Cyclists Banned From Olympic Games Lanes – A Very Bad Idea?
Cyclists have been banned from over 80% of London’s Olympic Games Lanes.
Why? “Safety reasons”.
Yeah.
This decision has worried the Environmental Transport Agency (ETA). They think that, as “safety” measures go, this one could only be more counterproductive if it instead stipulated that only live V2 rockets were allowed around the Olympic site.
Pointing out that over 80% of the Games Lanes are situated outside of traffic queues, the ETA believe the policy to be at odds with national standards for cycle training, not to mention highly dangerous.
Says ETA director Andrew Davis: “Transport planners have wrongly assumed that the best place for bicycles on busy roads is hugging the gutter, but experienced cyclists know that the safest place to overtake slow-moving traffic is down the outside – slap bang where the Games Lanes are.”
Yes, it doesn’t look like they’ve thought this one through.
Cameron’s Britain.
It gets worse. The bus lanes that offer cyclists a valuable refuge from London’s busiest traffic are to be removed on any such roads affected by Games Lanes.
Bloody hell.
Andrew concludes: “With no bus lane to use and the Games Lane a no-go area for bicycles, a busy stretch such as the Marylebone Road will see cyclists forced to jostle for space with cars and lorries”.
The ETA are therefore calling for cyclists to be allowed to use any and all Games Lanes.
Because why not?
Shame on the Olympic Roads Network, I use the Marylebone road everyday on my route from Harrow to Camden so I also encounter the Euston Underpass as well, and I for one will not be riding over drain covers, so unless you drive over me you will have to go around me and you can have the fine instead.
When an accident occurs as I am sure it will then we will be diverted into the Olympic lane and supposedly all fined . . . . . Administration nightmare I see coming. This won’t be the last you’ll be hearing from me on this one, believe!