Until recently this southbound cycle lane was a mandatory cycle lane, protected by a continuous white line. This mandatory lane ran on Hoe Street (A112) from just before the traffic lights at the junction with St Mary Road all the way to First Avenue.
It was an offence to enter the cycle lane in a motor vehicle. Recently the road was resurfaced and re-marked – and the continuous white line was replaced by a dashed white line. Legally, this transforms the cycle lane into an advisory cycle lane, and motorists are quite free to enter it.
The logic behind this change is baffling, since this section of road has ‘no waiting at any time’ double yellow lines running alongside it. Nor does it run alongside shops or homes.
Whatever the reason for it, cycling just got that little bit worse in the London Borough of Waltham Forest.
