Boris is gonna let us turn left at Red Lights!

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Boris is gonna let us turn left at Red Lights!

Postby Toks » Tue Apr 14, 2009 10:32 pm

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Re: Boris is gonna let us turn left at Red Lights!

Postby kieran » Wed Apr 15, 2009 9:34 am

Can't see this going ahead, in my opinion it's a recipe for disaster. but a cheap way for Boris to be seen doing something for cyclists.
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Re: Boris is gonna let us turn left at Red Lights!

Postby Snoop Doug » Wed Apr 15, 2009 9:45 am

Hmmm

CTC geezer on radio gave a sort of guarded welcome. I guess trouble is - pedestrians and cyclists don't mix much (any?) better than cyclists and traffic. When I mtb into town I hope off at a few key junctions and walk across then remount on t'other side. Don't bother when on road bike too much of a faff. Otherwise, works fer me. Hey I can be a cyclist and a pedestrian, cool. What's wrong with that then?
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Re: Boris is gonna let us turn left at Red Lights!

Postby Grahame » Wed Apr 15, 2009 10:07 am

I hope it doesn't go through.

If it is allowed, it'll blow a big hole in the "cyclists need as much room as a car when you are passing" argument.
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Re: Boris is gonna let us turn left at Red Lights!

Postby Andrew G » Wed Apr 15, 2009 12:28 pm

A crap idea along with the bendy buses, motorbikes in bus lanes, and cyclists allowed the wrong way down one way streets. Some have gone through some haven't but they're all from London Major(s) who try to come up with something so they can be seen to be doing something for cyclists and/or congenstion. If it went through then as Snoop says it would just cause problems with pedestrians and also further wind up motorists.

Raise cyclist awareness and rights to use the roads, whilst also making it clear that cyclists who break the highway code face the same penalties/fines as motorists, job done. None of this 5 minute wonder sh1t that sounds good in theory during a power breakfast.
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Re: Boris is gonna let us turn left at Red Lights!

Postby George » Wed Apr 15, 2009 12:41 pm

I quite like the idea, in America you can turn right on a red even in a car.

In lots of european cities at night all traffic lights flash amber so the onus is on the drivers to slow down and be careful.

There are too many traffic lights in Britain, lights give priority to drivers and drivers with priority barge through without thinking, also you look how aggressive drivers get around traffic calming sections.

People work best when they think for themselves rather than being told what to do.
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Re: Boris is gonna let us turn left at Red Lights!

Postby Sylv » Wed Apr 15, 2009 12:44 pm

Jeez two deaths last week

I say it's worth a try

I'm surprised he didn't want us to turn right at lights though
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Re: Boris is gonna let us turn left at Red Lights!

Postby adrian » Wed Apr 15, 2009 1:15 pm

[quote]The logic is that cyclists would negotiate the junction ahead of motor vehicles, particularly lorries

What if you arrive at the junction just as the light turns green? Then you'll be in even more trouble when the HGV turns left at the same time - you'll be travelling faster and have less time to react when you realise you've got nowhere to go...

Any way you cut it, it's dangerous for cyclists to share the same space as motorised traffic. I think George is right - there's way too much traffic furniture now. Far from making things safer, it has the dual effect of confusing road users and giving them the impression that the thinking and decision-making has been done for them.
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Re: Boris is gonna let us turn left at Red Lights!

Postby Elliot M » Wed Apr 15, 2009 1:56 pm

removing railings and other street furniture from pavement edge, esp. on inside of bends, or replacing them with something lower profile, might be more constructive? there seems to be a move towards this, eg in brixton...
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Re: Boris is gonna let us turn left at Red Lights!

Postby Toks » Wed Apr 15, 2009 2:30 pm

[quote="Andrew G"]Raise cyclist awareness and rights to use the roads, whilst also making it clear that cyclists who break the highway code face the same penalties/fines as motorists, job done. None of this 5 minute wonder sh1t that sounds good in theory during a power breakfast.
Er... you're not necessarily breaking the law even if your breaking the highway code. Should a cyclist receive a £30 on the spot fine because his lights are not illuminating the road properly I don't think so. Not enough power in your power breakfast Andrew? :lol: :D
Last edited by Toks on Wed Apr 15, 2009 3:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Boris is gonna let us turn left at Red Lights!

Postby Snoop Doug » Wed Apr 15, 2009 2:58 pm

[quote="Andrew G"]a power breakfast.


Ooooo, is someone organising a power breakfast? Can I come?
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Re: Boris is gonna let us turn left at Red Lights!

Postby Jon H » Wed Apr 15, 2009 3:04 pm

I suspect that Boris is not as daft as he looks, and has sussed out a commuting route he can do with only left turns.
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Re: Boris is gonna let us turn left at Red Lights!

Postby Alex S » Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:35 pm

[quote]I suspect that Boris is not as daft as he looks, and has sussed out a commuting route he can do with only left turns.


:lol:
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Re: Boris is gonna let us turn left at Red Lights!

Postby Sylv » Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:39 pm

[quote="Snoop Doug"][quote="Andrew G"]a power breakfast.


Ooooo, is someone organising a power breakfast? Can I come?

yeah - you sit on my turbo and I enjoy the croissants
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Re: Boris is gonna let us turn left at Red Lights!

Postby Tony » Wed Apr 15, 2009 6:18 pm

I can't see any issues with anyone going through a red light, provided when doing it they recongnise they have the lowest priority of all road users. After all, they manage to do similar for all vehicles in the US and, as anyone who has watched Top Gear knows, they are all really fat, really rude and really stupid over there.....so I'm sure we could manage to make it work OK.
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