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Plans unveiled to rip out three of London's most dangerous roundaboutsLambeth Bridge North before and after (source TfL).gif

Plans unveiled to rip out three of London's most dangerous roundabouts

Transport for London opens consultation on proposed safety improvements at Lambeth Bridge and Waterloo
by Simon_MacMichael
Mon, Jun 26, 2017 18:24
9

Transport for London has unveiled plans to rip out roundabouts at what the city’s cycling and walking commissioner, Will Norman, describes as three of the most “intimidating junctions in the capital for pedestrians and cyclists.

The locations in question are the IMAX roundabout at the southern end of Waterloo Bridge, and the roundabouts at either end of Lambeth Bridge.

That includes the one at the northern end of Lambeth Bridge, where Moira Gemmill lost her life in 2015 when she was crushed by a tipper truck and which was named earlier this year as the most dangerous junction in Britain for cyclists.

We revealed in April that the three junctions, along with the King’s Cross Gyratory, were scheduled for improvement, with consultation planned for the summer, and now launched following today’s announcement (see here for Waterloo and here for Lambeth).​

> London's most dangerous junctions scheduled for improvement

Potential changes unveiled for Lambeth Bridge North at the end of last year were rejected after cycling campaigners raised concerns that they would make the situation more dangerous than it already was for people on bikes.

Under the plans revealed today, the roundabouts at either end of Lambeth Bridge are now set to be removed and replaced with a crossroads layout, together with signalised pedestrian crossings and segregated cycle bypasses as well as two-stage right-turns for cyclists.

Lambeth Bridge South before and after (source TfL).gif

Lambeth Bridge South (source TfL)

It is also proposed that there be segregated cycle lanes running along either side of the bridge itself.

Meanwhile, at Waterloo, where cyclists made up 40 per cent of traffic according to data from 2013, the IMAX Cinema, currently isolated in the middle of the roundabout, is now planned to occupy a peninsula site, creating a new public space, and with segregated cycle lanes running around it.

Waterloo IMAX (source TfL).jpeg

Waterloo IMAX roundabout  (source TfL)

Norman said: “Our plans for Lambeth Bridge and Waterloo will make a real difference to these intimidating junctions.

“They will be completely transformed to make the areas safer and more pleasant to travel through, and will link cyclists up to our wider cycle network.

“It’s a great example of our work to improve London’s most dangerous junctions and create people-friendly streets across the city,” he added.

With barriers introduced on a number of Thames crossings in the capital following the recent terrorist attacks at Westminster Bridge and London Bridge, Transport for London added: “The Metropolitan Police Service has installed barriers to increase security on London’s busiest bridges.

“Our proposals will aim to ensure that the security of all road users is maintained in the future.”

Both consultations run until 20 October 2017, with work on Lambeth Bridge potentially starting next year and at Waterloo in 2019.

Lambeth Bridge
Waterloo
Will Norman
TFL
Safer Junctions
Simon MacMichael

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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9 comments

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burtthebike | 7 years ago
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While modifying the roads to make them safer for cyclists and pedestrians is most welcome, it begs the question: why weren't they safe in the first place?

This is just typical of the British approach to building roads.  Build it first, ignoring vulnerable road users as irrelevant and inconsequential, ignoring all the government and other advice about them, and ignoring any comments or protests by them.  Then when a few inconsiderately get themselves killed, re-engineer everything at vast cost, all of which could and should have been avoided by following best practice in the first place.

Unfortunately, road designers appear to be impervious to learning from experience, and this situation is still occuring today with no sign of the powers that be recognising their incredible incompetence.  I've lost count of the number of road schemes I've commented on, showing that the local authority aren't even following their own policies, for absolutely nothing to happen.  Except one case where they put a in couple of dropped kerbs which made no difference to the scheme whatsoever, but they did lead to cyclist/pedestrian conflict on the 1m wide path.

 

Avatar
P3t3 | 7 years ago
1 like

AAARGH!  Why are they making such a mess of this stuff?

It looks like they are planning on implelmenting 2-stage right turns FFS!??  They haven't even put the build-out islands to protect cyclists doing the 2-stage right turn, is this a joke? 

Why even bother with outdated solutions like this when the similtaneous green junction would be far superior?  At least get the outdated solution right!

Avatar
zanf | 7 years ago
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Theres quite a few things about the Lambeth one so I'll be adding lots of comments to the consultation.

For instance, on Horseferry Road (Lambeth Bridge North section), there is a bus stop between Thorney St and Dean Ryle St [this streetview is looking north along Horseferry road] so cyclists will come off the junction and have a bus potentially crossing their path to get to the stop. Nothing in the plans about a floating bus stop.

The roundabout on the south side of the bridge is nasty because of the continuous red light jumping that goes on, so I cant see how changing this to a straight cross junction will eliminate that. Only increase the speeds people will be travelling at.

Will have to sit down this evening and properly go over these.

 

Avatar
DaveE128 | 7 years ago
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https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/roads/2aa2ea12/user_uploads/drawing-4--...

Geometry of the cycle bypass from Lambeth Bridge to Lambeth Palace Road looks utterly ridiculous! 2

Avatar
DaveE128 | 7 years ago
1 like

Looks like bits of the city are slowly being reclaimed from machines for people! 1

Bit baffled why in the bottom right of the Lambeth South image, it's a paint line not a kerb seperating the cycle lane - especially as the arrows on the road suggest lanes may be merging which could lead aggressive MGIF drivers to encroach on the cycle lane. 2

Looking at the drawings, there are some oddities:

https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/roads/16ba6fd7/user_uploads/drawing-2--...

Check out that bus and cycle slip road - I don't fancy being in the cycle lane going straight ahead here when a bus is turning left! :-o

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OldRidgeback | 7 years ago
2 likes

Improving the Waterloo Bridge roundabout would be a plus. I go that way regularly and it's not very pleasant.

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Grahamd | 7 years ago
2 likes

They will undoubtedly find a newt that stops the project, after all newts are protected unlike cyclists.

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emishi55 | 7 years ago
2 likes

Good news but...

       “Our proposals will aim to ensure that the security of all road users is maintained in the future.”

LCC made its views on the Lambeth Bridge roundabout very clear a few years ago.

      Both consultations run until 20 October 2017, with work on Lambeth Bridge potentially starting next year...

Shouldn't work be starting on this (and most roundabouts across the capital - I can't think of many where this excellent 'peninsula' with bike lanes idea would not be a vast improvement and means of getting people onto bikes) as a matter of URGENCY?

      Ensuring that "the security of all road users is maintained" ....

I think  that the sooner the 'appeasement-of-the-motorist' speak is dropped, the sooner the measures can be put in. Heads have been been banged against brick walls for a long time now.

 

Avatar
brooksby | 7 years ago
9 likes

But have they consulted with the most vulnerable road users? I mean: how will these changes impact upon the taxi drivers??

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