On Thu, 2 Sep 2004 19:33:39 +0100, Tom Anderson
wrote:

On Thu, 2 Sep 2004, Dave Arquati wrote:

I'm trying to visualise the situation but I'm a bit confused: if the
cycle lane is contraflow but you were using the road, weren't you
travelling in the opposite direction to the cycle lane?

The cycle lane is bidirectional; sorry, i didn't explain that clearly.
This is the cycle lane along Tavistock Place, in case you know it; i was
heading west. The road looks like this:

---------------
---------------
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
===============

Where - denotes cycle lane, = denotes main lane, and X denotes a physical
barrier (a sort of free-standing kerb). I'd come in from the east, where
the road's bidirectional and there there's a normal cycle lane on each
side; thus, i was at the left edge of the road. The normal cycle lanes
end, and the bidirectional segregated lane begins, when the road becomes
one-way (where it crosses Woburn Place?), but it's a little tricky to get
into the segregated lane there, because it involves crossing the stream of
traffic, plus worrying about the traffic coming in from the north and
south. And i keep forgetting it's there. Anyway, i find it easier to stay
in the main lane, since my turn, off on the right to Gordon St further on,
has a filter lane.

Hmm. I might have got some of that wrong, since the road's bidirectional
where my turn is, which would mean the one-way stretch is only a couple of
hundred metres long. There's definitely a westbound main lane on the south
side the whole way, and an eastbound cycle lane on the north side the
whole way!

This cycle route is part of what started out as the Seven Stations
Link (http://www.greengas.u-net.com/SevenStns.html), and is now the
Stations Circular Route (London Cycle Network Route 0 -- yes, zero!).
It is very much work-in-progress.

(Note: in these comments, I have turned everything about 40 degrees
clockwise, to avoid saying, for example, south-eastish where I have
put south. To follow my ramblings, refer to
http://wwww.streetmap.co.uk, search for Tavistock Place (London
Street), select the WC1 item and (optionally) click on Large Map.)

To the west of Woburn Place (Gordon Square south side), there is the
bidirectional cycle lane mentioned, and to the east (Tavistock Place)
is the standard layout. However, Camden are about to start extending
the bidirectional lane along the north side of Tavistock Place, which
would mean losing the cycle lane on the south side (for road width
reasons).

The fun bit comes at the next crossroads to the east, at the junction
of Tavistock Place, Hunter Street and Judd Street, where the cycle
lane will go in a straight line (the road dog-legs here), ending on
the *south* side of Tavistock Place / Regent Square / Sidmouth Street.

Anyway, if you want truly strange cycle lanes, try the back of the British
Museum: given the task of fitting a cycle lane heading west in with a
two-lane one-way street heading east (which, incidentally, is mostly used
by coaches), the road chaps decided that the best place for it was IN
BETWEEN the two lanes of traffic! Getting into that lane in the first
place is an adventure in itself.

It's not too difficult, apart from the sharp curves involved. From
Russell Square, keep on the south side of the triangle at the junction
with Montague Street, bear right then turn left into Montague Place
(the road behind the British Museum). Putting the cycle lane in the
middle keeps you away from coach passengers to and from the British
Museum.

It is interesting to come down Malet Street to the west end of
Montague Place. The last 75 yards or so are one-way southbound (with a
contraflow cycle lane), and traffic for the coach stops and for Gower
Street must keep to the right-hand side of the road. The bollard on
the centre island (where the Montague Place cycle lane ends) still
bears a keep-left symbol. This means coach drivers, etc, regularly
break the law ...

Regards,

The Mad Cyclist

--
Clive R Robertson -- AS/400 Programmer.

Webmaster of http://www.osterleypark.org.uk/ -- this describes
a beautiful National Trust property in West London.