Thursday 24 June 2010

A classic ‘Safe Route for Cycling’





























This exemplary piece of cycling infrastructure is featured in Waltham Forest Council’s Cycle Routes in Waltham Forest leaflet, which includes a map and displays photographs of the very best of Waltham Forest’s cycle lanes. It invites readers to ‘Plan Your Own Safe Route to School and Work’. It shows the kind of brilliant design which has made Waltham Forest a living legend.

Sadly there were a couple of problems with this original design. There were no physical barriers preventing drivers from parking on the one-metre wide cycle lane, which they did on a daily basis. There was also the ever-present danger of ‘dooring’. So the cycle lane was moved to the driver’s side of the parking bays, as shown here in this photograph (below) which I took yesterday, on Bike Week day five. As you can see, the improvement for safe cycling is truly remarkable.