the trial finishes on my Birthday :w00t:
if the result of the trial is that bikes should be able to use bus lanes, would it continue to be just red routes, ot become all of them?
I don’t think so - it just applies to those belonging to Tfl. You will still have to look out for the signs to see if bikes are permitted or not.
It’s not even all of TfL’s red route bus lanes. Check the signs, always.Good news, but I don’t much like the sound of ‘will aim to improve compliance with speed limits’, as if that will stop car drivers with their brains off from causing collisions.
A very interesting and, it seems to me, very fair read.
“The increase in the motorcycle collisions occurred in the middle of junctions. Also, the associated manoeuvres tended to be where the motorcyclist was continuing straight on and a car turned left. Therefore, the implication is that there has been an increase in motorcycle collisions with cars that were either turning into, or out of, side roads.”
The bits I do like the sound of, especially considering how vocal the cycle lobby was beforehand and their predictions of cyclist mayhem -
“Similarly, given the vehicles and manoeuvres involved it seems unlikely that permitting motorcycles into the bus has resulted in this increase.”
“The nature of the high-level severity conflicts involving cycles indicates no safety disbenefit due to the implementation of the scheme, because none of them involved any interaction with motorcycles.”
“It therefore seems unlikely that the increase in collisions involving cyclists was caused by the motorcyclists using the bus lane.”
“Most collisions involving pedestrians were through the pedestrian not being observant and therefore placing themselves into conflict with a vehicle. All aspects of this analysis show that there was no evidence of pedestrian safety being affected by motorcycles being permitted access to the bus lanes.”
I got a reply from Val Shawcross to my email about a Lambeth bus lane that I think should be opened to us and she had a shockingly negative view of the report.
I’ve replied to her as what she said didn’t tally with the contents of the report but seemed rather to be based on what I would consider a prejudiced view of motorcyclists. She basically categorised us as ‘irresponsible’ :w00t: and in need of ‘re-education’ :w00t:
Before I replied I re-read all 158 odd pages of the report- (:pinch:yes sad I know) and I could find nothing in the detail that could justify barring us from bus lanes. 
We should be allowed to use ALL of the bus lanes- Tfl or otherwise- and I’ve yet to see a convincing argument as to why we shouldn’t.
Despite being chair of the transport cttee, the only mention of motorcycles or motorbikes on her website is about the menace of mini-motos. Otherwise it is just bus and cycle = good, everything else = bad.
Perhaps she missed this doc issued under the last gvnt (that’s Val’s gvnt, BTW) to local authorities, but still current as far as I know. Clicky: The Use of Bus Lanes by Motorcycles
…because of concerns about safety and lack of any evidence at the time, LTN 1/972 recommended that motorcycles should not normally be permitted to use them. This Traffic Advisory Leaflet now revises the guidance on that point in LTN 1/972 and encourages a more objective assessment to be made.
The local highway or traffic authority is best placed to decide whether or not to allow motorcycles into with-flow bus lanes. Each case needs to be examined on its own merits, taking into account the positive and negative aspects in reaching a balanced view.
Great to hear it’s being extended again even if it is only another trial to convince nay sayers but it looks like it’s been a success all in all.
I was cycling home last night and came across Borris and kicked myself when I got home realising I could have cycled with him for a bit to lobby him
Having said that he was cycling whilst using his phone so I could also have had a go at him for that 