It’s been an eventful six months for the Cycle Superhighways. The CS2 was opened in east London in Summer 2011, miles shorter than originally intended due to the Borough of Newham refusing to cooperate, and to endless criticism from bloggers and cyclists. Within months, two people had died at Bow roundabout – the very section of the route that received most criticism – resulting in Transport for London commissioning a review of every junction on all four Superhighways. Bow roundabout has since been redesigned, and the two Cycle Superhighways that were originally intended to open in 2012 have been pushed back to 2013 because of ‘Olympics logistics’. An extensive list of transport achievements recently released by Mayor Boris Johnson neglected to mention the Cycle Superhighways.
But among this drama, London’s bright blue bike lanes are still getting a lot of use, with the CS8 being no exception. Stretching from Lambeth Bridge in the city centre to Wandsworth in south-west London, I recently cycled the route, noting the best and worst as I went along.
At the Lambeth Bridge end, things are pretty good. Wide, consistent lanes run alongside road traffic, are are bike-only, except for cars as they pull to the side of the road for the designated parking area.
As the route continues, the lanes remain wide, and for bicycles exclusively. With enough space on the road at this point, this passes as a solid piece of infrastructure for London’s cyclists.
As the route progresses it starts getting narrower, and, bizarrely, a second bicycle lane appears on the pavement as the CS8 continues on the road. Take your pick!
Probably best to choose the lane on the pavement, as the CS8 swiftly stops as we near a junction.
Conscious of the need to introduce an appropriate and safe design at roundabouts, the CS8 guides cyclists on to the pavement at this stage…
…where a bi-directional lane runs alongside, and totally separate from, road traffic.
The CS8 now passes through a residential area, quiet enough to justify a lack of separate facilities. At this stage, the blue boxes marking the route of the CS8 become so dispersed it makes you wonder how those using the road who aren’t on bikes would treat the information.
In case the lack of road markings was starting to trouble you, this sign pops up just in the nick of time, letting you know in minutes how long the rest of your journey is likely to be.
Back on the main road now, and we’re back with patchy lane markings, in this case guiding you into the back of a lorry!
‘Nothing but blue paint’ is the criticism most frequently levelled at the Superhighways. Though there are moments that suggest there’s a bit more to it than just blue paint, this section of the route truly looks like someone picked up an oversized roller and went for it. It doesn’t even go in a straight line!
Those following the route of the Cycle Superhighway get a lane separated from a busy six-lane roundabout. Cyclists taking a different route? You are on the road.
This roundabout is enough to put anyone off cycling. Thankfully, cyclists following the CS8 get a wide bike lane separate from the road and on pavement level.
As we get close to our end destination of Wandsworth, a small section of the route is shared with pedestrians…
… with the route, now unmarked, passing through a park. This is a bi-directional lane about 75cm (30 inches) wide. Tight.
Things get a bit scary in Wandsworth town centre. At a junction where six lanes of traffic merge into two, you are guided to cross both lanes to prepare for a right turn. I was in town on a relatively quiet Saturday, didn’t feel safe making this turning and ended up taking this shot from the pavement.
For those a bit braver than me, the CS8 ends right outside Southside shopping centre with this blue bike box.
There’s some great moments on this route, but there’s some bad moments too that turn this into an inconsistent piece of infrastructure. Cycling alongside the Thames in central London in a bike lane wide enough for overtaking and full of nothing but cyclists is fantastic. Moving through busy lanes of traffic to follow the route is not so great. The CS8 is undoubtedly an improvement on what came before, but it doesn’t provide a consistently safe environment for cycling and probably wouldn’t be enough to encourage those lacking in confidence onto a bike.
