Cs9 London - is it a good thing?

[Tigerrr]

CS9 is a TFL initiative to improve cycle connections in London going westwards. It includes a section along Ghiswick High Road that is being opposed by many locals. CHR is a traffic hellhole of jams and pollution caused mainly by private cars, and my initial reaction is to support anything which could improve cycling and hamper stinky cardriving.
But that may be because I am a cyclist, and I simply support cycling initiatives.
The Chiswick W4 forum is full of vehement opposition and a lot of it seems basic cycle hate - RLJ/pavement riding etc. But I would like to know what folk here think of CS initiatives and if they are indeed good for cycling and the community in general.

[telstarbox]

It completely depends on the implementation. Quietway 1 (quiet residential streets) and CS3 (two way cycle track) generally work well. CS2 through Whitechapel is a mess (countless conflict points with the side roads) and there I stick to the main road.

Q1 in particular is very well used every time I go that way and didn't require major reconfiguration to put in place.

[Ham]

My view of the CS system has changed radically since their inception from vaguely anti/didn't care into a supporter; from what I can see, every implementation provides a way for cyclists to get safely through London. As I suspected originally, using them is slower than the road, but that's fine.

CS2 through Whitechapel is a mess (countless conflict points with the side roads) and there I stick to the main road.

You're at liberty to use the road (and if you are going to ride at speed, please do) but is what way can you fairly describe CS2 as a "mess"? I've been riding that stretch for 30 years or more and until the CS2 was installed I couldn't even imagine being able to cycle safely through there, whatever measures I tool for my own safety. The price I pay is to have to slow down, and possibly extend my journey time by as much as, oooo, 90 seconds. Those side roads are there and aren't going away, sometimes in traffic you may have to contend with cars pushing their way out so again a little slower (possibly), but universally cars normally respect the stop line behind the cycle lane. Moreover, by now they even look out for cyclists.

[Kim]

From Another City, I'm strongly for That London building as much infrastructure as possible.  That way we get to point to the good stuff and tell the council that's what we want (without mentioning the Netherlands, which is full of FOREIGNS and therefore an invalid model), and the rubbish can be ignored in the usual way.

We've had some success with this approach, in as much as they seem to have stopped wasting money on magic paint that serves only to make overtaking motorists leave less room.  As for actually building decent segregated infrastructure, they're currently having a consultation about buying a spade, and expect a legal challenge.  CS9 works as a model for this, too.

[Joe.B]

I agree whole heartedly with the above: I'm not too concerned whether or not London gets its cycle infastructure spot on perfect, I'm just happy that that the money is being spent and something is being built because eventually the idea that cycle infastructure is a good thing will filter down to the rest of the uk. That said i thought the same thing about congestion charging and that hasn't spread elsewhere yet.