Cyclist deaths in London/Cycle Superhighway 2 (CS2)

This is very worrying. I only share road with cars from Upton up to the farm and I do not feel safe at all there.

I personally am not a fan of segregated cycle paths and always choose the road whether in a major city or locally. I do not think that “cycle superhighways” are the sole answer and the day am I forced off the road onto such paths will be the day I stop cycling.

I believe better driver training and awareness and cyclist competence are the answer. Whilst I have no knowledge of the cause of any of these incidents I see so many cyclists shoot red lights, go the wrong way down one way streets, meander all over the rode and ride up the inside of articulated lorries. Equally motorists frequently overtake cyclists leaving insufficient space or at the last minute/prior to turning left.

ianc – I agree. There is dangerous behavior on both sides. I would never advocate forcing cyclists off the road (except motorways and perhaps dual carriageways in some cases), but I do think well designed segregated lanes are the answer. But they do have to have priority over side roads, have well designed junctions and be wide enough for cyclists to overtake each other. An example I think comes close to this is torrington place in London (http://goo.gl/maps/gNLRG). The path has to be designed in such a way that it is never slower to use it, only then will the majority of cyclists switch to it (hence one of the problems with the bow roundabout).

London currently Averages one cyclist death every 4 weeks so, whilst sad, this is unfortunately par for the course in London. Until local government provides better, well thought out, joined up cycling infrastructure; drivers become more cyclist aware; and cyclists reduce the level of risk they are willing to take (red-light jumping, poor visibility, wrong way down one way streets, undertaking HGVS) little is likely to change.