| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:FYI. Hammersmith Bridge | |
| Posted by: | Francis Rowe | |
| Date/Time: | 15/01/26 10:24:00 |
| There is no need for inverted commas Paul, I wouldn't ever describe myself as a keen cyclist but I am someone who has regularly used this mode of transport for decades. You are correct that, like the majority of cyclists, I am fine with cycling in traffic and its associated hazards and danger. I appreciate that, when or if Hammersmith Bridge is fully reopened to motor vehicles the heart warming sight of small children on their bikes making their way across Hammersmith Bridge as part of a weekend riverside walk with their parents will end and the structure will become a coldly practical part of our transport infrastructure. Less confident cyclists will have to push their bikes for 200 yards. My view is that a large proportion of cyclists (keen or otherwise) who use the bridge regularly for non-leisure purposes will see having to share with vehicles rather than pedestrians as a positive (as they will be able to go faster) or as neutral as they don't perceive any extra risk. As far as I am aware there was never a serious collision between a pedal bike and a motor vehicle prior to closure. If you look at the cost benefit for various types of transport of reopening then you would have to say it is positive for bus users, positive for private vehicle users, neutral for pedestrians and arguably neutral for all cyclists and definitely positive for commuting cyclists who are the most important for modal shift. |