What next for Blackfriars Bridge?

Needs

• Safe, convenient and fast route for commuters on the Farringdon/Blackfriars Road corridor
• Segregated facilities for less fast, confident etc. cyclists who do not wish to mix with the very high motor traffic flows
• Facilitation of safe turning movements into and off the main corridor
• Reduce risk of conflict between cyclists proceeding straight on and left-turning motor vehicles
• Surface level pedestrian crossings on north side by Blackfriars Station, as this both helps calm motor traffic (e.g. allows for removal of guardrails) and also as pedestrians trying to cross without proper facilities may cause conflict with cyclists

Linkages

North side - New Bridge St (Farringdon corridor), proposed Smithfields quiet route (St John St, Old Bailey, Blackfriars Lane), proposed Embankment LCN+ route (probably two way track on river side of Embankment: linking more to QV & NB Streets), Queen Victoria St

South side - Blackfriars Rd corridor, NCN route 4: Upper Ground and along by Tate.

Rik's Proposal from 2003

Rik Andrew's alternative design has some merits but also problems. Many cyclists will find themselves on the wrong side if they try to use the track. If they don't use the track, the problems on the northbound carriageway remain. Also with proper pedestrian pedestrian crossings, pedestrian flows will increase further making the proposal to take 1m off the pavement unacceptable. There is also the danger of conflict where the track crosses Blackfriars Passage. Moving the central reservation on the bridge is not possible without changing fundamentally the structure of the bridge. There is not enough space for one-way tracks on each side to cope with cycle flows and there would either be serious conflict points where drivers can make left turns or cyclists would be delayed by separate traffic signal phases. Having two-way tracks on either of the sides would be out of the way for many cycling and would not help those who needed to turn across the fast moving traffic.

New City Cyclists Proposal

The proposal shown below involves extensive remodelling of the junction layout, removing the sweeping curves that lead to drivers shooting round corners. Cyclists are provided for both in the 4.5m bus lanes (black line) with ASLs and also the two-way 3m wide separated track (thick green line) in what is presently the offside northbound lane.

The radical bit would be to turn the third northbound lane (next to the central reservation) into a two-way 3m wide cycle road, separated from the two northbound lanes with kerbs & narrow flower boxes, creating an attractive route. At the south end, the pavement would be cut back a bit towards Upper Ground and the bus stop improved, creating space in the centre for the cycle road. At the north end of the bridge the cycle road would go over the central space where the Queen Victoria statue is (which would be moved slightly) and across the other spaces (necessitating the removal of part of the raised grass bit) to the space with the circular flower tubs opposite Watergate. It would be on the same signal phase as the main northbound traffic lane, giving cyclists green for the majority of the time.

Northbound cyclists would join it at the existing toucan crossing by Upper Ground or simply by weaving when the traffic is clear before that point - the carriageway is not that wide there. They would leave the cycle road at the toucan by Watergate or further north next to the bus stop: when there are buses stopped it is easier to join the traffic as the carriageway is effectively one lane. They could cross to Queen Vic St on the other part of the toucan crossing. Where pedestrians would cross the cycle track, the cycle track would be split into two with an island on a gentle ramp in between. Cyclists would still have priority but SLOW signs and the ramp would reduce their speed so that it would be easy for pedestrians to cross: neither cyclists nor pedestrians would be likely to obey traffic signals designed to keep each other out of the way indeed it would not make sense to try to do so.

Southbound cyclists could similarly either join the cycle road from Queen Vic St (need more thought on how to let cyclists stay on north side) or New Bridge St via toucan or when overtaking bus then weaving onto pavement track. They could leave the cycle road onto Upper Ground, cross at that point to the main southbound carriageway (unlikely as southbound between Upper Ground & Southark St is usually congested) or use the existing two-way cycle track which would be made southbound only and would lead to the toucan crossing to Southwark St or into the ASL allowing cyclists to get a head start. If possible the guardrails would be removed off this section but 0.5m wide deterrent strips would be marked along the edges. This section is effectively unusable space as there are pedestrian islands at the Upper Ground & Southwark St junctions so if there wasn't this cycle facility there would be wasted space.

Light blue lines show modified kerb lines, brown blocks show signalled pedestrian crossings (sometimes toucan pedestrian/cycle crossings), brown diamonds suggested pedestrian routes, yellow blocks show raised unsignalled pedestrian crossings, while the green arrows show points where cyclists can leave/join the carriageway to/from a toucan crossing (as at the southern end of the bridge at present). All guardrails would be removed and there would be long planters filled with flowers either side of the cycle track. Through pedestrian access and attractive design the area outside Blackfriars Station would become more like a plaza than an urban motorway.