The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea is to let cyclists ride in the opposite direction to cars down one-way streets.
The borough is allowing cyclists to ride the wrong way through six one-way streets to see if their journey times can be cut without an increase in collisions.
If there is no significant increase in collisions, the move will be extended to more streets across the borough, and other local councils are expected to follow suit. What do you think of the move?
Kensington & Chelsea intends to make the changes by putting up more road signs – but there will be no dividing line between cyclists and motorists. The council wants road users to negotiate their own paths past each other.
Speaking to The Times newspaper, Daniel Moylan, deputy leader of the Tory-controlled borough, said: “We are recognising the reality that cyclists prefer to take the shortest routes through quieter streets.”
One of the borough’s most prominent residents has already been caught on film taking a shorter route – Conservative party leader David Cameron.
In March Mr Cameron was caught cycling the wrong way down Dawson Place, a one-way street in Kensington & Chelsea.
He said at the time: “I know it is important to obey traffic laws.”
What do you think about the plans to allow cyclists the right to ride the wrong way down one-way streets?
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6 Comments
June 4, 2008 at 4:34 pm
I think it’s an excellent idea. The reason most one-way streets are one-way is because they are too narrow for two motor vehicles to pass eachother. A lot of one-way streets here in Brum have contra-flow cycle lanes in them anyway, so it’s the same principle.
June 4, 2008 at 9:16 pm
An excellent idea provided that cyclists are adequately protected. I can see arguments both for and against cycle lanes where cyclists are travelling in the same direction as the traffic - but where cyclists will be travelling against the direction of motorised traffic surely a cycle lane is a must, in addition to road signs? What do other cyclists think?
June 5, 2008 at 12:58 pm
The roads should definitely be signed, of course, so that any driver knows to expect cyclists travelling in the opposite direction.
June 5, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Nothing new here. How many cyclists do you see ignoring traffic lights, cycling in precincts etc. This is not a good idea to make it legal to ride the wrong way in a oneway street. It will cause motorists more stress trying to avoid the idiots who cycle like maniacs. We have enough of these already weaving in and out of traffic, knocking wing mirrors and scratching cars with their handlebars. What happens in an accident in the oneway street, who’s at fault in a ‘head on’?
June 16, 2008 at 10:36 pm
What a good idea, they state to see if it will be safe without crashes ?
Not a very ideal road traffic safety measure then is it. At what point and how many injured cyclists will the experts say the test failed I wonder.
Next idea ? let cyclists ride down motorway hard shoulders I guess.
November 4, 2008 at 12:16 am
Great idea. The sooner the better - where appropriate, which is in most cases. We’ve got to make cycling more attractive to persuade more people out of their metal boxes ad into the fresh air. and pat of that wil be done by removing obstructions only put there to manage motorised traffic.
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