Wait, THIS is the "superhighway" I've heard so much about? I'd always thought it was a completely separate cycleway, but it's not even a separate bloody lane on the road.

It amazes me that Britain is one of the most developed countries in the world yet we still have pathetic cycle lanes like this.

The lack of lane discipline by drivers is very clear to see. that's what causes these accidents.

When I read the words "Cycle Superhighway" I had something better in mind than this. Where I grew up in Holland, the authorities would consider this road too unsafe to legally allow any cyclists onto it*, as: 1. The cycle path is nowhere near continuous. 2. I have no problem with cycle paths that are just a strip of paint without a dividing kerb (though they should be marked with a white dotted line), but the problem is that while in Holland these painted paths are alongside a whole (not fractional) number of car lanes and with (non overlapping) parking spots on the other side, so a motor vehicle never has a good reason to drive or park on it, in London they seem to have just painted on an existing road without changing anything else about lane organisation or parking. This is just giving cyclists imaginary space with meaningless paint. They're not going to stop cyclists and cars getting in each other's way with the ensuing accidents and anger until they reorganise their roads to give cyclists and cars their own, separate, continuous and real (not imaginary) space. *in Holland, when a cycle lane is provided (the road is deemed busy enough to require one) cyclists must stick to the lane-cycling anywhere else (pavement or car lanes on the road) is illegal.

I have taken shits wider than that cycle lane. The part at the end barely passes I'd say. Feels like the separation needs to be slightly higher.

Seems to be the same half-baked approach to creating cycling lanes in London as it is here in Tokyo. Although, it seems that London is still further ahead the road of progress than Tokyo. If the system in Amsterdam works, why not adopt it as a 'standard' and implement it as is (obviously taking into consideration 'left-hand drive') ? It certainly looks better than a painted blue strip.

Some paint on the road is a cycle super highway? * Shakes his head in Dutch disbelieve *

Good video, also painfully showing the high speed of traffic on some stretches. In The Netherlands, cyclists would never be exposed to such speeds and (non-)mercy of drivers. Any dual carriageway lay out would have a separated cycle path away from the main road. London has a long way to go!

I'm speechless at the conditions for cyclists in London represented in this video. I have nothing good to say about the infrastructure. The driving of many of the road users seems psychotic (a function of the crappy infrastructure - not English DNA). Similar issues in Toronto: Grid lock during rush hours (6am - 9am & 3pm - 6pm), Road Rage Warriors everywhere; paint-only bike Lanes that run you into opening car doors; and dangerous close passes all the time.

The only word that springs to my mind about this so called bike super highway is PATHETIC ! They can't be serious can they ?

When there is a line of parked cars in the cycle lane, I will be getting out my house keys! Enjoy getting your paintwork touched up? Park in the bike lane!

This is insane! Come to Denmark and see how we do cycling here.. or see it at my channel becuase, this is not a cycle path.. its rubbish.

3:35 is where the kerb disappears at the pinch point, right where you need it the most

Very fair read through. So many cycle ways promise and just don't deliver. They need mass cyclist action, but without safe roads, we will not have mass cycling. Chicken and egg, or, cycle lane and cyclist.

In this country, cyclists and heavy traffic are a lethal combination. There needs to be someone far more committed and 'savvy' than Boris Johnson to catalyze a meaningful change.. My advice to cyclists in places like London is DON'T DO IT. The UK 'missed the boat' decades ago regarding cycling. Holland got it right.

The lanes with the painted lines don't offer any protection except for a visual cue . A fully protected bike lane is the only way to go .

When I moved to Denmark and started cycling I Thought - this is brilliant why have I never cycled so much in the uk? Now I remember why

This is nothing. lol Message to The Guardian... this is what we call "heaven"... this is good to cycle in, it's the easy traffic. Try cycling in places like Oxford Street or Regents Street in rush hour. It's an obstacle course. Buses, lorries, pedestrians running across the road almost taking me or others out, especially when they run out from the front of a bus or big vehicle and you have no idea they're about to pop out. It's crazy.

THIS is a "cycle superhighway"?! Jesus Christ!

It is often van drivers that drive too close, here in Cheshire too on the country lanes. HGVs are nearly always excellent and will wait behind more often and always give more room. Studies need to be done to confirm this and then to see why. Doing something about it would save lives.

cycle lanes should be segregated, and they only need to be the width of 2 cyclists to ride but feature the same structure as roads, keep left unless overtaking,.then you won't be taking up the width of the road that was really needed. besides... most cyclists still don't use them lanes so it hasn't helped at all.

This could be safe. One car lane and one bus/bike lane with strict enforcement. We don't want cars used to kill people.

What an unpleasant place to ride a bike.

Sh** london. Bad attitudes from drivers, bad cycle lanes, bad TFL. Protect yourself people !!!

Wow. 8 year old and barely anything has changed apart from Boris went from Mayor to PM...

"cycle highway", a motor vehicle highway/motorway of this quality would basically be a village back road where you have to push your car across a river every 15-20 minutes

1 question why dont you wear a hi viz ? i no its not needed in day time but the highway code 59?60 advise to do it so the drivers can clearly see you

That sidewalk is so wide, why not take a portion of it and turn it into a cycle path?

Can you tell me the road name please?

I believe where the bits are just blue it’s not a cycle lane, just simply a cycle route

Have any of the planners actually visited Holland to pick up any tips.

I've ridden CS2 a couple of times, including the Bow roundabout, and most of what I saw was segregated, although I also couldn't figure out the traffic lights. Brighton seems to have it right, although I was usually around Sussex Uni so it kind of had to make it right.

You ought to see what it is like in the rest of the UK. At least you get a budget for improving cycle facilities.

I live in Whitechapel and I can tell you, Whitechapel Road is very dangerous for cyclists

They're all driving their car or truck in the buslane and they don't even care

OMG, this infrastructure is terrible. While watching your video I was scared every second that you might have an accident. You are very brave to use this so-called cycling lane which is more virtual than real.

The cycle lanes have been improved in 2015.

The queen must of found a bunch of extra blue paint in her basement! Had to do something with it!

The problem is there is not enough space for cycles and the amount of traffic on our roads

There no point building a proper superhighway because some cyclist prefer to stay on the road and moan about the cycle lane not been good enough...The councils should spend the money drilling for oil....This bike superhighway is poor and nothing to boast about ..It just a low budget in a city stuck for room ...Maybe the cyclist should start funding it more privately and go underground or high rise lanes ?Turn the cycle mass movement into constructive work ..There be a low turn up like most protest..All talk and no action ....Just blocking it..

If you were an experienced cyclist you'd be terrified on that route.

Cycled in London once and will never do it again, almost got hit by buses, lorries and taxis. Put me off cycling on roads for months!

Paints a blue strip on a busy road, calls it cycle SUPERhighway. Briliant "engineering". Maybe someone mistook a repair technician for an engineer, since they're called the same in Britain.

I think the blue lane is very misleading to drivers, as it suggests that they can just go past in the other part of the inside lane as long as the cyclist is in the blue area. This is blatantly dangerous.

For foreigners: Basically they wanted to look like they were doing things without spending any money at all. So they got a company to pay to paint some bits of the road blue and put up advertisements and such and that was basically it - a regular road with some paint on it. They didn't make the lanes differing widths to allow traffic to pass cyclists, there isn't even a cycle lane, it's just blue paint at the side of one lane.

Great video, well done budy. Rob. Montreal, Qc.

Suggestion to improve the situation for cyclist in London: allow cyclists to ride counter flow in 1 way streets for motorists traffic. You know the quiet residential roads. Less accidents for cyclists. All it takes are "exepted for cyclists" under a "forbidden entry" sign. This situation is practice in the Netherlands for decades. Cyclists take a shorter route than a car. So motorists may consider to get on their bikes.

As you say. Absolutely crazy. There is No actual bike highway

Wait mayor of London I thought London was ran by the queen. Learn something new everyday.

all they have to do is give trucks room when turning ans tuff

I mean thats a bit crap but better than nothing, good start

CS2 is getting (marginally) better with alot of segregated sections . Although if you're travelling further east past Stratford and onto Ilford, it all goes pear shaped again. Really bad

Seems to me these Cycle lanes are an after thought

death trap, truly naff, we need a credible london mayor to sort !

It seems people just don't get it. To those people I say, go to Amsterdam!

The only way forward is to completely seperate cyclists from motorised traffic. There is bad behaviour from both sides and that is not likely to change any time soon,nor are we going to see seperation soon either because that would cost money.

Thank God ! I live in the Netherlands.

Pathetic. If London has a better cycle infrastructure it would mean less pollution, less noise, less expenditure on health, less congestion on tube and billions saved on not having to build more tube lines. If London streets are so difficult to incorporate bike lanes into then why not build raised concrete super highways that motor vehicles can’t get near?

I know it's not great but it's a lot better than the infrastructure in many other British cities

It's not just London, this is a nationwide problem. Cyclists are a second thought, but then so are the roads. The entire road network in this country is just falling apart and to be honest it's getting to the point of beyond repair.

I would have a bunch of Cycle Lane stickers printed-up and stick them on the windshields of the cars parked in the Cycle Lane.

Man, I feel like London has come a long way since this. At least I really hope so 😂

Anyone here from Jay Foreman?

I'd refuse to use it.

and what are they building to ease the traffic in north london, which would be far more important? Need wider roads and less traffic lights. The traffic there is ridiculous

I'd feel safer base-jumping than cycling in London .

Seriously, major cities needs to plan these "cycle" path much better, so that it is safe/safer for everybody, the city engineers need to look at the neighboring country/cities such as Holland and Copenhagen. But in the end it's all about money, form a economic standpoint it is much cheaper to just draw a blue track on a piece of road and deal with the accidents here and then, as well as the lives it costs. While I understand from both the cars and the cyclists perspective, I know that both can be assholes and respectful. Cyclist needs to respect cars and don't treat themselves as a motor vehicle, and cars needs to be more aware that there are cyclist around them.

3:55 Looks like New York.

yeah, I understand your concern, but sadly is amazing cycling infrastructure by international standards. I really like how there's no lane for parked cars, and on some parts there's a segregated bike path on the road. Even though I've only been to London once, I think I've seen part of the road you showed at :32 on the internet, so that's really cool. Keep up the good work in standing up for cycling infrastructure:)

Aug 2016 and big improvements - segregated nearly everywhere. Only tried it 2x and on weekends but now pleasant to use.

It's just like New York.

If you don't know you need to at red light you shouldn't be on the public highway

"TAKE SPACE AWAY FROM CARS"

I am a cyclist and all I can say is stop going up the inside of bloody lorries and cars.

" Cycle Super Highway." ?? What rubbish. This is a lame attempt by the authorities to appease bike riders . The city can say , " see we made a bike lane for you so stop complaining " What they created is something that is MORE dangerous than if there were no signs indicating it is a bike lane. The situation now makes bike riders think that the busses and other vehicles will be considerate of the them, but that is false security as it has already been proven to be a death trap. Shame on those that instituted this sadistic so called solution .

depressing

Shame on you London

Appalling cycle infrastructure!! Yikes! And I thought I had it bad in the US!

It's gonna be bad with the Brexit ... ?

Bikes should be allowed on pavements. The roads are not made for cars in London. Change the infrastructure or change the rules governing traffic.

THEY INVESTED MILLIONS INTO THIS AND ALL THEY DO IS PAINT BLUE SPLODGES

0:53 Why is he outside the blue cycle lane, while simultaneously complaining about a van driving to close to him?!?!!

Cycle "superhighway" cs7 is a big blue car park with huge potholes until central London so so so pointless !

Just like Taipei's Dunhua Road cycling path......

A significant percentage of those lorry related deaths were cyclists undertaking. That's asking for trouble!

I take the Jeremy Clarkson school of thought work harder and buy a car.

ban cars. problem solved

Jesus

Funny how you expect life to change just for you and for everyone else to suffer.

Alas not enough dead cyclists.

A Lot of the problems would be solved by doing three things. Give bikes nice big cycle highways. Where the highways are ban the bikes from using the traffic lanes and give push bikes numberplates to stop the muppets who jump the lights all the time

I'm so glad to live in the Netherlands.

There is no way I would like to cycle in London I've got no interested in doing so.

Not as bad as Riga.

Shit, not understand that english)))

councils are payed to install cycle paths, they have a certain total lebngth of paths to create to install to get tgeir money but the paths don't have to connect up or even really go anywhere useful, they should have raiseded kerbs to psychically keep vehicles out, these pathetic lanes are pointless, I,d be on the pavement myself its about a million times safer, its judt a sick joke.

cars? ah, those were the days when nobody gave a shit about anything other than getting from A to B very fast for some pointless reason or other. i really miss the danger of instant death and pleasant smelling, cancerous fumes from millions of one ton cars, each wafting its single lone rider along serenely, apart from the massive engine being worked by the effort of hundreds of fossil fuel slaves. each car leaving a pretty blue haze in its wake, along thousands of totally unsustainable, 'burn 300 million years of stored sunlight as fast as possible', essential places to grow food destroying, car superhighways. but that was the past, before common sense and this thing called 'science' entered politics for the first time. and those 'roads' as they were known as ? well they were all eventually ripped up and planted with trees, apart from a thin strip wide enough for ebikes. the trees that would still grow, that is. what happened? well, someone clever and not called jeremy, worked out we could just ride these clever ebikes instead, that use hardly any energy at all, and put up with a bit of discomfort, and add a bit of time to our journeys. or, or, just not travel at all. that last part was the most clever and original bit. the inventor of that idea must have been a genius to think it up. absolutely nobody had ever thought of it before, even though there was over 9 billion people by then. and so the threat of global warming, that nobody knew how to solve before then, went away. apart from the massive part that was already in the can because nobody even dared mention banning cars (apart from andy765gtr) until it was much too fcking late.

Complete joke...a token effort at best...

Laughing in Dutch

A bicycle superhighway? Mmmbrprfst, hihi, mwoehahahah! You English still live in Cromwell's days as far as your traffic-infrastructure is concerned. Mediëval! Greetz from NL and I wish you all a nice Brexit.