What is this on one of the most dangerous roads in London?

A poster to get more people cycling and keeping fit.

This was just by Aldgate where there is no cycle path, the road is heavy with lorries and concrete mixers and where vehicles regularly use our ASLs.

There were more of these Get Cycling posters along Bow where cycle paths are extremely narrow. This road also has motorcyclists using the shared bus/cycle lanes either legally or illegally. It also has a huge amount of fatalities.

There is still no positive sign of the ‘promised’ cycling superhighway along this road that money was supposed to be put towards. Where are the decent facilities for cyclist? Give them to us and we will cycle more.

Sure, I can see people being tempted to cycle. When did you see a cyclist smiling at Aldgate?

Not only did the bus stop by Aldgate have this poster to encourage us to get healthy it, there were several ads for junk food such as an adverts for Magnum, a fattening icecream and Coca Cola.

Aldgate: Motorcyclist in Cyclist’s Advanced Stop Line (ASL)

In Aldgate, where they have finally got round to painting, or in some places, ‘half painting’ the ASLs for cyclist. All that effort to help us.. and just look who is on it? Yes, a lawless and very selfish motorcyclist.

In fact, there was another one, right on the ASL, in front but unfortunately my digital camera went all funny so I ended up using my mobile phone instead to take a photo of the other. Furthermore, on the road previously, there was yet another motorcyclist on an ASL. That’s three. What about us cyclists?

Surprisingly, many motorists, did not park on the ASL. Motorcyclist seem to think it belongs to them.

The Cycling ‘Camoflague’ company email back with positive news

” We will be adding new fashion colours in the Winter 09 program and will certainly consider a Red and Mustard shades well as a check.

We did spend a lot of time researching women consumers both cyclist and non cyclists, and Black and Stucco were the top choice. As the range develops we will introduce more colours. As well as a range innovative accessories and summer tops.”

Getting better.. but Mustard? That’s kind of sickly. No one suits mustard! Maybe the consumers were colour-blind?!

The Age of Stupid: Motorists twittering at the wheel

The Times finally wrote a tiny article today about lawless motorists using Twitter whilst driving. A survey of 1000 motorists found this to be the case. They recorded 9% but of course, the figure is bound to be much worse. The poll said that 45 percent sent texts and made calls whilst driving.

This comes as no surprise.

3 women cyclists have died already in London

Will I be next?

I am off to toxic London tomorrow..

Condolances

Condolances offered from this blog to the famillies of the women cyclists crushed in London in Elephant and Castle, and now Gower Street. RIP fellow cyclists to the Great Car Free Heaven in the sky.

Top Searches on this blog today

goswell road accident
accident on goswell road today
cyclist killed goswell road
elephant and castle cyclist
woman cyclist cement truck london
goswell road cyclist
cyclist goswell road
goswell street, cement, accident
bike death london elephant and castle
bike accident elephant and castle

Update: Goswell Road

1800hours. The Islington Gazette has finally printed a story on the ‘yet another’ brutal crushing of a female cyclist in London this morning and I’ve updated my earlier post with it (a couple of posts or so so ago). There is still no news on the story in today’s Evening Standard and the three so-called ‘cycling correspondents’ who write ‘cycling stuff’ for thisislondon.co.uk, do not appear to have written anything about what many London cyclists are interested in or offered their condolances.

Photographing members of armed forces & intelligence services

The Age of Stupid

Section 76 of the ‘Confusing Counter Terrorism Act’ – the saga continues as the Daily Mail print more stuff on it today.

So we aren’t supposed to take photos of them. So what about tourists watching Trooping the Colour, the Royal Tournament and the Guards outside Whitehall? How do we know whether those pics will be ‘useful for dodgy people?’. What about taking a piccy of the Queen who has various links with the Armed Forces and, of course, Prince William? Will there be no tacky postcards with soldiers on in London?

How on earth can photographers tell if someone is a plain clothes police officer, someone in the army wearing civvies or an undercover intelligence officer? Does that mean we have to make pictures of buildings and hope that there isn’t a bloomin’ reflection of a police officer in it? Do photographers have to be psychic or do they have to ask ‘Er hem, excuse me, but are you a plain clothes police officer or a member of the intelligence, it’s just that you look rather like one with your shiny boots?’. Even ‘communicating information’, whatever that means is supposed to land you in jail, longer than a lawless motorist. Does that mean no one can talk about certain police involved in serious road accidents either?

Apparently photographers could be banged up in jail for up to 10 years.

I bet everyone’s stocking up on spare tooth brushes, razors and good books for a long stint in jail.

Extreme Violence: Goswell Road, another female cyclist crushed in cement mixer terroism

Another case of Cement Mixer Terrorism on London’s Roads, one after another.

Thanks to BillBuffalo and Carlton Reid for reporting it today
Confirmed: Fatality

Thanks to tricitybendix who managed to get the Reg Number. Turns out several accidents have happened in the area and there is apparently one ghost bike 100yards from this incident.

1200 hours. As yet no news reported on the Evening Standard (thisislondon.co.uk). The only current headlines are:

“Top cop quits over security blunder
Watchdog to question G20 policeman
Bank set to leave rates unchanged
Italy quake death toll reaches 275
‘Scandalous’ care of elderly, claim
Man facing 1983 girl murder charge
Victim ‘too bruised to be hugged’
Scam victims get their money back
Easter set to test travel network
Obesity spending rises for trusts”

No news on BBC nor Mayor of London.

1222 hours. No news on the London Met website either, just this:

“Statement re death of Ian Tomlinson 08 April 09
Met tackles drug dealing in Brent 08 April 09
Appeal re linked attempted rapes 07 April 09
‘Kid Cop’ project helps students learn about police”

1227 hours.. and no news on in the local paper, the Islington Gazette either. Presumably relatives are being informed.

1315 hours. Still no news on BBC London, Evening Standard and the Islington Gazette.

In 2007 LCC had a petition about Goswell Road:

“A big thank to everyone who signed the Goswell Road Island Petition either in person or via email. We had more than 500 signatures which were presented to Islington Council on the 29th of March 2007.

There is now a commitment from Transport for London to review the scheme and re-consult on the new proposals for the road scheme taking account of cyclist and pedestrian views.

Islington councillors have praised the contribution of the the Islington Cyclists Action Group, London Cycling Campaign and LCC in Hackney to the debate on Goswell Road.

It is not every day that TfL changes its mind in response to public pressure and your signatures on the petition as well as the work of ICAG, LCC and LCCiH, have played a real part in that.

We will keep updating this website with the latest on Goswell Road.

In addition to improving the Goswell Road crossing for cyclists and pedestrians we understand that TfL will also:

drop the right turn ban which would have diverted traffic via White Lion Street

retain the U turn possibility at the island, albeit with a pedestrian friendly ’shared surface’ treatment

scrap the proposed loss of green space at Duncan Terrace (TfL has recognised that it had no right to propose this, as the land is borough land)”.

But clearly cyclists still have to cycle alongside cement mixers.

Update: 1717hours Finally the Islington Gazettle has some info on the incident:

“A CYCLIST died when she was crushed by a cement mixer today.

The rider – a woman in her 30s – suffered multiple injuries in the crash, which occurred at the junction of Goswell Road and Old Street, Finsbury, at about 9.20am.

She was pronounced dead at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel little more than an hour later.

Paramedics and firefighters had rushed to the scene in an attempt to save the woman, who was under the lorry’s back wheels, but her injuries were too severe.

A spokeswoman for Clerkenwell fire station said: “We were going to raise the lorry but there wasn’t time. So we cut the bike away from her and we were able to take her from under the lorry.”

A London Ambulance Service spokeswoman added: “We sent one single responder, two ambulances and an air ambulance doctor in a car. A female patient was taken as a priority to the Royal London Hospital in a serious condition.”

A 34-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and is currently in custody.

Anyone with information should call the Collision Investigation Unit at Euston Traffic Garage on 020 7321 9960.”

Finally some information despite this happening hours ago. Very pleased to hear that The London Hospital tried to help her. That hospital was founded by some of my relatives many years ago and I have a ’soft spot for it’. I am glad they out there doing their bit. Glad that the driver will be arrested but will he go to jail?