Infamous CS2 to be upgraded

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, has announced that the notorious Cycle Superhighway 2 through Bow and Whitechapel is to be torn up and replaced with a segregated route.

The current route consists of little more than painted blue areas in the existing carriageways, and has been roundly condemned by cyclists ever since its introduction in 2011.

The replacement will see bikes segregated from cars and buses, in the style of the new CS2 extension to Stratford and the recently proposed East-West and North-South superhighways. Most of the segregation will be provided by kerbs, but flexible ‘wands’ will be used in some areas.

The cycle track will be routed behind bus stops, which will become islands, again in the style used for the Stratford route. The project is estimated to cost £25m, with work taking place during 2015 and 2016.

The existing non-segregated route has a poor safety record with several deaths along its course. It was memorably skewered in a ‘cyclist’s eye view’ video produced by the Guardian.

Boris Johnson has also reiterated his determination to get the North-South and East-West routes underway, despite concerns from business lobby groups that they would cause congestion for motor traffic. He told the Times:

“Central London is still dominated by motor vehicles, even though they account for a small fraction of all journeys there. We are reducing that dominance, making the centre more pleasant for the vast majority and allocating road space to reflect the actual usage of central London roads.

“These changes will create a more liveable city for everyone, even if they never get on a bike, and I am determined to see them through.”

A campaign to get businesses to sign up in support of the Cycle Superhighways, called Cycling Works, has attracted signatures from several high-profile businesses – and Johnson hinted that consultancy firm Deloitte would add their voice in support today.

York Rally to return?

York’s long-running cycle rally could return in 2015. 70 years after the first event, in 1945, a group of local cyclists are drawing up plans for a rally which will “continue the tradition of fellowship and the joy of cycling embodied by the post-war founders”. Three sportive-type rides will be staged as part of the show. The date has been set as 20-21st June.

Bike detector makes HGV drivers “20% safer”

A London council is heralding a “20% improvement in driver behaviour” after fitting a cycle warning system to one of its construction lorries.

Ealing Council says 15 potential serious collisions were avoided in six months thanks to the Cycle Safety Shield detection system. The camera-based detector filters out inanimate objects such as bus stops and fences, so that it can alert the driver to pedestrians, cyclists and motorbikes. The aim is to eliminate all blind spots around the vehicle.

During the trial period, which ran from January to June, the system detected more than 40,000 cyclists, pedestrians and motorbikes. The alarm alerted the driver on 15 occasions, when they became close enough to collide with the lorry. According to Cllr Bassam Mahfouz: 

“We are committed to reducing lorry danger because we know they are involved in approximately two thirds of cyclist deaths in London. This technology can save families from hearing the tragic news of a loved one’s death. In each of the alerts during this trial the driver was travelling an average of 13.6mph, which means that 15 potentially serious or even fatal collisions were avoided because the driver was warned.

“Some of the other technology overloads drivers with constant alerts when objects get too close. When this system goes off the driver knows that a cyclist, pedestrian or motorcyclist is in danger, giving them time to brake. There is also a visual and audio warning to cyclists when a vehicle is turning left.

“We are keen to look at a further roll-out of this system across our fleet”.

Ealing Council developed this technology in partnership with Safety Shields Systems and the trial was funded through Transport for London’s borough cycling programme. Ealing Council has fitted the system to a ten-plate grab lorry, which is operated by its highway contractor, Murrill Construction. Cycle Safety Shield is now being further independently tested by Transport for London on buses and lorries. 

Explore Morecambe Bay with new touring route

New – click here for our full route guide, with map, to the Bay Cycle Way!

A scenic touring route is being devised to follow the coast around Morecambe Bay, from Barrow-in-Furness all the way to Lancaster and beyond.

The 100-mile Bay Cycle Way will be launched next year, following quiet roads and existing cycle paths around the area. It is being promoted by the Morecambe Bay Partnership and Sustrans. A 28-strong cohort rode a ‘trailblazing ride’ along the proposed itinerary this month, to give feedback on the route.

The Bay Cycle Way is conceived as a family-friendly ride, and will be one of the flatter routes that the North of England has to offer. Attractions along the route will include Conishead Priory, Morecambe’s art deco Midland Hotel, sticky toffee pudding capital Cartmel, the RSPB reserve at Leighton Moss, and the picturesque port of Glasson Dock. But, most of all, the views of the bay will be the star. According to Sustrans Area Manager, Nikki Wingfield:

“Morecambe Bay has its very own distinctive character, with incredible views, world class historic sites and artefacts, traditional food and rare wildlife. We have planned lots of opportunities to stop – there’s a loo, a brew and a view every 10 miles!”

Much of the route follows existing sections of the National Cycle Network: the Walney–Wear route (NCN 70), the long-distance NCN 6, and the Lancashire Cycleway. As well as signposting for the main route, the promoters are also planning ‘cycle hubs’ along the way and a series of circular loop rides. 

Local people are keen to see a cycleway built alongside the railway viaduct that links Arnside to Grange-over-Sands, which would cut off a 14-mile detour. Although this will not form part of the initial route, the Morecambe Bay Partnership agrees that it would be “a significant and unique attraction for visitors which would increase the popularity of the Bay Cycle Way”. The Partnership is now looking for funds to carry out a feasibility study into the project.

You can see a map, and download a PDF, of the possible route using our route-planner.

Drop the white line, says CTC

A study commissioned by CTC says that removing central white lines, and imposing a 20mph limit, can make the roads safer for cyclists. It concludes: “A centre line may present a visual clue about where a driver should ‘drive up to’. Its absence may cause the driver to consider his or her road position and speed more carefully.” The study also found that painted cycle lanes are ineffective at changing drivers’ overtaking behaviour.