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Bus driver complaint and OYBike
Tom Anderson wrote:
On Thu, 2 Sep 2004, Dave Arquati wrote: Tom Anderson wrote: On Thu, 2 Sep 2004, Dave Arquati wrote: (snip) I don't fancy cycling between two lanes of traffic; I get worried enough cycling in London full stop, which is why I generally don't! I did, however, experience a variety of cycling environments on a trip from South Kensington to Canary Wharf and back. I went via the parks, then Westminster Bridge, cycle route near the South Bank, London Bridge, Aldgate (where I took a wrong turn and ended up going round the one-way system, which scared the living daylights out of me), Do you mean the big gyratory system thing, which you have to go through to get from the Whitechapel road to the City? I've been through that a few times - it's not the best cycling environment, granted. Still, i'd say it's better than the one at Old Street! I think that's the one. The route advised to cyclists is (from Leadenhall St) via Jewry St & Vine St to Crosswall, then eastbound via Goodmans Yard or westbound via Portsoken St, using toucan crossings at the subsequent Prescot St junction to reach an on-pavement cycle path which takes you into Royal Mint St (which was a pleasant route to Canary Wharf from a traffic point of view). Unfortunately I didn't approach from the right direction, and since I had never cycled there before, and ended up on the gyratory, which seemed to have about six lanes of fast traffic going left where I wanted to go right! In the end I managed to get to the pavement and walked my bike round the rest. I joined the "official" route at Goodmans Yard. then down to the Wapping ornamental canal, Shadwell, the riverside, Narrow St and then took another wrong turn to end up walking around West India Quay DLR with the bike and some difficulty. Came back via a more direct route along Cable St (partly contraflow cycle lane, partly on-pavement cycle lane), through the City to Fleet St (got lost again around Fenchurch St & later was following motor vehicle signs and almost ended up on the Victoria Embankment which I didn't want to), Welcome to the club! I usually have a really hard time getting from the City onto High Holborn, or in fact getting across the city in any direction; i'm glad it's so small! I once, coming out of Smithfield and aiming for work (UCL, Eustonish) ended up going down the Farringdon Road, and by the time i realised, didn't really have any choice except to carry on over Blackfriars Bridge (this was after the accident, i think), head along the south bank and go back over Waterloo bridge, then up through the west end to work. This was all because i'd agreed to go and pick something up from Charterhouse Square for a friend; the same friend, in fact, who i had to traverse Old Street and Aldgate to go and visit. She doesn't live in London any more, which, frankly, is something of a relief! then straight along to Trafalgar Square. I wasn't brave enough to cycle across the Square; afterwards I went up The Mall, Constitution Hill and back along the South Carriage Drive. The experience was generally very good (although it was a Sunday!) and would have encouraged me to cycle more in London. Unfortunately right after finishing the ride, my bike got nicked, so that put me off again... That must have been rather irritating. Still, an old saying about falling off horses springs to mind! I try hard enough not to fall off my bike, let alone worrying about falling off horses! -- Dave Arquati Imperial College, SW7 www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London |
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