Lewisham Cyclists: Special Guest, Andrew Gilligan

[hairybuddha]

For those interested in that kind of thing, the Mayor's Cycling Commissioner Andrew Gilligan will be appearing at Lewisham Cyclists monthly meeting this evening in Lewisham town hall. The meeting will kick-off at 1830 and most of the usual business has been set aside to hopefully give a good 90-120 minutes for a discussion and Q+A.

More info here: http://lewishamcyclists.co.uk/

Not only do we live in a city that is being left behind by the rest of the world in terms of cycling provision, we also live in a borough that is among the very worst in London for getting about by bike. So a good opportunity to hear what those in charge at the centre have to say. Whatever your opinion of Gilligan, he is an engaging speaker and isn't afraid to criticise publicly Borough leaders when deserved. Which, in the case of Lewisham, it most definitely is.

So come along, you might even get a biscuit if you're lucky!

[Tim Lund]

One of several good things at the Perry Vale Assembly meeting last night was a presentation from Lewisham's officer responsible for air quality, Dave Trew, in which he mentioned the need to promote cycling, and hoped that future road redeigned would be more cycle-friendly. Here's a link to the 2011 Air Quality Progress report, and here's what it says about cycling:

• Focus: Encourage cycling instead of use of motor vehicles through improvements to infrastructure and security.
• Indicator: Trends in modal shifts within LBL – Proportion of journeys made by bike; No. of people receiving cycle training; No. Of Council staff taking up Bike Loan Scheme.
• Progress in last 12 months: Maps of cycle routes and cycle parking facilities available on Council website. Lewisham is part of the Sky Ride campaign, aiming to get one million more people riding a bike by 2013. LB Lewisham were shortlisted for the Best Cycle Facility in the London Cycling Awards 2010 for the improvements along Ravensbourne Greenway. 730 children children received cycle training and 200 cycle lessons delivered to adults. A total of 107 people were trained in the Council run Cycle Maintenance classes. 81 staff benefitted from the Cyclescheme and 9 staff took advantage of the
  Bike Loan scheme.

I've no doubt they could do better, but should we at least encourage them

[hairybuddha]

Thanks Tim. Actually I disagree. If their objective is:

Encourage cycling instead of use of motor vehicles

Then none of this

Maps of cycle routes and cycle parking facilities available on Council website. Lewisham is part of the Sky Ride campaign, aiming to get one million more people riding a bike by 2013. LB Lewisham were shortlisted for the Best Cycle Facility in the London Cycling Awards 2010 for the improvements along Ravensbourne Greenway. 730 children children received cycle training and 200 cycle lessons delivered to adults. A total of 107 people were trained in the Council run Cycle Maintenance classes. 81 staff benefitted from the Cyclescheme and 9 staff took advantage of the
Bike Loan scheme.

Will have made any difference because they forgot about this:

infrastructure

Lewisham have done some nice things for leisure cyclists (like the Waterlink Way), but they have utterly failed to deliver anything for cycling as a serious mode of transport.

They refuse to do anything with Bell Green. They have for 3 months now been using the Thurston Rd cycle track to store building materials (and rather than remove them, they have suggested a "cyclists dismount" sign as the solution) and they don't even have the wit to get the cycle and pedestrian crossings phases over the A21 at Molesworth Street to match up.

So, no, they definitely shouldn't be encouraged!

[hairybuddha]

Here's a little infographic that shows LBL's road user hierarchy:



"Encourage Cycling Instead of Use of Motor Vehicles"

[14BradfordRoad]

Good pic HB, makes a good point. Noted the woman having to walk out into the road too!
Wonder what signage or road works guarding was in use here, a pedestrian shouldn't end up in this
dilema unless of course she ignored any warning/diversion signs not caught in pic. Also wonder
just how common this sort of situation is..

[hairybuddha]

I'm afraid it's very common. Most "compulsory" cycle lanes are only protected for certain periods of the day. Otherwise it's a free for all and very handy short term parking.

p.s Gilligan was quite impressive tonight. Some of the plans for Lewisham are good. But mostly fiddling and nothing representing a coherent, safe network. And nothing for Sydenham.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[JRobinson]

unless I'm mistaken - the 59 bus route does not go through Lewisham. It starts at streatham hill, and goes through Brixton, Kennington, Waterloo, and up to Kings Cross.

cross referencing the route with locations for Costa Coffe shops, not being a Red Route, and wide roads with very wide pavements, and cycle lanes etc, gives the actual location of that photo as ... just opposite Lambeth North Tube Station, in Waterloo, loking north east.

anyone making deliveries, that require the kind of vehicle shown, if they're going to be there long enough, should really apply to the local council to make sure that they don't need a temporary road closure, but I'm guessing that it was a short delivery time < 1 hr on site so not necessary. The driver has put up barriers, and the lady has chosen to walk in the road rather than cross to the other side at the light/traffic crossing literally just out of shot nearer to the camera. The white van on the other side shouldn't have stopped there as it's double yellow. Without knowing the details we can't tell if the flat bed lorry driver got permission to park and unload there. We don't know what time of day the photo was taken, etc, etc, etc.

personally I think the road layout there actually works well for cyclists, when other road users are obeying the rules. There is ample room for another traffic lane (maybe even two lanes each way), and the council (Southwark) have made space for cyclists, and only one traffic lane each way. I think it works well, and it's not in Lewisham.

[hairybuddha]

No it's not in Lewisham. And you're spot on about the location, impressive! My intention was to demonstrate how low cyclists and pedestrians are in the pecking order in general.

Would have to disagree about the road working for cyclists though. If protecting cyclists was a genuine priority then there would be a cycle contraflow around the lorry and there is enough space on that road for physical segregation which would make it impossible for the van to park where it is.