3dDbXpvSnRYYkE
GMCC has held its own workshops and discussions to produce its draft plan, the latest of which is: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_1SI7iBXu3BNjJDQ19rUjVEMWc
Created by Matthew Phillips // 1 thread
There is no cycle parking provided at the Sainsbury's on the A167 (former Pot and Glass).
Current County Durham policy requires 1 space per 5 FTE staff, and a minimum of two spaces for users, with an additional space for every 400 sq.m over 100 sq.m.
So I reckon it should have at least four. Were the policies in force at the time of the planning application for change of use? The previous policy was different, but stipulated a minimum of 4 spaces.
Was there a planning application, which omitted to enforce this requirement, or was it permitted development?
Created by Matthew Phillips // 1 thread
Access to Tesco by bike could be improved in various ways. The main picture shows the view from close to the entrance to the supermarket. The cycle parking is at the far end of the building near the Belisha beacon. Cycle parking should be located as close to the entrance to the building as possible, and should certainly be obvious and easy to find from there.
I will attach some other photos showing things which could be improved.
This map shows all issues, whether points, routes, or areas:
The most popular issues, based on the number of votes:
Martin Lucas-Smith // 3 threads
Elizabeth Way is wide. Currently cycling is permitted on the pavements.
This should be changed to have dutch-style cycle tracks, achieved by narrowing the road slightly and narrowing the pavements (which are very wide and not heavily trafficked, so this would not disadvantage pedestrians).
This would give a safer cycling environment, and improve the pedestrian experience.
Created by Richenda // 1 thread
Apparently TfL commissioned "...to explore the opportunity of a pedestrian river crossing ....". They may not think bikes should also be included, but they should!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/luxury/travel/4162/a-garden-bridge-across-the-thames.html
http://www.gardenbridgetrust.org/index.html
Created by Andrew Woodward // 0 threads
Railway footbridge should have a ramp/trough added to make it easier for cyclists to cross the railway. This would then create a quiet north/south route to Marshgate school as an alternative to Manor Road.
Created by TonyBeaumont // 1 thread
Out side the royal orthopaedic hospital up top 30 cars are parked in the cycle lane every day. Cyclists are forced out into the traffic lane of the A38 over a distance of about 1/4 mile.
Created by HVS // 3 threads
The A5117 at this point has some sections of non-protected cycle lane, but they are not continuous, and they disappear at a number of pinch points. The road carries a lot of very fast moving heavy traffic, and is dangerous and unpleasant to cycle on. It would be a useful route for people travelling by bike to or from Stanlow Refinery, Cheshire Oaks, the University of Chester at Thornton Science Park, and Ince & Elton villages, but is currently only used by a tiny number of very brave and confident cyclists. This situation could be improved by making the cycle lane continuous along the whole route.
Created by Andrew Woodward // 0 threads
Pinch-point at zebra crossing where cyclists are forced to share space with traffic that is often speeding. Cars try to squeeze past cyclists or brake suddenly.
Created by HankChief // 0 threads
There needs to be a ramped access to the school grounds at this point to replace or bypass the 6 steps currently there.
This would not only improve access to the school but also improve connection between the East Craigs Path Network and North Gyle and the only toucan crossing on the A8 in Edinburgh on Dechmont Road.
Created by Fraser Stephens // 1 thread
RAISED AT PUBLIC MEETING 10-04-2014
The infamous missing link in the Llanfoist-Brynmawr cycle path (route 46) is a huge barrier to its safe use by children as well as those who find the steep section of the diversion route impossible to climb.
The service entrance to the motorway services now has priority over the shared use path which runs parallel to the main road.
I have contacted both Hampshire County Council and Test Valley Borough Council about this change in priorities, but neither has responded beyond a cursory "we have received your email".
This is yet another example of through traffic being de-prioritised simply because it is on a cycle (or shared) path, rather than on a road.
Created by Andrew Woodward // 0 threads
Pinch point outside Courtlands on Sheen Road. Despite resurfacing, pinch point has not been addressed. Because of the poor road layout vehicles frequently encroach into the cycle lane. At off peak times the wide road encourages speeding - vehicles often approach this pinch point at 40mph.
Created by Frenchie // 0 threads
This is one of the prime candidate for a cycle contraflow in Newcastle City Centre. Currently one way for all traffic from Percy Street to Strawberry place. Allowing cyclists down from Strawberry Place to Percy Street would improve permeability and connectivity for cyclists. Note: not a lot of traffic, space not an issue, short uphill section so speeding not an issue.
Created by Shaun McDonald // 0 threads
The entrance to Dock Street should be turned into a continuous footway with pedestrian and cyclist priority over turning vehicles akin to this Danish junction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcnmLU1ClTo
This would improve sight lines for pedestrians too as the dropped kerbs are away from the junction, and it would also go with the pedestrian desire line as many tend to cross closer to the junction than the dropped kerbs. It would also slow down the vehicles entering the narrow street.
Created by Ned Harrison // 1 thread
Holywells Park has a section of cycle route 51 running through it, linking South East Ipswich to the centre with a pleasant and safe route down to the waterfront.
During Winter, the park is closed at dusk, sometimes as early as 4, meaning that just when the roads are most dangerous (dark and wet) cyclists are forced onto steep and busy routes either along Cliff Lane or up Bishops Hill.
The closures are largely at the request of the Park Friends group. I've spoken to them, and their concerns seem to be largely about what might go on after dark. It's not clear that there is any evidence for this, nor that the current situation of locking the main gates but leaving others would do anything to deter misbehaviour.
Keeping it open as a cycle route would ensure a legitimate presence in the park, and help provide less confident cyclists in the area with a safe route to and from town.
I'd propose either locking later, or for a trial period leaving the park unlocked.
Created by Rosalind Lund // 1 thread
further to the piece in newsletter 128, I wonder if any thought has been given to the difficulty of turning right into Emmanuel Street if you are coming towards the town centre from St Andrew's Street? We go fairly often to the Arts Cinema and this is the obvious way for us to go home, but it is impossible to turn right on the correct side of the bollard at present as it is designed only for left turning cycles coming out of town. There is, however, nothing to suggest that such a right turn is illegal.
Created by Paul James // 0 threads
All the sideroads between Richmond Circus and Manor Circus are a danger to cyclists on the cycleway.
There is no warning to motorists that there will be crossing cyclists and the building angles make it hard to see if anything is coming.
Turning traffic from the A316 can have an obscured view of the cycleway due to foliage.
Decrease corner radii.
Make road hump more pronounced.
Make cycle surface colour continuous across roadway.
Add markings across roadway.
Add warning signage.
Move give way lines back to before cycleway or add additional give way lines.
Created by chdot // 1 thread
Longstanding issue about 'optimum' design, particularly to reduce conflict caused by vehicles turning from Teviot Pl due to signal phases.
Over the past couple of years of regularly cycling between Waterbeach and Cambridge on NCN11 I have noticed that the path between Waterbeach and Baits Bite Lock is in really bad repair and is getting gradually worse. I have been in touch with the council to ask them to repair it, and they told me that as far as they are concerned the path is only a footpath, and they have no obligation to maintain it to a standard suitable for bikes. Sustrans tells me they have no responsibility for maintaining that section of the route, and that the council should be responsible for it.
It seems absurd to allow the path to fall into total disrepair, but at the moment it doesn't seem like anyone recognises any obligation for its upkeep.
I am happy to go out occasionally with some secateurs and chop off the more annoying bits of greenery, but the path needs resurfacing and that feels a bit beyond me!
Does anyone have any experience with this sort of problem? Have they come across it on other sections of the NCN?
Martin Lucas-Smith // 1 thread
There's a very poor dogleg right-angle with barriers at the entrance/exit from the West Cambridge site to Clerk Maxwell Road.
This should be turned into a wide splay with good visibility.
Created by Shaun McDonald // 1 thread
It would be much safer to have cyclist priority on the slip roads here as is done in The Netherlands http://www.flickr.com/photos/smsm1/10046288016/ , or even the following example from Britain: http://www.cycling-embassy.org.uk/photos/good-cycling-facility-of-the-week/good-cycling-facility-of-the-week-14th-november-2013-0
The slip roads also need to be narrowed to slow motor vehicle speeds as does the turning radii of the roundabout.
Created by Katja Leyendecker // 1 thread
The (draft / emerging) 1Core Strategy seems to hint at a bus loop (Policy UC7) and a motor vehicle "ring road" (Policy UC9) too. It mentions pedestrian routes but there's no mention of cycle routes. See attached photo. (I didn't mark up the map, as it might become a tad too messy)
The "ring road" is just like Scott / esde84 described before http://newcycling.org/space4cycling/part2 (in comments)
The photo in the attachment is from "Newcastle Proposals Map" listed here http://onecorestrategyng-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal/examination_library (not sure how long thi link will stay live, link rot may happen)
Created by Andrew Woodward // 1 thread
Providing a cycle-friendly surface on the path from Meadlands Drive to the road serving the German School and the Polo Club would improve cycling access to Strathmore and Russell Schools and help provide a better quiet route from Meadlands Drive area towards Richmond - providing more/better options for avoiding the busy Petersham Road.
Martin Lucas-Smith // 4 threads
London Cycling Campaign has reorientated its policy towards a 'Go Dutch' approach.
This aims to learn from best practice abroad rather than continuing with the 'hierarchy of provision' that, in 20 years in the UK, has arguably failed to deliver meaningful change.
This is an overarching issue for conceptual discussion of this issue.
Created by JonC // 0 threads
Our club (South Herts CTC) had to cross the A505 to get back into Hertfordshire on Sunday and we took a route between Litlington and Therfield which involved 500 m along the A505 and a right turn at the roundabout west of Royston.
I was quite surprised there was no cycle route to help cyclists here. It was a Sunday so at least there were fewer heavy vehicles than normal, but the speed of some cars coming up behind made it tricky to change lanes on a bike when turning right at the roundabout.
Since then I have studied other ways of crossing the A505 (using Google Streetview) and can't find any easy crossing points near Royston. I see it is the boundary between Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire, which complicates matters (although it looks like the A505 road is in Herts).
To the east, I've used the B1368 crossing at Flint Cross, which is also a nightmare. To the west the crossing at Slip End does at least have a central refuge. It seems little or no thought was given to cyclists when the A505 was constructed.
Meeting with Leeds City Council to discuss possible remedial works due to high casualty rates.
Created by Shaun McDonald // 1 thread
Many cyclists won't cycle to Harwich International from the Ipswich direction due to the roads. There really should be a high quality cycle route for this to continue the cycle journey from The Netherlands, where you can ride of the ferry and on to quality cycle infrastructure. The fact people choose the train is not a good sign.
This issue is the overall goal, and needs to be broken down into smaller sub issues of smaller more specific projects or improvements that can work towards this goal.