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London cyclists welcome Blackfriars Bridge anti-terror barriers - but will giant bollards cause rush-hour bottlenecks?

Route of hugely popular North-South Superhighway had extra security measures installed overnight

Security barriers have been installed overnight on London’s Blackfriars Bridge to prevent terrorists from using the North-South Cycle Superhighway to drive onto the footway and attack the public. But while cyclists appreciate the extra protection they afford when riding across the bridge, there are concerns that the position of ones at each end may cause bottlenecks during rush hour on what has become a hugely popular cycle route since it opened last year.

Since Saturday evening’s attack which claimed eight lives and left dozens injured as three terrorists – later shot dead by police – crashed a van into people walking on London Bridge then stabbed other victims in nearby Borough Market, security barriers have been rushed into place on several bridges across the Thames.

> Concern among London cyclists as anti-terrorism barriers on bridges take space from cycle lanes

In some places, barriers running the length of the bridge, have been placed on cycle lanes and campaign groups say that while they understand the need to protect pedestrians in the wake of the London Bridge attack and a similar one on Westminster Bridge in March, it should not be at the expense of rider safety.

The issue at Blackfriars Bridge is different, however. The concrete and steel barriers run between the main carriageway and the Cycle Superhighway – and therefore afford cyclists more protection than previously.

Instead it is the huge metal and concrete bollards at each end - similar to those that have been installed in locations such as Westminster and Buckingham Palace - that are the focus of concern. Here’s the ones at the southern end of the bridge – as you can see, whereas previously people could ride two abreast in both directions, now there is only room for single file.

The position of the barriers at the south end at least lets cyclists travelling in opposite directions pass each other – the ones at the north end, however, don’t and there are calls for them to be repositioned.

In November, a Transport for London report revealed that nearly 5,000 cyclists – one every two seconds – were using the North-South Cycle Superhighway on Blackfriars Bridge, and it’s likely the installation of the barriers will impede some of that flow and lead to a bottleneck, particularly at the northern end.

> Massive increase in cycling on London's Cycle Superhighways

And as one of the pictures here shows, the positioning of the barriers there meant that a cyclist travelling southbound was forced to go up on the kerb to get around them.

On Sunday night, the Metropolitan Police installed barriers on Lambeth, Waterloo and Westminster Bridges, followed by London Bridge on Tuesday, but it is only at Blackfriars that the barriers run outside the cycle lane.

In some places, they have reduced the width of cycle lanes, and London Cycling Campaign and Cycling UK are in discussions with Transport for London (TfL) and other bodies about how best to protect cyclists given the new security measures.

> TfL says it is working to ensure anti-terrorism barriers on London bridges affect cyclists as little as possible

TfL has said: “The Met has installed barriers to increase security on London’s busiest bridges. We are working with them to ensure that these barriers affect cyclists as little as possible, while ensuring the security of all road users.”

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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17 comments

Avatar
skull-collector... | 6 years ago
1 like

this is what they want, do fuck up the infra

Avatar
BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
2 likes

This is totally insane, it's like giving a three year old carte blanche to come up with an idea on how not to get burnt by an open fire and they make a fireguard out of chocolate.

pointless and dangerous.

Cretins the lot of them, utterly irrational and illogical decision making. I feel sorry for people in London, not particularly for the acts of violence but for having to put up with twats that resolve problems with this!!

 

Avatar
emishi55 | 6 years ago
3 likes

but will giant bollards cause rush-hour bottlenecks?

 

YES.

Yes they will. The lanes are already a victim of their own success - cyclists are already backed up almost as far as the previous junction but as per usual the voices inside the heads of those who should be listening to reason say otherwise.

Wasnt  here supposed to be a mayoral commissioner to do something on behalf of cyclist in the capital?

It took an entire year it took for Sadik to select 'the right person'.

Is there anyone  pointing out what cyclists in London need to TfL? (clue - it's stark staringly obvious).

Is there anyone pointing out to the authorities that cyclists actually could do with LESS impediments to cycling not more?

 

Is there any evidence that the new commissioner for placating those cocooned in climate-change-inducing,

carcinogenic cages, will use his degree in anthropology and background in sportswear to getting to grips with that elephant in te room problem that recently just got a whole lot bigger?

 

(You know Will, I disagree with you on the 'Quietways' as well BTW).

 

 

 

Avatar
dodgy | 6 years ago
5 likes

This doesn't make a lot of sense to me, at least. Hundreds of thousands of roads across Europe, many thousands of them running next to high density of vulnerable pedestrians, are they going to put these things on every road?

 

All they'll do is push the nutters to another road that hasn't had the barriers installed?

Avatar
ChrisB200SX | 6 years ago
4 likes

Surely, banning motorised vehicles was an option?

Avatar
Dnnnnnn replied to ChrisB200SX | 6 years ago
0 likes
ChrisB200SX wrote:

Surely, banning motorised vehicles was an option?

You mean buses and freight vehicles?

Avatar
emishi55 replied to Dnnnnnn | 6 years ago
0 likes
Duncann wrote:
ChrisB200SX wrote:

Surely, banning motorised vehicles was an option?

You mean buses and freight vehicles?

 

No I think ChrisB200SX means ALL motor vehicles. 

Avatar
Crippledbiker | 6 years ago
5 likes

I don't fit between these at all on one end, and I can't even dismount, so I'm forced to cycle in the road or on the pavement here.

Avatar
DrG82 replied to Crippledbiker | 6 years ago
1 like
Crippledbiker wrote:

I don't fit between these at all on one end, and I can't even dismount, so I'm forced to cycle in the road or on the pavement here.

That sucks, What's the access like for pedestrians in chairs or pushing buggies? Could you use the pavement? Not ideal by a long way I know but maybe better that fighting with cars.

 

Avatar
Crippledbiker replied to DrG82 | 6 years ago
1 like
DrG82 wrote:
Crippledbiker wrote:

I don't fit between these at all on one end, and I can't even dismount, so I'm forced to cycle in the road or on the pavement here.

That sucks, What's the access like for pedestrians in chairs or pushing buggies? Could you use the pavement? Not ideal by a long way I know but maybe better that fighting with cars.

 

I've just been bypassing it and going down to Westminster Bridge to cross; I'm headed to Waterloo if I'm crossing here, and I've actually found this to be a less stressful, if longer, route, so, Uh...

Legally it's a bit unclear as to whether or not I'm allowed on the pavement. I'm technically still a category 1 invalid carriage, so a pedestrian ( no speed limits, access restrictions etc) but it's... Iffy.

Avatar
danthomascyclist | 6 years ago
10 likes

And now key parts of London's infrastructure are impaired.

 

Terrorists win.

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nniff | 6 years ago
2 likes

They've got the northern side wrong - bowled merrily through the southern ones this morning, and then met the tail-back for the northern ones - they're a bit too close together.  Just a bit of fine-tuning needed, as above.

Avatar
StuInNorway | 6 years ago
4 likes

Easily fixed,  stagger them slightly, to allow better flow for cyclists without opening th egaps wide enough to get a car through. If they had a pair of the "twins" (2 connected blocks) on either side of the route, encroaching on the lanes, but not totally blocking then, then a single one further forward on the centre divide for the cycle lane, if could allow free flow without letting cars through.
A gap of 1.5m between blocks should stop most motor vehicles and I can't REALLY see a terrorist using a Renault Twizy in an attack, as pedestrians would simply tip it over.

Avatar
dawguk | 6 years ago
0 likes

"Chaos" - Get a flippin' grip mate.

Avatar
dodpeters | 6 years ago
10 likes

Because limiting vehicular access is utterly unthinkable...

Avatar
Dnnnnnn replied to dodpeters | 6 years ago
0 likes
dodpeters wrote:

Because limiting vehicular access is utterly unthinkable...

What do you mean by limiting? There aren't many private cars coming into central London in peak hours (when cyclist and pedestrians are most prevalent, especially on some of the bridges), so you're looking at buses, freight vehicles and taxis.

Avatar
emishi55 replied to Dnnnnnn | 6 years ago
0 likes
Duncann wrote:
dodpeters wrote:

Because limiting vehicular access is utterly unthinkable...

What do you mean by limiting? There aren't many private cars coming into central London in peak hours (when cyclist and pedestrians are most prevalent, especially on some of the bridges), so you're looking at buses, freight vehicles and taxis.

 

 

You'll be able to provde some evidence for your claim then....

 

Perhaps you should look at the figures:

24/7 data: Car, Taxi, PHV entering Central London for a whole calendar week April 2017

 

Remembering also how much of that freight is 'absolutely essential' or cannot be delivered by an alternative means/route.  

Other solutions for excessive volumes of freight and PHVs:  

• Cap PHVs and Taxis while encouraging and incentivise cargo bike light delivery. 

• Create transit permits for delivery, freight and contractor vehicles by journey, based on size and environmental impact in central London

 

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