Comments on: London's Olympic cycling routes

By: peter gardner

peter gardner — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:04:10 +0000

The new routes could be easily and cheaply supplement with the canal path routes. The existing canal path routes are overcrowded and need attention to the ruts and bumps but are other wise ready made to get to Stratford without cars and fumes.
The main issue is the narrow points and the bridges where a simple steel platform erected over the water would widen the route to allow simultaneous two way traffic. The canals are barely used by boats and the occasional narrowing of the canal would cause no issues.

By: Tom Turner

Tom Turner — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:24:28 +0000

The old ‘streets’ in the City of London were built for pedestrians and horses, not automobiles, and their scale is much better suited to cycling than are the post-eighteenth century ‘carriageways’ which we now call roads. So it would be a great idea to start by converting the narrow streets in the City to non-automative use. It is amazing how many more cyclists and cycle shops there were in The City in 2008 than in 1998.

BTW: ‘Street’ comes from the Latin stenare (to lay down or pave) and ‘road’ from the Old English rad (raid, riding, hostile incursion). So, being fair, London should have a mix of streets and roads. They should be designed in different ways and managed by different agencies.

By: henry

henry — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:56:39 +0000

Absolutely. Safe, beautiful, direct AND dedicated!

The roads were built for cars, so what do people try to get around with?.. cars. And what happens when everyone buys cars?.. we need more roads. Its a vicious circle that in my mind can only be stopped before it starts by designing the roads for bicycles in the first place.

You can’t change the London road network all at once but I’d like to see a stab at a serious conversion trial..

Large sections of the Old Kent Road are 3 lanes in each direction! I would love to see one of these lanes dedicated to bicycles. A lane not seperated from cars with green paint, but with a wall not even a bendy bus could get though!

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=new+kent+road&sll=51.478912,-0.055031&sspn=0.000892,0.002674&ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=51.483995,-0.066122&spn=0.000892,0.002674&z=19