Southend Cycle Town - part 2

[delthebike]

In a law situation how does this give way work?
A ped steps out in front you give way, or you see a ped waiting its up to you to give way?

A cyclist would have to use his/her psychic sixth sense to determine what the ped is going to do because you can bet the ped won't have a clue!   

[2_Flat_Erics]

The planners have not really thought through the design of these crossing points at all.

All of the crossing points should be zebra crossings and the crossing should extend the full width of the road and cycle path like the one in Dels second photo at the end by Chalkwell.

If the council does not want to go to the expense of making all the crossings zebra crossings then the give way should extend to the road as well as the cycle path.

[fuzzy]

Had a pootle from the pier to Chalkwell early on. I don't like these,

Why not have give way on the motor traffic lanes?

That image demonstrates perfectly my main hate for off road cycle farcilities. Why is it that a vehicle (for that is what I am riding) that is following the major route, has to give way to something joining or crossing the major route?

Motorists would go batshit if they found Give Way/ Stop lines marked at every major route junction

[2_Flat_Erics]

I went for a pootle along the length of Prittlebrook this morning to get some video of how the brook looks at the moment.

I thought it would be interesting to have a before and after video. (Should really have done the before video a couple of months ago but only thought of it this morning).

Does anyone know how far the council intend to take the greenway? is it all the way to Belfairs woods? Does anyone have a copy of the plans from the council? If I recall correctly from the last cycle forum meeting, the council bods were going to email the plans along with the minutes of the meeting. (I've never received the minutes).

[delthebike]

There was a half page advert for it in an Echo last week. It went something like this;
First phase from Victoria Ave. to Southbourne Grove by 2011. I think it was late spring/early summer for this bit.

If funds are OK then the rest of it to the woods and through them to Rayleigh Road, the A129.
No new lights, it'll be a muggers paradise during darkness. Widening were needed.

[Clandy]

Popped round to Shoebury Asda yesterday to drop a film off for developing. Because I was combining it with my ride I came out the front entrance, which I don't normally do. I noticed these white lines painted on the pavement. Anyone know what they are for?

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Oif4SpjwDk4&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/Oif4SpjwDk4&rel=1</a>

[2_Flat_Erics]

Popped round to Shoebury Asda yesterday to drop a film off for developing. Because I was combining it with my ride I came out the front entrance, which I don't normally do. I noticed these white lines painted on the pavement. Anyone know what they are for?

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Oif4SpjwDk4&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/Oif4SpjwDk4&rel=1</a>

Obvious init.... it's a new cycle lane... and it looks better than some of Southend councils efforts 

[2_Flat_Erics]

Any idea what the council is doing with this ASL?





It's on the London road heading west at the junction with Hamlet Court Road.

Originally they painted a long green lead in lane. After it was pointed out that the lead in was in a left hand only lane, and would lead to conflict, they blacked  it out and left just the entry point.

Today they have added the beige paint in the same place that the old lead in lane was.

Any ideas WTF the council is doing?

[Regulator]

The council have actually used the design that is laid out in the regulations, as far as I can make out.

Here in Cambridge they don't bother with lead in lanes as they're always in the wrong place.

[SlowCoach]

Any ideas WTF the council is doing?

Using up their stock of old paint?

[fuzzy]

Is that beige paint of that shellgrip stuff?

[2_Flat_Erics]

Is that beige paint of that shellgrip stuff?

Just beige paint.

[delthebike]

Upthread, possibly in the original Southend cycle town thread, Nutty pointed out the stupidity of the bike lane in the left turn lane. SBC changed them to the short version soon after.
When they first appeared, the full lenght green bike lane, I thought that traffic was to be reduced to one lane + bike lane.

Edit: it's in the first post of the original thread. Southend Cycle Town

[delthebike]

Anyone know what they are for?

It's to separate the motor traffic from the shared bike/ped lane. It's worked so well on the seafront they thought they'd try it in Shoebury. 

[Domestique]

Afaik heading North to South at the Hamlet Ct Road junction the road has been reduced to one lane plus bike lane.
It would be good if they did the same on the London Rd heading West, tbh there is no need for the left turn lane imo. Once traffic builds up past the bus stop there is no way for cars to get to the junction anyway.

[delthebike]

I'd like to see affirmative signs that cycling is encouraged and welcomed in SoS and that cyclists should be treated with respect and given room all over town and at the boundaries. Adverts in the local papers and on billboards. So much cheaper than poor lanes.

[Clandy]

I'd like to see a LOT more proper cycle parking facilities throughout the town.

[clarion]

Popped round to Shoebury Asda yesterday to drop a film off for developing. Because I was combining it with my ride I came out the front entrance, which I don't normally do. I noticed these white lines painted on the pavement. Anyone know what they are for?

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Oif4SpjwDk4&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/Oif4SpjwDk4&rel=1</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/IXuv7m-5_gw&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/IXuv7m-5_gw&rel=1</a>

[Clandy]

Sunday is the day!

New cycle track kicks off Bike Week in Southend (From Echo)

[Gandalf]

I see the comments section is warming up nicely 

[nuttycyclist]

Sunday is the day!

New cycle track kicks off Bike Week in Southend (From Echo)

Has anybody got times for this?   I think we should all cycle along the seafront path at the same time so that we can support the Council and demonstrate how great this path is for mass cycle numbers.

Do you know if the opening is east-west or west-east?  I want to make sure that any supporting action is correspondingly west-east or east-west.

[nuttycyclist]

Any idea what the council is doing with this ASL?
....
Any ideas WTF the council is doing?

That's the third time it's been re=painted. 

I've only seen the last two since I've now found cycling in Southend to be too dangerous and hung up my bike,  I've been the motorcyclist blasting down the A127 for the last 2 months 

[nuttycyclist]

...

And I wonder how far the green will go?

I cycled (for the first time in ages) to work on monday.   I couldn't believe it on the way home when I got here.

I'd already pooed my pants several time along the seafront when traffic buzzed me too closely (I wasn't in the cycle path as it was blocked in several places and once out of it you can't get back in).  When I got here I couldn't believe the conflict introduced.

I've cycled this junction almost daily for the last ten years.  Once a fortnight there is conflict with traffic trying to merge with the cyclists in the cycle lane and also go round this bend.  Now that they've painted the lanes like this it is much much worse.

Southend.  The Anti-Cycle Town funded by Cycling England 

[nuttycyclist]

Sunday is the day!

New cycle track kicks off Bike Week in Southend (From Echo)

Found on the Southend Council's website -> Track changes! Bumper Bike Week beckons ::  News :: Southend-on-Sea Borough Council

...
The Worshipful the Mayor of Southend, Councillor Ann Holland will formally cut the ribbon at 11am on Sunday 20th June to launch the track at Chalkwell Esplanade.
...
The second event is a charity sponsored cycle ride - the Junior Bikeathon from 9am till 11.30am on Sunday 20th June starting from Grosvenor Road to the end of Chalkwell Esplanade at Chalkwell Station. Youngsters up to 12 years old are invited to enter this ride, being run by the charity Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research in partnership with Southend-on-Sea Borough Council and Cycle Southend. The Junior Bikeathon course is one mile long, but participants can cycle as many laps as they wish to between 9am and 11.30am.
...

I think I might be cycling in the area.    Anybody else fancy riding the "new safe track" at 11am immediately after it is officially opened?

Last time I tried visiting the seafront when the Bikeathon was on, it was on Eastern Esplanade and they'd closed the road to use that instead of the cycle path      I'll be intrigued to see if they are using any of the new cycle track (although it looks as though the ride will be mostly on the quiet cul-de-sac of Chalkwell Esplanade instead )

[Domestique]

Now that they've painted the lanes like this it is much much worse.

Is there a drop kerb next to the green paint or is the green surface level with the road surface?
To me looking at that from a motorist pov that looks like two lanes of traffic going into one at the corner, if I was overtaking at that point, which I wouldnt near a ped crossing  , then its the overtaking vehical that has to give way, or am I wrong?
It is fucking dangerous though, not just this bit but the whole thing, but thats been said thousands of times already.