Finally, a small step forward in UK cycle infrastructure design. A big junction is dealt with in 8-80 style. I chopped the waits at the lights. Pros: - less confident cyclists can negotiate a big roundabout safely - it keeps cars away from bikes and pedestrians (shared space addicts take note) which gives a vey Dutch feel - surface is good, & grippy - surface on the straight part is slightly convex for drainage - the rider is slightly above the motor's level which adds to the safe feeling - toucan symbols (combined walker-cyclist) are used on the stop-go lights at 2 levels - no planters, armadillos, useless paint, badly laid tarmac - already being used by active travellers - it feels more Dutch than anything else I've cycled on in the UK - because of the width, surface quality and "unravelling" Cons - it's very short. Being able to cycle in conditions like that continuously from Kingston to Reigate would be nirvana. - getting onto and off it at each end is clunky - the roundabout section is only appropriate for some big roundabouts equally spacious designs are required for other situations -I'd suggest Dutch infrastructure design holds the key - the colour scheme - I suggest it should have been http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Naval_Ensign_of_Japan.svg ;-p . The overall design doesn't exactly fit in very well with the surroundings, but it does uplift the spirit so that might not be a bad thing - your MAMIL hurtling through at 25 mph on their Cervelo may feel disadvanteged by such slower infrastructure, and drivers may think they should be using it - shared with pedestrians (though given the current usage maybe about right and on the HIght St they are crossing at right angles) - doesn't prioritise the active traveller so waits at the lights are a bit long (ca 1 min at first, a better 30 sec at second) , but you can see this is a very busy junction for the poor motor-trapped. On the other hand, just before the section shown on the video I was stuck here http://goo.gl/maps/VH6Gl in vehicular mode along with a big queue of cars for over 3 mins, so it is not only cyclists that get rubbish light phasing. Unknown - how well it will wear, be maintained, be cleaned of debris. You can probably think of other points. For me the first point in the "pros" outweighs everything else. THIS IS/FEELS SAFE (as far as it goes), and is good for your ordinary active traveller who would baulk at tackling a big roundabout, or more pertinently lack the skills to tackle a big roundabout safely. Pre-scheme looks like this from the air http://goo.gl/maps/GqZRT . For comparison here's Bow (scene of some cyclists' deaths recently) http://goo.gl/maps/NOk2V Tolworth is bigger than Bow. Both have an urban motorway style road passsing underneath . Tolworth had at least some "cyclist dismount" infra built in from the start but in principle you could build a similar design to the new for Bow. Conclusion: if you want to make a big roundabout safe and pleasant for all potential cyclists, here's an idea.

• published: 28 Nov 2013
• views: 1993