benbecula

This shot shows how short is the gap from the segregated bike lane into the carriageway. (See also #16556 and #16557.)

This shot shows that there is no room for a motor vehicle and a cyclist who has exited the segregated bike lane to be able to pass safely. (See also #16556 and #16558.)

There are no signs to warn cyclists that the segregated bike lane ends suddenly. The lane goes round a corner so you can't see the blockage before you enter into it.
To be able to continue your journey northbound you need to pull into the remaining carriageway. When the lights change there is a constant and relatively fast moving flow of motor vehicles here including artics.
The position of the cyclist shows how narrow the remaining carriageway is. The image was taken on a Saturday - 11.4.09 - so there were gaps in the traffic that enabled me to take this shot. (See also #16557 and #16558.)

This image (taken 11.4.09) shows:
a) the changes to the layout of the northbound carriageways, and
b) the reduction in the bike lane
of Blackfriars Bridge.
Weekdays this bridge is busy. It is well used by cyclists. However there are no signs on the approach warning cyclists that the bike lane has been radically reduced in width.
(See also #16545, #16546 and #16547.)

This shot was taken on Blackfriars Bridge (northbound) on the evening of Good Friday (April 10) 2009 - just two days after a cyclist was killed by an HGV at the Elephant and Castle, approx 2km from here.
There are no signs alerting cyclists to the change in layout. (See also #16553, #16545 and #16546.)
Just over the bridge the segregated bike lane comes to a halt when it is blocked by roadworks. Again there is no warning to cyclists and as the road curves here you cannot see the problem before you get to it.
If you know there is a blockage and you ride in the carriageway with the rest of the traffic you risk being intimidated by other road users who do not know why the bike route is unattractive and who do not respect the cyclist's right to choose what s/he feels is the safest place on the road.

(See also #16545 and #16547.)

Presumably due to works taking place at the northern end of Blackfriars Bridge northbound #16553, the road layout has been reworked. The bike lane has been reduced from around 90 inches to 43 inches and at its narrowest to 30 inches.
In my view this is putting cyclists' lives at risk. The lane is too narrow and should be removed for the duration of the works.

After a cyclist was killed in 2004 on Blackfriars Bridge, the layout was rejigged (read the history of it all here: 209.85.229.132/search)
and cyclists gained a fantastically wide lane all to themselves.
On 10.4.09 I was cycling across the bridge and discovered the width of the bike lane had been halved (see #16553) and it was no longer a mandatory lane but advisory. There were no warning signs alerting cyclists to the changes. If you think from the photo that this is okay see the effect of introducing an HGV (see #16546) and then put a cyclist alongside one (see #16547).

There's lots of cycle parking at the Asda in Stevenage. But the car parking is right in front of it and no gaps have been left for cyclists to get to/from the racks. The only time you can easily get to the store with your empty panniers and back from it with a trolley is if there is a spare car parking space as shown. See also #15590 and #15591.

The Asda in Stevenage is right on the cycle network and there's lots of cycle parking. But when all the car parking spaces in front of the racks are full the only way to get your shopping to your bike is to lift it over the bars. Then there's the problem of how you get to your bike. See also #15590 and #15592.

You can get to the Asda in Stevenage by bike - it's right on the cycle network. And there's lots of cycle parking. But no-one thought how cyclists would get from the cycle parking to the store or how they would get their shopping to their bikes so no spaces were left between the car spaces. See also #15591 and #15592.

St Mary's Churchyard, which re-opened in May 2008, is the first part of the regeneration of the Elephant and Castle. An underused green space was landscaped, a children's playground was put in and three cycle racks were installed (see #14036). Local cyclists called them "cricket stumps" saying they were not fit for purpose. (They did not enable both wheels to be locked to the rack or support a bike. Additionally they had been installed in a line rather than parallel, which further reduced their usefulness.) After complaints from the local cycling campaign - Southwark Cyclists - www.southwarkcyclists.org.uk the original racks were removed and replaced by these four smart Sheffields in early November 2008.

On some City roads, cyclists make up 27% of the traffic at peak commuting times. Cycle parking in the Square Mile is in terribly short supply despite new racks being added in 2008. Most of the buildings in Austin Friars have railings round them. However, the railings have signs warning that bikes attached to them will be removed. The shortage of cycle parking has got so bad in the past few months (autumn 08) that people are now 'stacking' them on the one set of railings without notices. The owners of the top bikes must be much taller than me.

Cycle hoop.

Anthony is a trainee architect who is also a cyclist. And a cyclist who has had a bike stolen by thieves who lifted it off the top of the pole he had 'secured' it to.
Anthony has subsequently designed the Cyclehoop www.cyclehoop.com/

See #14487.

Cyclehoops are designed to be installed on street furniture. Designer Anthony Lau says this reduces street clutter by using existing structures rather than adding more and makes installing them fast - Anthony says he can put in 20 in a day.

See #14488 for a picture of the hoop in use.

Same facility, different view.
Worried about that bent rack though. Can this be prevented? Perhaps by putting in planters? But planners don't like these because people use them as litter bins...

One car space or four bike stands. Would work on Bateman Street or in Romsey town.

Practical use of a Gormley:
www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2007/05/03/gormley_london_figures_feature.shtml