Another cyclist death in London

[flecc]

BBC London TV News announced the death of a cyclist today following a collision with a lorry. He is the third cyclist to die on cycling superhighway CS2 in recent months and the ninth to be killed in London this year.

The new cycling superhighways have been heavily criticised by many as being dangerous, giving confusing indications of who has the right of way at various junctions where the collisions occur.

 

[SRS]

Its a Superhighway to Heaven. Jesus Christ!, how many poor sods have to die in this way before someone takes a serious look at this?

The little b****rds who profess to run this country take enough money for us to fix this almost overnight.
I for one request that they use my taxes and get on with it. Do some good for once!

In the meantime, its is the families of these victims I feel so sorry for.

 

[Clockwise]

News link tho it doesn't say much.

BBC News - Cyclist killed on Mile End Road cycle superhighway CS2

I can see both sides of the arguments about putting up proper seperated cycle paths/lanes/roads, on the cyclists side we don't die as much but are a minority on the roads, on the road traffic side they usually want a bus lane with another lane so adding a full on cycle path with a curb means they need 2 1/2-2 2/3 lanes space which they can't roll out over most of london as they won't have space. If they took a drastic step and flung the buses back into normal lanes with the cars it would just create millions of traffic jams. Something needs to be done but apart from a handful of roads I ride often and understand the traffic flow/demands I couldn't offer a universal solution.

 

[SRS]

My point being that a pedestrian on a footpath does not expect to be run over by a truck.

In the same sentence a cyclist on a "Superhighway" or any other path specifically allocated to cyclists should be protected from vehiclular hazards and death.

Sure, there are a lot or roads where it would be impossible to introduce cycles paths and that has to be accepted. Where the authorities do introduce paths, cycle or pedestrian, then they should be safe to use.

They are not safe and this is leading to a false sense of security and resulting deaths. We are all paying for the current batch of planners, why?

 

[Joneser]

Yesterday in London I chose not to use a particular designated cycle path because I considered the road to be safer, however a motorist deliberately and provocatively came within inches of me so I turned and shouted choice words and he beeped and pointed furiously at the cycle lane where he thought I should be. The fact that I was traveling at the same speed (crawling) as the van in front of us didn't seem to matter to him.

I'm also sick of cyclists in London not giving way to pedestrians. A cyclist crashed into the back of my bike this morning when I stopped to let a pedestrian cross a zebra crossing.

The only answer to this nonsense is education. I think a deal with insurance companies and the government where road safety courses can be attended periodically in order to receive insurance discounts would help.

 

[flecc]

Where the authorities do introduce paths, cycle or pedestrian, then they should be safe to use.

They are not safe and this is leading to a false sense of security and resulting deaths.

You are right SRS, painted bands on roads are not on inadequate, they can be positively dangerous as here.

It's not so much the planners to blame this time, it's the politicians again. These superhighways were originally intended by Ken Livingstone when he was London mayor, and when Boris Johnson took over he hastily grabbed both Livingstone's remaining cycling policies to implement them as his own for political advantage. One was the Barclays hire bikes, the other these superhighways. Both have led to extra deaths.

This one in particular has proved a poisoned chalice and it's clear from his statements he's worried by it and lost for what to do next. To me the answer is paint stripper or burning to lift them off the road and let cyclists reclaim their fair share of the space.
.

 

[103Alex1]

Carnage on London's streets as cyclist hit by coach is left fighting for life just hours after man is killed by lorry - London - News - London Evening Standard

 

[SRS]

Carnage on London's streets as cyclist hit by coach is left fighting for life just hours after man is killed by lorry - London - News - London Evening Standard

If you are unfortunate enough to be in London in the 1st place, then the moral of the story might be, don't cycle on the roads.

To be stuck in London and get run over would be a double blow for me.

Is there ever going to be an answer when so many people choose to live, work and travel in the same place?
I am beginning to doubt it.