(For want of a better name – to me ‘superhighway’ sounds rather grand for what they are, if not downright misleading.)
A few sections of blue cycle lane have appeared on Millbank, eastbound, from near the Morpeth Arms pub to near Millbank Tower. It appeared sometime between last Thursday and Wednesday this week.
I’ve not cycled on one of these before and I’m not convinced I like it.
It’s quite a disconcerting sensation cycling along a vivid blue path, the painted surface feels slippy when wet and the lane is frequently interrupted by bus stops and junctions.
One positive thing, at least from my first couple of journeys, is that it seems to calm the traffic coming from the Vauxhall Bridge lights.
I don’t understand why they don’t put these more often in the middle of the road rather than at the side where they get caught up in bus stops, parked cars, stopping taxis, deliveries etc.
I’ve just noticed something odd – the Google maps image I’ve linked to shows what looks like dozens of cyclists on the eastbound carriageway!
Replying to @congokid‘s post:
Wow! Must be a charity ride of some sort (bridges’ ride?). There are loads more on Millbank as well.
Putting the lanes in the middle of the road makes it rather difficult to get to the junction if you want to turn off, I would have thought.
I think this Cycle Superhighway (
will be more useful than most. They are getting rid of an entire lane of motor traffic for much of Grosvenor Road.
The blue looks disconcerting at first, but the brightness is partly to make cyclists more visible. It actually isn’t very slippery.
Darling, are you kidding? Those blue strips are the best thing ever. It got me cycling in London to start with! I’m not sure who started this urban myth that the blue paint makes it slippery. I use CS7 (from Clapham common to St Pauls) almost daily since last summer, rain, shine or snow. Never slipped once. If I had it was probably due my clumsy self and not the blue paint. Not sure about Holland but Copenhagen use the same colour. And you must try out the section from Tower Hill to Canary Wharf (Barking direction). The lanes are almost completely segregated. It’s incredibly relaxing and smooth to ride.
I actually went pass those new cycle lanes in Millbank on the way home today. Though I was heading the other direction. Would be nice if it’d stretch all the way to Embankment/Blackfriars but I think it ends at around Tate Gallery. I love those blue strips. I want more.
CS3 from Tower Hill to Barking was there long before it was painted blue or called CS3. And actually just by Westferry it’s really dodgy for pedestrians as they have to naturally cross the road into the middle of the cycle lane due to bad junction planning.
