This is the response, in full, jointly submitted by London Cycling Campaign and Lambeth Cyclists
London Cycling Campaign and Lambeth Cyclists response
to draft
‘Nine Elms on the South Bank – Designing for Cycling’
strategy by TfL
Overall, we commend this as a
hugely encouraging document and one that, in its final form, will hopefully set
a standard for the future of London as it ‘goes Dutch’.
We applaud the use of the
Dutch criteria, the intention to use filtered permeability; segregation where
there are high motor traffic volumes; and the need for the cycle routes to be
direct and efficient, and the provision of a finely grained cycling grid
throughout the area.
Page by page comments are
below, but there are some general points that we would like to raise:
- It has been said that the best cycling policy is
a motor-vehicle policy. This document majors on cycling infrastructure but
is light on detail concerning locations of filtered permeability and
matching vehicle turning locations; taxi stands; loading/unloading bays;
drop off points of passengers by drivers, and location of cycle parking in
relation to car parking by shops. The design needs to ensure that space
intended for fantastic cycling by the widest range of ages is not
subsequently compromised by poor design for essential motoring needs,
while reducing the need for motor vehicle journeys and making cycling the
obvious choice for most journeys.
- There should be a map with local schools showing
how Dutch quality cycle routes will reach them and permit independent
travel.
- Given the length of time before the Northern Line
Extension happens (if it is approved) and the indeterminate time-scale for
completion of an uninterrupted linear park and Thames path, Nine Elms Lane
should be made very cycle friendly as a priority in order to inculcate a
cycling culture as soon as developments come on stream. We recommend
considering making this part of a realigned CS8.
- The policy should be to design for clear
pedestrian and cyclist priority over turning traffic at minor side roads
and building entrances.
- Where
segregated tracks are used alongside a road, great care must be taken to
make turning right using the track as efficient as turning right through
being on the road. Hopefully a resolution will be identified as part of
the revised London Cycling Design Standards with regard to the different rules for turning traffic
that the Netherlands and Denmark have. Signal timings and banning certain
turns for motor traffic may facilitate this.
- An appendix giving details on planning policies
with regard to cycle provision (e.g. cycle parking for visitors) and
motor-traffic reduction, with a statement on their quality in terms of the
‘Go Dutch’ ambition, may be useful.
P5 – ‘Characteristics of
successful cycle routes’
Add to point 2) Directness:
Where traffic lights for cyclists are required, the time on red should be kept
to the minimum. There must not be more green time for road users than cycle
path users.
P8 – ‘Initial Observations’
Should 2) Secondary Roads be
amended to read ‘…well used by adult cyclists’?
Amend point 3 within
Opportunities: Make cycling the easy option, whether adult or child’ for local
journeys to shops, schools, friends and local services
P9 – ‘Diagram of principal
through routes’
Should include Wyvil Road on
secondary routes
P10 ‘Routes – existing’
Pts 1 and 2: CS8 and CS7 –
add ‘not designed to be used by children under 14’
Pt 4 LCN route 37 – amend to very
low quality. The bus lanes however are well used by adult cyclists.
Pt 6 cycle lanes on Vauxhall
Gyratory ‘ Their low quality and time inefficiency compared with being
on-road means they are under-used.
P11 Photo labelled 6: change
under-used to ‘un-advantageous’
P12
1 CS5 – State whether or not
this is designed to be used by under 14s.
3 Thames River Path – This
has provision to be an excellent leisure cycling route, as long as
faster/commuting cyclists are given a route they prefer to use, in order to
avoid pedestrian conflict’
P14 ‘Cycle Parking’
Requirements – add
‘conveniently’ to cyclists needs list
Proposed – is sufficient
cycle parking at grade for visitors and at commercial and retail developments
being designed into developments?
Potential – Extensive secure
and convenient cycle parking provision needs to be designed into proposed
Northern Line Extension stations
P16
An exemplary cycling
network - Amend to include ‘makes
walking or cycling the obvious mode for short journeys’
Objectives – Direct Routes –
amend as on P1
P17
Add to potential options:
CS8 – re-route proposed
alignment of CS8 along Nine Elms Lane and the Albert Embankment
P18 ‘Main Roads’
Treatment, Both
‘Junctions designed to ensure
that cyclists on cycle facilities are not at a time disadvantage to being on
road’
P20 ‘Quietways: Side Roads’
Treatment: 20mph speed limit;
Motor traffic restricted to local access (filtered permeability).
P22 Greenways: Off-road
tracks
Intro: Remove redundant ‘can’
or ‘to’
Characteristics
Coherent paths that are not
linked to each other but seamlessly link to other parts of the cycle network
P24 Treatments – common to all routes
Signposting – Signs should be attractive, incapable of being swung around by wind, vehicles or the mischievous, and readable while on the move
Surfacing - needs to be immediately recognisable as
a place for cycling
P32
Demonstrates requirement to include Wyvil Road within this strategy
P38 ‘B’sea Pk Rd / Nine Elms
Lane’
Make it CS8
Requirements:
Easy right turns onto side
roads
Consider two-way cycle tracks
on each side
P40 ‘Wandsworth Road’
Requirements:
Priority at side roads for
main road cycle tracks
Consider banning certain
turns by motor vehicles
P41 ‘Albert Embankment’
Make it CS8
Review options for stopping
this being a traffic-choked A road, making it an attractive cycle and walking
promenade with cafés etc.
Remove coach parking on river
side of road
P42 ‘Queenstown Rd etc.’
Requirements
Chelsea Bridge Road
Replace Queens Circus with a
cross-roads
P45 ‘Phasing and Delivery’
Every effort should be
expended to making this area cycling friendly from now onwards, whilst
acknowledging that there is a high level of construction activity. To this end
Nine Elms Lane should have Dutch standard cycle provision implemented as
quickly as possible.
In conclusion, we hope that the above comments are constructive and helpful, and again wish to commend TfL on an excellent draft document.