wrong way riding in London?
 

Yikes! :eek:

I wonder how this is going to work out.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/e...on/7435326.stm

Cyclists allowed 'wrong way' ride

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...ycling_226.jpg

A central London borough is to allow cyclists to ride the wrong way along a number of one-way streets.


Kensington and Chelsea Council is to introduce the idea on six residential roads in a trial in the autumn.
New signs will advise cyclists where they can cut through in order to avoid the route taken by vehicles. There will be no separate path for the cyclists.
The proposal has been met with criticism from drivers who said convenience is being put before safety.

'Convenience before safety'

Councillor Daniel Moylan said: "Bicyclists feel they are offered very little in terms of safety and convenience.
"I hope that our trial will encourage other boroughs and that as a result bicyclists will be much freer to travel around."
Bob Oddy, from London Taxi Drivers Association, criticised the plan saying: "Convenience shouldn't come before safety.
"Lets keep the cyclists doing what they should be doing conforming with all the regulations, not just one-way streets, the red traffic lights and everything else."
But Tony Bogdanowicz, from London Cycling Campaign, disagreed. He said: "I think that this will reduce danger to the cyclists who are currently being forced to use major roads when they be could using the small streets."

Planned routes

The trial is due to take place on Gilston Road; Holland Street, between Kensington Church Street and Hornton Street; Hollywood Road; Old Court Place, by Kensington Church Street; Thackeray Street; and Victoria Grove, between Victoria Road and Launceston Place.
Holland Street, Old Court Place and Thackeray Street will be the first streets which will allow cyclists to travel in the opposite direction to the main traffic flow.
The others, which require physical works for a contra flow, will follow later.
Council leaders devised the plan after meetings with the lobby groups Cycling England, the Cycle Touring Club and the London Cycling Campaign.
The council has agreed other measures to facilitate cycling including turning under-used pay and display car bays over to bicycle stands.

Contraflow cycling makes every intersection a major hazard.

fixed.

Works really well in Italy, they have signs on lots of one way streets saying that bicycles, mopeds & motor scooters are allowed to travel both directions. Of course, people are accustomed to a certain level of anarchy when driving in Italy.

There are several streets in Madison with contra-flow bike lanes. Most are not physically separated unlike the one on University. It can and does work very well when the contra-flow travel was well thought out. On a low traffic one way street, it can be a real godsend. And it's not like downtown has a shortage of those...

There are also contra-flow areas that work very very badly. One of the streets that pairs with University for car traffic has a contra flow lane that is not separated. At least I *think* it's a contra flow lane. The markings are unclear, and it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to have bike lanes on both sides of a one way street that are both in normal travel direction. The standard Madison bike lane marker is a simple diamond, so it doesn't provide directional cues. And no median strip means it is legal for a left turning vehicle to take the lane (this is due to some oddities intended to minimize right hooks - a driver making a turn is supposed to get as close to the curb as practicable).

If Madison were consistent and had a flat rule that all streets are two way for bikes, the grid would be more comprehensible. Right now, most cyclists can figure out University, but other contra-flow lanes can be a great place to people watch to see how understandable a facility is. Often, the answer is "not very". The contra-flow bike lane through Villas Park is a great example. You'll see joggers, wrong way cyclists, pedestrians, kids playing chicken, and a lot of frustrated cyclists going the right direction. You'll also see wrong way cyclists in the main travel lane on occasion.

Given the high confusion factor of a contra-flow bike lane, I'm not a huge fan. It's taken decades for there to be a large enough pool of cyclists that the University contra-flow lane works *well*.

They have to do something as people have to pay the 10pounds a day for there car. this would make bicycling a more desireable alternative. to a london commuter.

They have several around here: some with markings, some without (ie, just a narrow-ish road), mostly short or low-traffic roads.

I have no problem with them.