Rail, Camden and Time

I have now made three significant updates to the concept schematic map for a London segregated cycle network from 2016.

Revised Map:

London Segregated Cycle Network Map 2016

First off, I have looked to incorporate all major railway termini that serve central London. This means the map now includes:

• Kings Cross
• St Pancras
• Euston
• Paddington
• Victoria
• Waterloo
• London Bridge
• Liverpool Street
• Blackfriars/Farringdon

This has not been easy, with no clear cycle route to pretty every station except Waterloo. However the stations are absolutely key due to the demand they generate, both for people living in London and the people coming in from outside. Indeed, in the Netherlands, 45% of all rail trips start with a cycle journey. If the map is to be relevant it needs to both reflect current demand but also encourage additional cycling to and from high demand centres such as these.

The sec0nd major change has been to try to incorporate the cycle infrastructure changes both current and future going in the London Borough of Camden. This has meant I have included the two way cycle route along Tarrington Place/Tavickstock Place and the planned semi segregation of Gower Street. The aim of the map is for the network shown to be underpinned by high quality segregated cycle routes such as these. But it also must fit in within a network and as a result other high quality links in Camden and elsewhere have not been included as of yet as it is not clear how they fit into a network context. This of course will change if and when additional cycling routes are opened in the months and years to come.

The final change has been to include 10 minute time bands. This is simply to try and give a quick understanding to the user on how long it will take to get to places of interest. It assumes a quite liberal cycle speed of 12kph. This is mainly so that each 10 minute time band also equates to 2km. It has also been done like this so that varying times due to local diversions and infrastructure differences can be taken into account as much as possible. My feeling is that people will feel more positive about cycling to their destination if they get there in time or even quicker than advertised.

Again, this map work is all very much a work in progress so all comments and feedback welcome. Thanks!

 

 

 

 

The Refinement

So after being lucky enough to get some feedback from my last post, I updated (and hopefully improved) my concept tube style map for the future London segregated cycle network, as of some time in 2016.

London Segregated Cycle Network 2016 MAP

The changes have been made to try and accentuate the positives of the fully segregated cycle routes by making these links stand out more. I have also tried to pull back the emphasis on the links that are unsegregated, in particular CS1. The idea is that the map should inform not only on where you can go but also what you will encounter. Even if you have never been to London before but someone has given you a bicycle, the hope is that this map will inform you on what you can expect as well as where you can find and discover.

All links have been given added descriptions and varied line widths in order to help the user differentiate between the types of infrastructure available. There is potential to develop instead a matrix for infrastructure that may be more user friendly to read. This is probably the next task.

Some have wondered if there’s even a network out there to be shown at all. It is certainly a valid question. My own feeling is that as it will be possible to make many trips between destinations that sit on the different cycle superhighways (CS’s) and that these trips  can mainly be done using the CS infrastructure, thus constituting a cycle network. The hope is that as time goes by in 2016 the links between the CS routes will be filled by high quality Quiet Ways (QW’s) and the central London cycling grid. These indeed will be the backbone of any network. If they are of high quality, a network will grow and people will believe there is one. However if they are simply painted lines, or worse still nothing at all, and have little in the way of signage it will certainly be difficult to justify the idea that London has a veritable cycle network.

Once again, if you have any comments on what read or see, feedback more than welcome!

 

London Segregated Cycle Network #LSCN

I have written this blog to highlight a concept tube style map I have come up for cycling in London. It is based around London’s burgeoning number of segregated cycle lanes. I refer to it all as the new London Segregated Cycle Network #LSCN. It can be viewed here Final_Map_Grid_streamed_15112015_2

It highlights the cycle superhighways where major segregation work has been or is currently being undertaken. There are also general cycle links highlighted that help link the network together. These links include links to places of interest close to the segregated network, such as major train stations.

This is very much a concept map from someone who does not have a lot of experience in map making. I am hoping initially that it can generate discussion and debate about the need for such a map. I am then hoping that any feedback, as well as maybe assistance from better people than myself, can help shape this map into something universal that will then be useful to people of all cycling abilities who would like to cycle in London.

The idea would then be to make such a map available for free and that one day it would become as ubiquitously used as the tube map itself.