Forum topic: Cycling in Enfield - the view from the saddle - Episode 1

What I'm about to say is not a new thought for most supporters of a more livable Enfield; but I feel compelled to say it.

Today I spent a couple of hours, and then a medium drive, with my very excellent car mechanic/friend. He trained on the British bases in Cyprus, and for the last few years of his working life ran a small garage in Palmers Green. He's a car man through and through.

And how bitterly he hates the cycle lanes, or more accurately, how he resents the loss of space for cars. Which I guess is how the vast majority of drivers feel. All of which re-affirms how brave many councillors, mostly Labour, were/are. In fact, and in the very long run, they may well be remembered in glowing terms as pioneers of change towards a better London.

Meanwhile I salute them!

Today I set out on another cycle ride to explore the Green Lanes cycle lanes. This time I went the full length plus cycling along Cecil Road, Church Street (the High Street) and Genotin Road. It went well, but I had to ask two or three people/groups to return to the pavement and one or two drivers had parked with the nearside wheels in the cycle lane. What the situation needs now is more cyclists, not least cycling children/cycling mothers with children; perhaps spring and summer will bring them out.

In my previous submission I told the tale of a car journey with the mechanic who looks after my car. It was coming-out-of-school time, and there were cars everywhere causing long delays - the worst I've ever come across. What a difference it would make if kids as young as five walked or later biked to school as I did. But of course that would mean the end of drivers 'sense of entitlement' to travel at a speed they choose rather than the one specified by the council. Or, better still, drivers themselves taking to riding a bike - many contributors/readers to/of this site will have seen how kids in many European countries travel on their parent's bike or in a trolley trailed behind.

If they can do it, we can.

This message connects with the current debate: " A message from Winchmore Hill police" which is about the fact that cyclists are not compelled to use cycle lanes. And I want to say that, although I'm currently biking on the cycle lanes as much as I can, I won't continue that once they are in regular use by less experienced bikers and newcomers. Quite simply the cycle lanes have too many deviations and obstacles to continuous cycling; not least walkers invading them rather than using the pavements.

This morning was a classic case with people standing in groups talking (but just not thinking where they were), and one or two individuals deliberately walking in front of me as I approached. I'm sure this will improve as time passes and awareness improves, but still it seems that there will be enough impediments to make cycling on the carriageway a better option.

And there is another point. I stood beside the north-bound carriageway for a few minutes this morning just watching the traffic a few tens of metres south of the Fox. From time to time traffic was held by the zebra crossing there, and more than one sporty young man accelerated foot-down from that experience and then braked hard behind the tailback leading up to the works at the bottom of Bourne Hill. Better that there is some shady old characters like me on bikes helping to make that 'sense of entitlement' a bit less likely. Just drifting along is all that's necessary in that circumstance

I think the purpose of such world class cycle infrastructure is not to simply help confident vehicular cyclists who average 15MPH+ and ride alongside traffic all day long (though personally I enjoy the respite), they're all about the "8 to 80" vision for healthier streets and more active travel. I'd be happy to never see a single lycra clad £2k bike riding Wiggo-wannabe on EMH if it meant it was packed with kids, e-bikers, cargo-bikes and elderly etc.

For all that I said in my previous post on 16 January I'm in close agreement with David Eden about an '8 to 80' active travel culture. Where we differ is in the limitation of '80'. I'm there already and I've no intention of curtailing my active travel. And of course I agree that the new cycle lanes, whatever their limitations for speedy cycling, are a wonderful addition towards developing a cycling culture and giving kids their freedoms back.

Looking at the letters in the local press today, Enfield INDEPENDENT, it's clear that some drivers, and probably most, didn't hear what the Council was saying when it proposed the cycle lanes: that the intention was a reduction of space for cars, and to encourage drivers not to make short, especially driver-only, journeys along Green Lanes. Purpose: reducing congestion, overall a more active community and better air quality. They were very worthy aims, though of course before electric vehicles became the probable 'fuel of the future'. Personally I think it could almost have been thought of as a 'noble ' decision given the 'sense of entitlement many, many drivers have. For goodness sake this move was in the interest of the whole community '8 to 80' or '8 to 90' as I would put it.

Finally I would agree with Karl B. that Palmers Green looks much better for the change. Also riding through Palmers Green this morning and noticing some things from the corner of my eye, I thought some of shop fronts looked better than I remember them.

Everyday different!

On my cycle ride this morning I again stuck to the northbound cycle lane beginning at The Triangle in Palmers Green. As I entered it was relatively clear of pedestrians, but towards the Fox there was a mother pushing a pram accompanied a friend with toddler bang in the middle; neither looked behind them. So as I approached I rang my new large and lusty bell (the original makers bell was next to worthless). The friend woke up quickly, laughing. But the mother with the pram was clearly amazed; after all the cycle lane has a wonderful surface for pushing a pram.

But onwards, only to find, just short of the entrance to Sainsbury's big store, a very large 4x4 across both the cycle a lane and the pavement, with its nose against the wall. Several police were on the forecourt of the petrol station opposite which was roped off.

Next the stretch through the shops in Winchmore Hill where a bloke (walking) joined the cycle lane just in front of me, and began walking in front of me keeping to the cycle lane. Several rings of my lusty bell later I gave up and rode round him on the pavement which was clear at that moment. Was he deaf or did he mean it? I thought it best not to challenge him in case deafness was the issue.

I came home the hilly way as usual because it's more demanding - helping with fitness - and I think it's important to show myself off as an elderly man on a bike. And today I came across more proper cyclists, particularly on the Broad Walk. Were they just going somewhere, or escaping both the cycle lane and a narrowed carriageway?

On Friday evening last Myrna (wife), a brother-in-law and wife, travelled down to southwest London to attend a play in a local community theatre (about 300 seats) where a couple of family friends were acting. We travelled down by bus and tube, brother-in-law and wife from Cockfosters, Myrna and I from home, a journey of an hour or so, followed by a 15 minutes walk. After the play was over we met with the 'actors' in the bar for a chat.

When our mode of travel came up our acting friends were scandalized, absolutely amazed. We'll drive you home - that would have meant six in a four seater and a long detour from their home - you can't do that, you really can't do that. Well we did, and it went smoothly at nearly 1.00 am on a Saturday morning.

If anybody who reads this travels by bike or public transport they will probably be familiar with the scenario; it's certainly not the first time, nor even the tenth time, I've come across it. But I thought it worth relating the story because it illustrates and reminds us how deeply entrenched people are in a belief that personal, private travel in a car door-to-door is the only way. In fact I designed a garden for a high-end academic with a profile on TV who persists in driving to work in deepest London every day - he'd hire a taxi rather than get the tube, train or bus.

We have some high obstacles to jump, as my story about my car mechanic also illustrated. What our friends think about my cycling habit I dread to think.

Somewhere or other in a recent debate - I've not been able to trace it though it was quite recent - I commented that some drivers were beginning not to stop/pause behind the white line across side streets giving access to Green Lanes (think Woodberry Avenue and Fernleigh Road just south of Sainsbury's big store as examples). Which means that they are not be able to see cyclists on the cycle lane until the last moment, and, should they have to halt short of the carriageway, that a cyclists has to detour behind the car or wait for the car to shift.............and there may be a queue of cars as happened to me this afternoon.

You might think that this is a classic case of driver 'sense of entitlement', and that may be so, but it equally could be that there are still so few cyclists that drivers get feed up with stopping for no reason.

Time to get the bike out and go for spin?