Wandsworth Council unveils shortlisted designs for new cycling and pedestrian bridge across Thames

All the designs are disappointingly lacking in trees, shrubs and decking.

Lots of people are missing the point of the 'diversions'.

They're actually ramps, as there is no room on the embankment to provide the necessary height for ship clearance.

So, yeah, the steps go straight ahead, but if you want to get a wheeled contraption up (think bike or wheelchair...) then a ramp is vital.

Making those over the water is interesting, I think, and would provide good space for views too.

the loops and diversions are integral. They need to get cyclists up to the required height in a very limited space. There's a 150m wide by 10.96m "above ordnance datum" requirement that MUST be clear, for river traffic, and the walls are ~5.8m above ordnance datum with land level another metre below this. As far as I can see separation between the walls is ~230m, with some space available on land each side. Ramps have to be less than 5%. The 6m vertical change needs ramps at least 120m long.

Shorter version: the ramps are not straight because there is not the space for straight ramps. The curved ramps are a function of the constraints, not a fancy design feature.

Incredible that they're "shortlisting" designs that don't work effectively for cycling or pedestrians, when supposedly that's the goal. I wonder how many of those doing the choosing have either ridden a bike or considered what would be best for people using bikes. Quick, direct and convenient are simple objectives that these designs mainly fail on. Copenhagenize has summed it up better than I could:
http://www.copenhagenize.com/2015/03/the-depressing-rise-of-squiggletect...

Another epic fail in the making for the UK (garden bridge anyone?)

A bridge first and foremost is a functional artifice, and it needs to fulfill that function, which is getting cyclists across the river with minimum effort and delay. Anesthetics are important but shouldn't interfere with the bridges primary purpose.
I'm not convinced about the loops and diversions on those bridges. Just get us across the river.

The first design has just steps on the "direct route". To achieve the clearance above the river (a certain height above high tide for a clear span of 150m) a straight, cycleable (max 5%- we're talking every day cycling not mountain goats) simply wasn't possible given the land available each side.

The final design will inevitably ensure that pedestrians have the shortest possible route across. Let's hope that they segregate cyclists and pedestrians effectively. I cycle daily up to the Wandsworth roundabout, then head through Battersea Park and cross on Chelsea Bridge (where I start on the left in the bus lane then need to switch to the right lane to turn right at the end - total chaos)

I welcome a new way to cross the river - it's currently to most dangerous part of my journey (as demonstrated by lots of shouting from WVM this morning when he wanted to go straight on the right-only lane and yelled at me for being on his left and turning right).

Let's hope the wretched Westminster Council doesn't manage to derail this worthwhile scheme for providing useful infrastructure.

The first and last entries look best. Less 'look at me' than the others. Now if we spend the garden bridge money here, we might actually get something useful!