London Banter - View Single Post - Anti-bike signs on Bendibuses

Colin Rosenstiel · April 3rd 06, 07:49 AM posted to uk.transport.london

In article ,
(Tom Anderson) wrote:

On Sun, 2 Apr 2006, Colin Rosenstiel wrote:

In article ,
(Tom Anderson) wrote:

On Sun, 2 Apr 2006, Colin Rosenstiel wrote:

In article ,
(Peter Frimberly) wrote:

Arguably anyone cycling along the Euston Road is asking for
trouble, given the bendy buses that use that road and the car
and white vans weaving about all over the place. There are
plenty of much quieter parallel roads to choose from for any
cyclist that values their life, even if a couple more junctions
are involved and it takes a few minuites extra!

Not between King's Cross station and Judd Street.

Now, if Argyle St (I think that's the name) allowed two way
cycling and a cycle route across the Euston Road were signalled
it would be easier but it would be too complicated for Camden to
provide cycling facilities that work in two directions,
apparently.

I think this is going to get a lot better when Midland Road is
reopened - there'll be a route round the back of King's Cross, via
Goods Way / Pancras Road, then Midland Road, then straight across
to Judd Street. This all hinges on Midland Road being two-way, or
at least having a contraflow cycle lane, of course, and i've no
idea if that will be the case.

Not much use unfortunately for people arriving at King's Cross on
trains from Cambridge. As Cambridge is the UK's premier cycling
city there are not a few of us.

I have a cycling friend from Cambridge who occasionally comes down on
the train. We generally meet out the back, Cheney Road, i think it's
called. From there, you get out onto Pancras Road; we normally head
south, and then fight our way along Euston Road, but if Midland Road
was available, we could go north, under the railway on Pancras Road,
and then south into town along Midland Road. It adds a couple of
hundred metres of distance, but takes off a couple of hundred metres
of riding on the Euston Road, so it's a win in my book!

Yes, but the Argyle St option would also be straight across, and onto a
quieter road with a route which isn't a through one for cars. It's also
a better approach _to_ King's Cross apart from the mess on Euston Road
during the works.

I have to say, this whole area is mind-buggeringly awful for
cyclists. Pretty much all the way from Copenhagen Street to
Tavistock Place is badly laid out and in an absolute state. I can
only hope that much of it is to do with the King's Cross works,
and that things will get better soon. Off the top of my head,
things that need doing:
[snip]

I agree it's a mess. Is there any way of talking to anyone in
charge of sorting things out to discuss the needs of bikes? My
worry is that once the pedestrian subways are completed it will
become almost impossible to cross Euston Road to get to and from
King's Cross. Taking away the crossing outside the station
concourse didn't help.

I haven't even a clue who's in charge of the KX project, let alone
how one might go about making representation to them - Network Rail
run the mainline station, TfL run the underground, GNER, Thameslink,
WAGN and Hull Trains have an interest, Union Rail are in charge of
the CTRL-related bits, the streets are Camden council's, except for
the big ones which might be TfL's, various individual buildings are
owned by private property developers, it's a big enough project that
i imagine the GLA, LDA and DfT all have fingers in the pie up to at
least the second knuckle, the work's being carried out by N
contracting firms managed via M consultancies, and i wouldn't be
surprised if the Milk Marketing Board was involved somehow. In fact,
i think the very idea that there *is* anyone in charge might be
erroneous.

Perhaps LTUC would be the people to talk to. Actually, the LCC might
be even better.

That had occurred to me, for just those reasons!

--
Colin Rosenstiel