"Over 100 incidents of abuse and threats"

[spindrift]

Anyone use Narrow Steet in Limehouse? It's a quiet road anyway and I've often been overtaken by a revving driver who then slams the brakes on for the speed bump. What a strange article:

Our street is too narrow for a cycle superhighway | News

Residents living on the route of one of the capital's “cycle superhighways” are threatening to take legal action against transport bosses if it is not moved.

They say that the lane in Narrow Street, in Limehouse — which was the scene of an accident witnessed by Boris Johnson — is a “recipe for disaster”.

More than 500 people have signed a petition calling for cycle superhighway three, known as CS3, which runs from Tower Hill to Barking, to be redirected to avoid Narrow Street, part of which is a conservation area.

[Cudzoziemiec]

"abuse, aggression and speeding since the lane was introduced" but by who against whom?

[spindrift]

The accident referred to was the lorry door flying open because it was secured with a wire coat hanger. It's a bit weird to blame cyclists for that:

Near Miss For Boris Johnson - BikeRadar

[urban_biker]

Perhaps they should just ban motor vehicles from the road. Should help solve any contention issues.

[Cudzoziemiec]

The mayor said: "I did vaguely notice a rather loud crash and there was a bit of debris caused by the car catapulting through the party. It was obvious from the noise that something had gone wrong and when I stopped and turned I could see the debris. Thankfully, no one took a scratch."

In the best British tradition, even if he does have a Ruski name 

[gordon taylor]

More than 500 people have signed a petition calling for cycle superhighway three, known as CS3, which runs from Tower Hill to Barking, to be redirected to avoid Narrow Street, part of which is a conservation area.

It's a worrying development if 500 people would rather have cars than cyclists going past their front doors.

[ScumOfTheRoad]

"Limehouse Community Foundation says it has recorded more than 100 incidents of abuse, aggression and speeding since the lane was introduced."

Jeezus - these twits are accusing cyclists of speeding.
So its all right form Mr BMW-Panzer driver to drive at over the limit, but cyclists are being said to be speeding when there is no speed limit for bikes. Give me strength. When will Mrs and Mrs Nosey-Parker get it into their heads that bikes have no speed limit?
And if the speed limit for motors along there is 30, anyone exceedign it on a bike should get a medal.

[ScumOfTheRoad]

And another point - I live on a street on the other side of the river. This street, and all side streets nearby, have recently been linited to 20mph. Do we see Mrs and Mrs Nosey-Parker bleating on about cars going 30mph plus on this street? Do we heckerslike.
But some pushbikes being directed to take a cobbled street parallel to the busy Highway on the other side? Not on your nelly. Gerouttatheway of my BMW-Panzer.

[her_welshness]

Oh for heaven's sake, the local residents have known for AGES that it was going to be a Boris route.

I have used Narrow Street quite a lot (in fact a lot of the Southwark after-workers go along this street) and it is used by many cyclists. The problem with this road (as spindrift pointed out) is that cars come darting up behind you and expect you to move out of their way pronto  

[EdinburghFixed]

Sounds to me like it might be a good route to collect headcam footage of abusive or dangerous driving, and then ask the driver whether they have signed the petition. If so, you'd have an excellent weapon against it in the video footage (especially if you could somehow spin it in a way the tabloids would enjoy). Toad hall and all that...

[teethgrinder]

Jeezus - these twits are accusing cyclists of speeding.

No. I think it's that they think it's the cyclist's fault that people have to speed so that they can overtake them. When I'm fit. I'll happilly ride at 20-25mph on the flat with no real effort. Some folk get a bit cross when they have to drive so dangerously to get past. Because they have to get past me so that they can get in my way at the next juntion or row of parked cars.

I suppose it's a bit like those that complain about caravans. It's the fault of the caravan driver that they had to drive so dangerously to overtake them.

Or it's the fault of the road. Either too straight or too bendy. It's never the fault of the impatient twit.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I really don't know what the article is trying to say about this particular road, but Teethgrinder's point is certainly true.

[PaulF]

I quite often use that route on my commute - it's generally fairly quiet with few cars or bikes. The only incident that I've experienced was when a jogger ran out into my path.

[Jurek]

I use the route on occasion when I accompany Pippa on her commute. As others have mentioned, it is not a particularly busy street (motor traffic wise).
If memory serves, did the residents not protest a few months ago when the blue paint went down, as it spoiled the appearance of what is a historic street?

[fuzzy]

They are all dyed in the wool Labour or Libearl supporters and are flabberghasted at the apperance of a CONSERVATIVE BLUE stripe down their street

[Pingu]

Over 100 incidents of abuse and threats

How many incidents were there before CS3?

[Pippa]

I use Narrow Street twice daily on my commute.

It is not exactly overloaded with motor vehicle traffic. TBH it is not even that narrow.

But, there are lots of cyclists along there. Even at 6.15am when I am heading towards the city there are lots heading towards the Wharf. There are also lots of joggers. The pavements are narrow so a good portion of the joggers go in the road.

I've never seen a cyclist being aggressive although I have seen cyclists overtaking other cyclists and joggers, such that they are in the oncoming traffic lane.

TBH, cars can't really outpace a cyclist along that stretch of road very easily due to the speed bumps - I can certainly keep pace with cars along that road no problem at all. If they try and keep pace/overtake me on a speed bump I always hear the big "clang" of their vehicle hitting the bump Whether that sits well with motorists - I suspect not.

The other thing that possibly does aggravate the car drivers, and I personally choose not to use this option that is available to me as a cyclist, is the one way system that now has contraflow cycle lanes which saves the cyclist, ooo, about 1 minute of pedalling. It is the bit with Narrow Street and Horseferry Road where CS3 takes the cyclist through a park. I never use it and stick instead to following the route the motorised vehicles have to take. However, with the contraflow lanes it does mean that motorists going down a one way street will have cyclists, often lots, coming towards them. Admittedly they should be able to deal with this, but I can see why that particular stretch of road may irk.

I don't like CS3. It is slippery (has anyone else found this with the blue paint) and ill-thought out in the Narrow Street/Cable Street area. Instead I use the Highway, a fast-moving dual carriageway. I guess that says something about that particular bit of CS3.

But as a popular cycle route to and from Canary Wharf, it has pretty much always existed. I doubt CS3 has actually made that much difference to the volume of bikes.

[Tourist Tony]

Interesting reading the comments on the ES piece. There are complaints about cyclists not keeping both hands on the bars.
So signalling is illegal in Canada?

[spindrift]

Interesting reading the comments on the ES piece. There are complaints about cyclists not keeping both hands on the bars.
So signalling is illegal in Canada?

More comments:

I think perhaps some clarity is need here. As the Chairman of the Limehouse Community Forum, and the quoted person in the article above, I think what needs to be established here is that the residents of Narrow Street (it’s in the name), are defiantly not anti-cycle. What we are is pro-safety.

This particular stretch of CR3 is just badly designed and will cause a fatality or serious accident, the question is not if, just when.

I don’t want to revisit the issue but suffice it to say that Narrow Street, any street finds a balance between pedestrians, mums with prams, cyclist and even cars. People take the best route, the “desire route”, if you will, to fill their needs. No one walks down a motorway or a busy street, say the A13 to admire the view. These routes are used only because they are the fastest, and at that particular moment people are about getting somewhere quick. The same is true if you do have time on your hands, you may choose to take a slower more scenic path.

Narrow Street was a wonderful street – the balance between the various road users was, well, balanced. That balance has now been upended in the direction of the “commuter cyclist”, a cyclist with a time-table; a cyclist with the purpose of getting from “A” to “B” as quick as possible.

On Narrow Street at one point the road surface is less then 10 feet wide, there is an opening bridge for boat access to the canal network, there is one point where the cycle lane goes contra-flow, on the wrong side of a one way section of the road; it’s just fraught with flaws.

While TfL maintains that CS3 is designed to get people from point “A” to point “B” in a safe and fast way, they fail on both points. They mostly fail to take into account the other road users; the pedestrians, the mums with prams, and yes the cars.

- Mark Slankard, Limehouse, London, 27/10/2010 20:20

Who will think of the mums with prams?

[Northstar]

Some folk get a bit cross when they have to drive so dangerously to get past.

The thing with this is only drivers who don't know how to overtake cyclists are only angry with themselves because it shows them up inside themselves as bad drivers.

On the rare occasion I'm driving I always give them as much room as I physically can, if i can't give them a good car width's at least then I don't mind hanging back for a while.

I know this is kind of pointing out the obvious to most but I see some dangerous overtakes as a cyclist and driver, pedestrian etc.

[Ham]

I don't do much of the Narrow Street section ever, as I turn up the Limehouse Cut. The bit by the canal is a little bizarre, but I've rarely seen any problems.

Most of my experience of the route is in the Cable Street section which is substantially improved from what was there, both for cyclists and pedestrians. However, I will say that I think there are a substantial number of inconsiderate cyclists on the road there, who appear to think it is sensible to ride full pelt past slower users and in situations  where the space is shared with pedestrians. If they want to ride fast, Commercial Road is a better choice; their behaviour intimidates less proficient cyclists and goes a long way to earning the poor reputation for which we as a genus are being castigated.

Yes, it is just a matter of time before there is a significant accident.

[Gattopardo]

Who will think of the mums with prams?

What about the children/kittens/cheese rollers delete as applicable.

[Gattopardo]

There are quite a few idiots on cycles but I have shouted at people before who have walked in to my path, usually hello loudly.  Is that abuse?