How well does Vauxhall Cross function?

Last November John McNulty, TfL's Head of Interchange, spoke to Future Vauxhall about remaking Vauxhall - a key transport interchange. One of the points Mr McNulty was keen to make is that TfL considers Vauxhall 'functions well in traffic terms'.

Today I learnt that Vauxhall Cross (red circle on TfL's map below) is TfL's top priority node in Lambeth on the basis of 'Sites with the highest collision rate when compared to the average for Central' (presumably inner London). In the 36 months to December 2010 there have been 43 collisions, with seven killed or seriously injured.

Job Creation the NHS way

'Please Give Blood' is the appeal on the back of this NHS van (MK59 LZU) parked on Tooley Street outside London Bridge Station with its hazard warning lights on shortly before 4pm today, enticing cyclists to nip out into the general traffic lane.

The van's in the mandatory cycle lane ('You MUST NOT drive or park in a cycle lane marked by a solid white line during its times of operation' - Highway Code 140) on a red route marked with double red lines ('no parking at any time').

There is no driver in the van.

It may be that the NHS has special dispensations that permit its vehicles to be parked in such a way as to encourage cyclists to mix it with the lorries and taxis. Even if they do I bet there's somewhere else the van could sensibly be parked at London Bridge that doesn't place the vulnerable road user at risk.

Maybe that's the intent though - the NHS wish to increase the demand for their services by upping the numbers Killed and Seriously Injured while also discouraging others from healthy lifestyle options that put health care professionals out of work?

Belated floral display

I've not been in London much this summer and missed the Festival Hall's floral ride (not to mention the long-awaited changes to Lambeth Bridge's cycle lane, which I haven't yet had cause to visit).

I think I made some amends for missing the floral ride today as I picked up some plants from New Covent Garden Market to deliver to a school down Nine Elms Lane.

 The trailer is laden with plants en-route to the school's baskets, while the pannier is laden with flowers discarded at the market to adorn our house.

Fietshangar arriving in Bonnington Square today

Demand drinking fountains at Waterloo

94,000,000 litres of bottled water are sold in London each year with a clear knock-on effect on traffic volume and pollution that drinking fountains and taps don't have.

Lambeth Council has two planning/development policies for Waterloo Station and area out for consultation, both ending this Friday 22nd July at 5pm and you might consider dropping the council an email, such as the draft below, asking them to build in a requirement for prominent free drinking water fountains/taps to reduce the dependency on bottled water.


The email, with your name and address at the bottom, should be sent to  MTrevethan@lambeth.gov.uk


Please can the Draft Waterloo Area Supplementary Planning Document and the Waterloo Station and Interchange Draft Development Brief be amended to ensure the prominent and abundant provision of freely available drinking water (fountains or taps) within Waterloo to reduce the traffic, waste, pollution and expense associated with bottled water. It is appalling that Waterloo Station has no public water fountains/taps, given the number of tourists and commuters passing through. Equally the entire South Bank appears to have no working water fountains/taps for public use. Please build in a condition that these taps are not hidden away but are positioned and promoted to the standard that the bottled water manufacturers and retailers achieve.

Guerilla Signage on Horse Guards Road

 or the Big Society in action? I doubt they'll withstand the rain but at least it's a temporary fix.

Sh! There's a cycle lane on Horse Guards Road

The radio presenter woke me up this morning with a reminder that Horse Guards Road is shut as of today. The Royal Parks Agency hadn't let me know the results of their attempt to find a way to retain cycling and the road certainly looked shut:

But those who ignore road signs are rewarded here as it turns out that provision has been made by the Royal Parks for cyclists. I'm delighted, firstly, that the Royal Parks have taken on board the logic of facilitating cyclists and, secondly, that they've found a way to do so. I'm sure that in time they'll sort out the approach signage too. You never know, we may even hear radio presenters reporting, "XYZ Road is closed to motor traffic but not cyclists."