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A man stuck out his thumb pleading with the traffic to let him cross, not at the side of a dusty highway, but at a cycle lane’s pedestrian crossing.
The crossing, outside of Blackfriars Station in central London, has been nicknamed by locals as ‘the nightmare’, while others have warned it’s an accident waiting to happen.
It sits over a two-way cycle lane as part of a controversial floating bus stop, the design of which has been frequently criticised.
And when Metro went down to the crossing during rush hour on Wednesday evening, it is easy to see why.
Cyclists frequently do not stop for pedestrians trying to use the crossing, meaning they have no choice but to make a mad dash across the lane.
In total, we counted 60 failed attempts to cross safely in little more than an hour.
Indie, from Kent, grimaced as she ran across the crossing once an eventual gap appeared.
When we stopped to ask her how she found it, her eyes rolled.
‘Well you have just seen my face,’ she said. ‘I have never seen a crossing like this before, and it is so fast.’
No one is spared from having to make the risky move across. Approaching a man waiting at the bus stop after making the mad dash revealed Baron Richard Newby, OBE.
He told Metro: ‘We have debated these in the House of Lords before, but this is my first time using one. Now I can fully see why there are safety fears.’
What is a floating bus stop?
A floating bus stop has a cycle lane between the stop and the pavement behind it.
This places the stop on an island between the cycleway and traffic.
The London Assembly said this ensures passengers alight from a bus directly onto a bus stop island and never directly onto a cycle track or road with oncoming traffic.
They were first introduced in London in 2013 so cyclists were not stuck behind buses and were less at risk of being injured or killed.
‘It is absolutely terrifying’
Last year the Upper Chamber narrowly failed to pass an amendment which would have prevented any more floating bus stops from being installed.
This is despite campaigners furiously pushing for the risks posed to blind people to be recognised.
Kasia Kubasek, who is a blind bus user in London, told Metro: ‘It is absolutely terrifying. I cannot see or hear the bicycles.
‘Even the thought of having to cross a cycle lane to get to the bus stop, fills me with a fear that paralyses me and I avoid them like fire.’
Floating bus stops were brought in for the safety of cyclists, who can prevent being stuck behind buses with the design.
Cycling groups have said they are key to reducing road danger, but there are some concerns those on bikes are not given enough warning about the crossing.
‘There’s little chance to brake’
One woman waiting at the bus stop confirmed she uses it multiple times a week and her workplace adjacent to the crossing, has made multiple complaints to the City of London about it.
But she told Metro ‘it wasn’t the cyclists’ fault’ as there is little opportunity for them to brake in time.
With a red light sat only metres away, many also resort to stopping and waiting on the crossing.
Metro’s Jed Bradley did a few laps of the lane with a GoPro attached, and concluded ‘it would be much safer if there was a sign further back telling cyclists to prepare for the crossing’.
Work on cycleway given go-ahead
In July Transport for London (TfL) paused the installation of floating bus stops, and work on the cycle lane between Blackfriars and Aldgate was halted.
But last week it was given the green light to go ahead. Update guidance was published this year, and corporation officers concluded the Blackfriars designs met the ‘recommended process’.
Sergeant Stuart Ford, Cycle Team lead at the City of London Police, said: ‘Running a red light or going through zebra crossing in use puts pedestrians, especially vulnerable ones, at risk.
‘Cyclists gamble on the fact that pedestrians will move out the way, ignoring any hidden vulnerabilities.
‘The Blackfriars zebra crossing has been highlighted by National Federation of the Blind (NFBUK) and we’re working with the Corporation of London and Transport for London to ensure the safety of pedestrians who are using the crossing.’
A City of London Corporation Spokesperson said: ‘We are taking the issue of accessibility extremely seriously and will ensure the City’s streets are safe and usable for everyone, as is the priority in all of our schemes.
‘The Aldgate to Blackfriars cycleway has been subject to a full Equalities Impact Assessment , with input from a diverse range of charities.
‘The proposals are also in line with DfT’s statutory guidance on bus stop bypasses. We will continue to engage constructively with accessibility groups as the designs develop.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].
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