please empty your brain below
Not Bow Road, but Southampton Row where there has been road resurfacing going on apparently for three weeks outside and further north of the Royal Victoria building. Southbound traffic is diverted around the south of Russell Square. Yet no iBus changes were implemented on the 68 bus I was on.

100andthirty | 02.03.19 - 7:31 a.m. | #

Let's hope the improvements work. We were there at bus stop M a few weeks ago, to pay homage. As I was taking a photo, standing on the pavement at a distance from the kerb, I had to move quickly to avoid being knocked over by a cyclist who obviously was unappreciative of the efforts and large amounts of money spent on his behalf. There doesn't seem to be anything that can make cycling and walking safe.

Jo W | 02.03.19 - 7:36 a.m. | #

We've had these island bus stops for a while in Cambridge. The extra problem we appear to have is that the cycle lane leading up to the bus island is wide enough for two bicycles riding side by side, but the cycle land through the bus stop is only wide enough for one bike. This leads to last minute breaking and jostling for lane position for the unwary cyclist (and there are lots of those in Cambridge!)

A Cambridge Resident | 02.03.19 - 7:37 a.m. | #

I was there right next to bus stop M yesterday morning whilst on a visit to see the exhibition of Doreen Fletchers work at the Nunnery Gallery, I must admit that I was a little concerned that workmen had bus stop M surrounded and my first thoughts were that perhaps a security cordon was being installed in order to protect it from the numerous visitors who now make a pilgrimage from all corners of the globe.

fishislandskin | 02.03.19 - 7:38 a.m. | #

"The entire project is due to be completed by the end of the month"

Let's hope this contractor won't be another Metronet, eh?

Anonymous | 02.03.19 - 7:43 a.m. | #

It's still fundamentally a bad idea to have bicycles in areas used by pedestrians - no matter how much paint and raised areas you have, especially considering the differential in speed between the two and the range of mobilities and awareness that pedestrians have.

Good news though - now that bus stop M is getting pilgrims and it now has a zebra crossing, you could do the Abbey Road thing.

Still Anon | 02.03.19 - 8:21 a.m. | #

All gone quiet on the bus stop M front? TfL rides to the rescue!

Peter | 02.03.19 - 8:26 a.m. | #

When are they going to install the yellow globes then? http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1997/2400/schedule/1/made

B | 02.03.19 - 8:42 a.m. | #

The blister or tactile paving needs to be changed from buff to red because the informal crossing point has now become a formal (controlled) crossing point. There should now be a red L shape put in place instead of what should have been a straight row of buff blocks two deep, with the top of the new L going back to the back of the footway.

dg writes: There now is.

I suspect the new layout is going to require the goodwill of London's cyclists to succeed because it is not legally compliant.

MO | 02.03.19 - 8:42 a.m. | #

@MO quite right, it is not a compliant Zebra crossing. It is a fake crossing. Apparently, our laws are easily flouted ... even by organisations purporting to be our regulatory authorities.

B | 02.03.19 - 8:50 a.m. | #

I’m pretty sure the 2016 manual allowed for this type of crossing. I have to say they’re very annoying though as people drip across even when there’s no bus and constant stop starting is very tiring.

It’s amazing how difficult it is to implement crossings on the road network due to time impacts, versus how easy to do it on the cycle network.

Theo | 02.03.19 - 9:05 a.m. | #

It's amazing how long tweaking a few slabs and kerbs takes.

I find it amazing how long any infrastructure in the UK takes to implement or amend.

Tim W | 02.03.19 - 9:24 a.m. | #

As far as I know, Regulations trump 'guidance'....cf any 'manual' that seeks to guide. When a cyclist hits a pedestrian at the place I guess we will all discover that because it fails to comply with Zebra crossing rules the cyclist will not be found at fault. Pedestrians should not rely on any protections of 'priority' use cf Zebra crossing. If it were a Zebra crossing, all cyclists should stop if a pedestrian were standing on the marked area (Highway Regulations). Whilst I can see the latest works look better, they are just as dangerous to pedestrians as before.

B | 02.03.19 - 9:38 a.m. | #

The penultimate photo shows a Deliveroo rider cycling in the wrong direction, which is yet another regular local hazard.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 02.03.19 - 9:49 a.m. | #

It does seem that they could have painted the actual zebra crossing markings at every bus stop on the Superhighway in the time it took to do tactile paving at just one for dubious worth. I'm struggling to work out how anyone with such little sight that they can't see the zebra itself will find the crossing place by feel, or know that it leads to a bus stop.

Andrew S | 02.03.19 - 10:01 a.m. | #

Sheesh, I hope nobody ever puts Andrew S in charge of any kind of public infrastructure project.

phil | 02.03.19 - 10:11 a.m. | #

Welcome back Bus Stop M!
Let the comedy of errors commence!!

Cornish Cockney | 02.03.19 - 10:27 a.m. | #

Just when you thought there was nothing more to say about Bus Stop M...........

What's going to be next?

MikeK | 02.03.19 - 10:37 a.m. | #

@MikeK - if previous episodes of Bus Stop M are anything to go by, the workmen won't come back for a while, or they won't finish the job properly and there will need to be another visit, which also won't finish the job off.

Jimbo | 02.03.19 - 10:50 a.m. | #

perhaps a "give way" symbol/sign should also be placed at these points...plus a "SLOW" painted on lane...and flashing yellow lights...and a "pedestrians in cycleway" warning signs...

E | 02.03.19 - 11:08 a.m. | #

"I suspect the new layout is going to require the goodwill of London's cyclists to succeed because it is not legally compliant."

Anything that requires the goodwill of cyclists towards pedestrians to succeed is doomed to failure.

JohnC | 02.03.19 - 11:19 a.m. | #

What has been built is not a zebra crossing so it is legally compliant.

Mark | 02.03.19 - 11:56 a.m. | #

I was the cause of a cycle pile up at such a crossing. It was in Whitechapel Road by the large Salvation Army hostel. A cyclist approaching slammed on her brakes thinking I was about to cross. This surprised the three cyclists behind her and they all crashed into each other and fell onto the ground. The first cyclist looked rather sheepish and cycled off. I can only assume that she drives a car and is conditioned to stopping at zebra crossings.

MA | 02.03.19 - 12:38 p.m. | #

@MA - and Tfl never learns of these incidents because no 'accident' is ever recorded. It also seems inevitable to me that the structure is the perfect venue for the blind to meet the blinkered in a Titanic clash. The bobbly pavement indicators are designed for the blind and visually impaired, after all.

B | 02.03.19 - 1:22 p.m. | #

It just me that thinks the Davlav would make a good Tardis?

You don't often hear 'buff' in this context much anymore. When did it go out of fashion shade-wise?

Red is such a difficult colour when it comes to concrete.

drD | 02.03.19 - 1:37 p.m. | #

DG, you identified a deliveroo cyclist in your last photo. Is it ok now for me to add that my demon cyclist was also from that firm? One has to be careful of naming these g*ts.

Jo W | 02.03.19 - 1:43 p.m. | #

Here’s the report from some research into these bus stop bypass zebra crossings:
[82 page pdf]

Frankie Roberto | 02.03.19 - 4:22 p.m. | #

Conclusions from that research pdf:

» Overall, the zebra crossing was marginally preferred over the uncontrolled crossing in terms of feeling safe and comfortable.
» The addition of Belisha beacons at some sites did not appear to have any significant impact.
» Findings from other related reports suggest that zebra crossings (in comparison to uncontrolled crossings) have a positive effect upon the level of interaction between cyclists and those using the crossing.
» A key advantage of the zebra crossing was the accompanying tactile tail, which places a strip of tactile tiles across the footway thereby highlighting to blind and partially sighted pedestrians where the crossing is located.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 02.03.19 - 4:44 p.m. | #

To the contractors who have to keep making all these modifications - taking stuff out and putting different stuff in - these cycle lanes must be the gift that keeps on giving.
Hmmm. Wonder where the money keeps coming from...

RogerW | 02.03.19 - 5:48 p.m. | #

this will never end

bert | 02.03.19 - 6:10 p.m. | #

It's very good of you DG to praise the workmanship of the contractors. A lot of people don't appreciate the skill and physical labour required for even small projects like this as the views of some of my fellow commenters confirm.

milliem | 02.03.19 - 6:51 p.m. | #

To be legally enforceable, I understand a zebra crossing must have Belisha beacons but does not need the zebra stripes. That said, the white stripes are not actually illegal without a Belisha, and they make the crossing more visible to all but the most "head-down" cyclist (who would be on the main carriageeway anyway), warning users of a possible conflict with pedestrians. And, after all, even the most "furious" cyclist would realise that a collision with a pedestrian is something to be avoided - it is likely to cause delay: and the cyclist often comes off worse anyway.

timbo | 02.03.19 - 8:32 p.m. | #

Well, they've already had other variations of the zebra crossing, such as the pelican.
Maybe they can classify this as another type and codify a new set of regulations to suit it.
Hmmm, it'd need a name: something black and white, but smaller than a zebra? Yay, got it. Penguin crossing.

RogerW | 02.03.19 - 10:43 p.m. | #

YOu should check out Stratford now they have all but finished the mess that is the two way system. The segregated cycle paths are still a nightmare and pedestrians still dawdle across or along them totally oblivious to the fact that theres a good chance of a cyclist hitting them up the arse!

Andrew Jarman | 02.03.19 - 11:11 p.m. | #

It would be scary to know the full cost of bike facilities between Aldgate and Bow. Mk 1 unsegregated, mk2 segregated, changes to bus stops, about 4 changes to traffic signals at Bow roundabout etc, etc, etc.

Shame things are not thought through properly first, then implemented, rather than rushed though because it is "Mayor's Policy"
ie Good practice - Do the TRL research before implementing floating bus stops at well over 20 locations

Scrumpy | 03.03.19 - 4:02 a.m. | #

"I can only assume that she drives a car and is conditioned to stopping at zebra crossings."

Yes, because without fail all motorists stop at zebra crossings to let pedestrians cross.

Vic Flange | 03.03.19 - 1:52 p.m. | #

Does anyone know who is actually funding these modifications?

Dave Cockle | 03.03.19 - 2:05 p.m. | #

The public, without a doubt.

Anonymous | 03.03.19 - 4:48 p.m. | #

They weren't built in 2015 becuase they only became legal after with the introduction of the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016. Zebras on cycle tracks don't need Belisha Beacons, nor Section 25 crossing markings (i.e. zig zags). The white stripes are very much a legal necessity though.It looks like a compliant crossing.

northken | 04.03.19 - 3:23 p.m. | #











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