Isle of Dogs fury that cyclists may be allowed to ride through Greenwich foot tunnel

Both those tunnels are wide enough to cycle through and in the times I have used them, every so often, I've rode through with no issues with pedestrians. I don't think I've seen many cyclists walking , but loads riding with no problems. They should take the no cycling restrictions away and spend more time making sure the lifts work. 

FOGWOFT ( friends of Greenwich and Woolwich Foot Tunnels ) have been looking at this for some years. I think the proposal is to allow considerate cycling out of peak hours and to use electronic signs to indicate when this will be permitted. The key word here is considerate. It might be worth contacting FOGWOFT directly on this to get their views.

FOGWOFT ( friends of Greenwich and Woolwich Foot Tunnels ) have been looking at this for some years. I think the proposal is to allow considerate cycling out of peak hours and to use electronic signs to indicate when this will be permitted. The key word here is considerate. It might be worth contacting FOGWOFT directly on this to get their views.

This is the narrow bit as you approach the Isle of Dogs, as youi can see it isn't wide enough to ride alongside pedestrians so we did the correcet thing and walked to the lift.

Quote:

Cllr Woods, representing Canary Wharf ward, ran a survey on August 1 which found 191 cyclists unlawfully riding through the tunnel in just 50 minutes, while 152 walked and eight ran with their bikes. There were 274 pedestrians in that time, including 31 children, as well as five mums with prams and one wheelchair disabled.

351 cyclists

274 pedestrians

5 mums with prams

1 wheelchair

Maybe they should ban walking in the tunnel? Or maybe ban prams?

Having been through the tunnel a number of times I've found it to be too wet and slippery for safe cycling.  You are better off on foot!

@FluffyKitten - I think you're on to something there. However, I'd recommend building a third hidden tunnel just for the grow lamps and crops. It'd soon pay for itself.

I have to say that if the behaviour of a small no. of people on bikes matches that experienced on the Bristol end of the Bristol-Bath cyclepath recently in the rush hour, then keeping bikes out of what looks like a narrow tunnel seems about right to me.

Pushing a bike through the tunnel inconveniences other people far more than riding it considerately - not only are you wider, but you're down there for longer. I can't see any reason to proscribe cycling at a speed suitable for the conditions - which could be anywhere from walking pace to 20mph. The only rule needed is "don't be a dick".

The fact that there are no recorded injuries shows what a non-issue this is. It always amazes me how worked up some people can get when they see someone Breaking A Rule, no matter how pointles the rule is.

So, I've looked into this and it seems the original tunnel only cost £80,000* and was dug out by hand with shovels 'n stuff in just a couple of years. I say fund a second parallel bike-only one via kickstarter. Additional funding to be raised via the selling of souvenir t-shirts and towels and occasional closure for private corporate events.

Contributors can also bring along a shovel and pickaxe for hands-on involvement. No need for expensive new plans from overpaid 'consultants' either, just use the original ones shifted 50 feet downstream (note to self - try to remember to account for river possibly being a tiny bit wider there). All that's left is to buy a giant metal tube from somewhere and put in a bulk order of white bathroom tiles from B&Q.

Seems perfectly feasible. Might not even need lifts, as cyclists are fitter than pedestrians.

What could possibly go wrong?

*I might not have accounted for a century's worth of inflation

Edit - could stick a few pot-plants under gro-lamps in it, to get Joanna Lumley on side. Er, I mean potted-plants, not pot-plants. Honest.

That does look quite narrow. I suspect that I would be more inclined to cycle than to walk through there as I take up less space cycling than walking alongside my bike. As long as cyclists are careful, then I don't see a problem and the lack of incidents suggests that it's not a problem. However, are cyclists being careful because they know that they aren't supposed to be cycling?

If people were considerate of each other and paid attention it wouldn't be an issue but because they can't be and don't it will be a problem.

I came through the tunnel a few weeks back with a Santander bike and walked in places and rode a short stretch too but dismounted as I got close to Isle of Dogs side as the tunnel narrows a lot. At the time I was in the tunnel there were other cyclists who weren't wearing out their shoe leather either.

Fact Checking for Road.CC direct from TfL website:

Docklands Light Railway - Non-folded bicycles

 Allowed off-peak Monday-Friday until 07:30, between 09:30-16:00, and after 19:00 and all day weekends and on bank holidays. For safety reasons, bicycles aren't allowed at Bank station

I am a regular user of both the Woolwich and the Greenwich tunnels. Although structuraly very similar there is a massive difference in the numbers of people - both pedestrian and cyclist - who use them.

I cycle through the Woolwich tunnel almost every time as the times and the level of traffic mean that it is safe to ride through. This is despite of the twat who decided to side-step and try to shoulder barge me shouting "Your supposed to walk you f*****g c**t! Can't you read the f*****g signs!" [Language rendered into English for the purpose of clarity]. We were the only people in the tunnel at the time.

As for the Greenwich? Every time that I have used it I have felt that the number of users has rendered it unsafe to cycle through. I walk my bike through. The only problems I have faced are from 'cyclists' insisting on trying to ride through the crowds of people. 'Cyclists' are easy to spot; they are the stressed, sweaty ones in lycra and wearing road cleats. Road cleats are what probably prevents them from acting like human beings and walking.

What is worst  (widest) in a confined space? A cyclist cycling considerately or a pedestrian walking alongside a bike?  I  regularly use a footbridge with 'No cycling' signs at either end, yet the equally wide paths leading to the bridge have no such prohibition. I am much less likely to cause inconvenience to pedestrians if I stay on my bike and proceed with care.

Bad idea both Greenwich and Woolwich tunnels too narrow. Flattened babies and more bad press for cyclists inevitable. Push your bike through and save energy for carrying it up the stairs at the other end because the lift not working. What both councils should concentrate on is improving the cycle infrastructure at either end of both tunnels, which is abysmal.

So eventhough "Some 1.5 million people use the tunnel every year, and at its peak accommodates 250 cyclists an hour" and there has never been an accident they think it is a bad Idea ?

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/cycling_enforcementalleviation_a

Under the FOI:

(a) incidents or accidents (including statistical information and reports) 
relating to or occasioned by cycling in the Greenwich foot tunnel;

Whilst there have been reports of thoughtless cyclists, the council does 
not have any records of any actual accidents involving mounted cyclists in 
the tunnel.

And if you fo get fined it would cost you £1.

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/greenwich/15429724.You_will_soon_be_ab...

I walked through the Greenwich foot tunnel 6 times this year (3 days during the morning and evening commute). There were plenty of cyclists and pedestrians, and absolutely no conflict.

mum's with prams are their own worst enemy - I'm guessing the concept of birth control hasn't yet reached the Isle of Dogs or south of the Thames

Progress

This may sound radical, but what about a new river crossing in East london then ? Between Tower bridge and the Dartford crossing there is exist almost no means to cross teh river on foot/by bike. This tunnel (too narrow to cycle anyway), Rotherhithe tunnel (too fume filled for most people to cycle and almost no cars stick to the 20mph limit. Blackwall (no peds or bikes allowed) , and the ferries.   London in is dire need of at least one, preferably 2 new crossings between Tower Bridge and the M25. Head west and you can throw stones off one bridge and hit the next.