On Saturday I paid a visit to the location of the cycling fatality which occurred on 12 June, to try and see if there were any clues as to what happened. The site yielded no insights whatsoever, though I did spot some unrelated issues of interest to this blog. Traffic conditions on a Saturday here are doubtless very different to what they are early on a Friday evening.
(Below) The fatal collision evidently occurred at a point between the junction with Ely Place, in the left foreground, and the first junction on the right (between the two office blocks), Shoe Lane. The building in the distance with the green cupolas is Smithfield Market. I was expecting to see at least a couple of Fatal Collision signs at the site, with a request for help, and was surprised not to see any.
On the basis of the few scraps of information released so far, it is impossible to work out what combination of circumstances led to a cyclist being killed on this stretch of road.
(Below) Holborn Circus, looking east. The cycle markings are presumably for the benefit of cyclists heading towards Holborn Viaduct, and lead in a straight line to... a kerb.
(Below) Poor design forces large vehicles into the start of the cycle lane on Charterhouse Street.
(Below) While I was taking pics, a motorcyclist came along and parked himself in the ASL.
(Below) And what should I encounter on Holborn, just the other side of Holborn Circus - another lawless Loomis lout! This driver was reversing, all four wheels on the pavement, across the blind exit to a cycle lane. Brilliant.
