Coming home from Southend at 01:00 this morning I asked Mrs Nutty to drive me along here so I could see the latest.
She didn't have a problem using the correct lane past the newly painted parallel bays (there was a parked car in them).
Just before the central bays an oncoming taxi U-turned immediately in front of us, correctly where the turning area is, then waited to pull behind us... she winced and even though he was stopping swerved towards the new cycle lane!
There were two cars waiting on the, as yet unmarked, cycle lane outside the casino; completely blocking it.
Mrs Nutty completely agreed with me re the points I made re the narrow lane and potential oncoming cyclists. She also agreed with me regarding the newly narrowed carriageway and how cyclists and cars can no longer mix.
We then got to The Arches, just before Shorefield Road, where they have constructed the new cycle path but NOT BURNT OFF the old central hatching. Mrs Nutty's responce was "Sh:t! Where do I go?" whilst swerving towards the path. I just said "ignore the hatchings and drive over them" - which is the current correct thing to do
Why on earth didn't they deal with the road markings before constructing the path?
Thanks to Monday's Ace Cafe Shakedown, and motorcyclists expected, all cones and roadworks have gone.
Mrs Nutty isn't really a cyclist, so it was interesting watching how she drove along that road without prior warning of the new layout. I'm petrified that other drivers will be worse than her and that we'll have driver/cyclist conflict.
I might go for a ride down there Monday. Anybody else going to? I'll take a camera. It's times like this I wish I'd bought a video camera for bike use. What's the betting the unpainted lane will be obstructed by motorbikes?