Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Beat the Olympics chaos by getting on your bike...erm...actually... no
The Guardian are reporting that regulations governing the use of Games Lanes in Central London - the 30 miles of road in central London exclusively reserved for use during the event by the "Games family" of athletes, officials and sponsors – mean that 95% will be off-limits to cyclists.
Other frustrations for cyclists include the closure until September of Lea towpath, a bike-friendly "greenway" running alongside the canal opposite the Olympic Park from Bow to Homerton in east London
Rather than encouraging more cycling during the Games, it would seem that it's a bit of an after thought at best for the organisers.
Read the full article here
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Birdy_Too on
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Found this yesterday after trying to find a safer way for the family to cycle to Stratford (Google and TFL only consider roads in their solution).
This Spectator journey Planner is worth as bash if you park at Eton Manor Cycle Park
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Permalink Reply by matt on
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And significant chunks of Greenwich Park have been closed off to the public since April so a few people can ride their horsies in competition. The locals are fuming.
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Permalink Reply by Gerry N on
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It is both the towpath AND "greenway" that are closed ! They are different things, Could the Guardian possibly be wrong ? . The whole of the River Lea Navigation canal towpath bordering the olympics is closed & "The Greenway" bordering the site has already been closed for months and will be closed for years after the end of Olympics. I should add that The Greenway is a re-named path along the top of Bazalgette's Nothern Outfall Sewer. The Olympics have closed it, then Crossrail constuction are closing it for a further year minimum http://www.uel.ac.uk/greenthing/documents/Greenwaydiversion.pdf
A massive amount of public money was spent on the Greenway for cyclists and pedestrians. Why did they even bother, It should have been spent on other routes !
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I think the term 'greenway' is used here in the Sustrans way - meaning a walking/cycle route away from roads.
How much money has been spent on the Greenway? It still has these ridiculous barriers that make cycling much more difficult than it should be, and make it practically impossible if you have kids in a trailer or are mobility impaired and ride an unusual bike. Or for that matter if you are pushing a double buggy or are in a wheelchair.
And look how cycle/wheelchair friendly the new Greenway bridge over Stratford High Street is! Three flights of steps and no ramp.
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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The boy and I went along to the protest on Sunday. Not many people there, well, they were certainly outnumbered by the enormous policemen. Rather disgusted with it all. Problems with knife crime in Tottenham and we get nothing like this. Middle class families organising a picnic protest and 5 loads of big and bored looking coppers turn up. It feels more and more like a party I'm not invited to but for which I'll have to help pick up the tab.
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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It feels more and more like a party I'm not invited to but for which I'll have to help pick up the tab.
Yes; all of London is feeling the impact either directly or indirectly. Taxes go to the Olympics monster (for little or no lasting benefit) while London Boroughs have had reduced funds from central government over the past few years.
The debt attached to the 1976 Montreal Olympic Stadium was finally paid off 30 years later in 2006. Maybe London will do better.
Today's children, who will soon be whooping with excitement at their telly screens for a couple of weeks, may yet be helping to pay for the show ... into their middle age.
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I'm pretty disgusted at how the opportunity to properly encourage sustainable travel, and leave a real Olympic legacy, has been totally wasted. The reason cyclists are so upset at the closure of the Lea towpath is that there are no other routes in the area that don't often feel extremely dangerous and unpleasant when on a bike. Fancy cycling around Stratford gyratory with your kids on their bikes following behind? That's the route to the Olympics recommended by Leon Daniels, head of surface transport at TfL.
I don't think cycling is an afterthought for the organisers at all. I think they have no real clue about how to get lots of people cycling (completely ignoring how a country just across the North Sea has done just that) and in any case would be unwilling to take the tough decisions that sort of planning would involve. Telling people cycling is 'fun' on the London 2012 website(illustrating the article with a photo of people who feel the need to wear protective clothing while undertaking a 'fun and easy' journey) is most definitely not going to enable lots of people to cycle. People can see what the roads are like with their own eyes, no amount of bleating about how much 'fun' it is will get people to cycle on roads all over London that look and feel dangerous.
And it looks like they can't even organise adequate bike parking for when you arrive! http://lydall.standard.co.uk/2012/07/my-two-hour-mission-to-find-cy...
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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As people may have picked up from other posts, I'm one of those people who are excited about the Olympics BUT I think that there has been a huge missed opportunity to really promote cycling. We should been seeing a huge increase in the number of (may God forgive me) Boris bikes and very reduced rates, maybe with hosts at the main pick up points encouraging visitors to grab a bike and follow them to the venue. Whether the Olympic lanes should be there for VIPs is a subject of impassioned debate but they should have been designated for cyclists as well to encourage them to whoosh around the capital to show people that it really is the fastest way around town.
PS. The journey may be "fun and easy" but being hit by a car or bus isn't. Showing cyclists wearing the right gear (get that helmet on folks) is absolutely right.
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