Monday 20 December 2010

Health and Safety

Freewheeler has blogged a photograph of the cycle cut-through on First Avenue. Well, it is assumed it is the cycle-cut through under the snow.

In a game of Waltham Forest crap cycle infrastructure "top trumps" I see his First Avenue cycle cut through and raise him the cycle "facility" at the Selborne Road / Hoe Street Junction.


Here we have the bypass that allows cyclists to avoid the little gyratory thing over the railway bridge to get into Selborne Road. It didn't come out in the picture, but there were tracks of a brave stupid cyclist who had attempted to use it. Yes, that stupid cyclist was me.

At first thought having a cycle bypass that is complete icy slush would be a health and safety issue for Waltham Forest and TfL. But this is where we under-estimate the sheer genius of the planners. You see, the cycle lights that used to allow cyclists time to cross the 5 lanes are now hooded - and have been for over a year. So, by leaving the bypass an icy mess, TfL are actually helping cyclists by completely dissuading them using a cycle facility put in (at probably some expense) by them. Therefore preventing the issue of the cyclist being splattered as they try to get through multiple lanes of traffic like some deranged game of real-life Frogger.

2 comments:

  1. OK, you win.

    The cycling lights have not been working since August 2009, which I think deserves a special prize, don't you? But apparently TfL will fix them in March 2011. Or possibly April. Obviously there is no hurry as it is only cyclists we are dealing with here.

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  2. I considered the cycle facility itself at this junction was really quite good. I certainly used it regularly until the lights were switched off, and now just use it to turn right into Selborne from Hoe Street. Presumably TfL thought it was too useful and switched it off.

    I heard they will fix them in 2011 as in they will completely remodel the junction anyway (maybe letting cars turn right directly from Hoe Street).

    The cycle cut-through at First Avenue always bemuses me. I have lived in the area for years and never used it. I suppose it is useful for turning right onto Hoe Street with the pedestrian / cycle lights, but for everything else, why not use Second Avenue or Orford Road?

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