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| Door-Zonetastic cycle lane - Grove Green Road, Leyton |
This is a one-way street, so obviously there is absolutely no room to site safe cycle provision, the council clearly thinks something is better than nothing, even if that something encourages cyclists to get a steel door in the face every once in a while.
Maybe Waltham Forest Council believe that putting down some red tarmac and white lines generates some kind of magical forcefield that envelops the cyclist and aids them to their destination. Either that or they are simply woefully incompetent.
Do you write to the council to point out these design flaws? Perhaps they might address them if they are shown the way?
ReplyDeleteHi Paul,
ReplyDeleteA good question - and I have to confess I don't write to the council on design flaws. I do email in dangerous driving or potholes etc. I tried to pursue (without luck) the cycle lights on Hoe Street.
Maybe I should try to contact the council. However, there are reams of documents - such as the TfL cycle-lane guidelines, which specifically mention the danger of dooring and possible solutions. I would be very surprised if the road planners are completely unaware of the issue. Therefore I assume that these lanes have been put in in spite of the guidelines, not because they are unaware of the issues. Why? My assumption is that to provide a safe cycle path here would cost money and involve moving parking bays. So the compromise is that the cycle lane is placed in the easiest position even though it endangers cyclists. This fulfils Waltham Forest's stated aim of providing x miles of cycle lanes without any cost or inconvenience to motorists.