This innovative Early Start was a temporary safety measure by TfL. They are seeking to introduce the same facility post-Olympics to the west-bound exit (i.e., out of Stratfrod High Street where Svetlana Tereschenko was killed). In the longer term the whole junction needs a radical redesign.
A previous attempt to get an ASL at west-bound lights foundered on opposition by LB Newham, who are the road authority for the eastern side of the roundabout. An ASL, as the cheapest and quickest solution, was the recommendation of the expert police witness at Svetlana's inquest.
The ES facility will always hold a cyclist on red, either in the feeder lane to the advanced box or in the advanced box (now repainted black). Meanwhile MVs are only held on red when traffic from the right is on the roundabout plus the few secs (forget the exact number) of the 'head start' that cyclists have from the advanced box.
Some cyclists in the feeder lane may think that the can ignore their red light as they are seeing motor traffic moving through on their right onto the roundabout and it may not be clear why they are being held. They then place themselves in danger of being caught by a left-turning vehicle. The bulk of large vehicles are turning north or south at this roundabout, bar the buses.
The issues are clarity and compliance. Hence TfL repainting the blue black, as MVs were entering on their red as they would an ASL - as the penalties for doing that are never enforced. (This was raised with TfL at the first meeting on this project (compliance and enforcement)).
Plus the bus stop problem ...
Tower Hamlets Wheelers, and the LCC office, need monitoring feedback over the next fortnight (at least) from cyclists who are regular users of this route: How clear was the layout when you first used it? What about the positioning of the traffic lights, on approach and at the facility? Did you get the hang of it by the next journey? What was happening around you (MVs/other cyclists)?
No doubt other questions I've forgotten!
Please email gerry&wheelers.org.uk cc charlie@lcc.org.uk
As to the lack of provision of crossings for pedestrians this was the sticking point in the discussion with TfL for Tower Hamlets Wheelers (putting aside whether design of facility did improve cycle safety).
As a borough group we are more than cyclists as we are also residents with communal responsibilities and we had campaigned as such. The driver of the truck that collided with Svetlana could have hit a pedestrian attempting to cross there (he accelerated into his blind spot aware that someone was/had been in the vicinity of his cab; he was chatting to his dad on a hands-free call throughout his journey).
Hope that clarifies a few issues. Please feedback your experiences or pass this request on to colleagues/friends/family who use the route.
Thanks Gerry THW
This post was edited by
gerry@wheelers.org.uk
at
02:59am 11 Jun 2012.
