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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“I told them to hurry he was going to die. It was really terrible. There were lots of people trying to help him.”
She added: “The lorry driver said he didn’t see him at all but the truck was so big.
Very sad news.
Stated location is a transition into a 20mph zone, which has some but minimal traffic calming therein.
Streetview looks quite old though: https://tinyurl.com/49tpjmb7
RIP. It is absolutely beyond me how those who say central London is too cramped and haphazard to accomodate cycle infrastructure think it's also roomy enough to accomodate HGVs. It just isn't, a total rethink involving out-of-town depots, EV van transfers and hopefully "last mile" cargo bike deliveries is required. For goods that can't be transferred any other way strict restrictions are needed, including a ban on HGVs at rush hour and school times.
If my memory serves me correctly. The local council or Khan did consider doing the same as Germany/NL and ban HGVs rolling through the city during the day a few years ago. I think the debate was triggered by the death of cyclist that had unfortunately lost their life on the holborn gyratory.
Though not really surprising. Just talking about it and doing something about it are two different things but at least the gyratory is having a redesign after so many tragic incidents.
Having commuted to work back and forth in london - even passing through the holborn gyratory regularly since 2015. I consider myself very lucky to still be around though I have had my fair share of hairy moments with SMIDSY's
Yes, the Assembly voted unanimously for a rush hour ban:
https://road.cc/content/news/170531-london-assembly-votes-unanimously-ru...
but when Khan became Mayor it got watered down into banning the most dangerous lorries, providing more cycleways and redesigning junctions, all welcome of course but not enough. The building lobby is tremendously powerful in London and I believe it's their influence, and the knowledge that they have bottomless pits of Qatari and other funds to launch legal challenges, that has been instrumental in not implementing a full ban.
I think planning conditions can dictate when building work, including transport to/from site, takes place - would be interesting to know how it's applied.