Last Saturday a group of us got together in association with the Cycling Embassy of Great Britain to look at some of the work in progress on the construction of cycling infrastructure in various corners of London.
This post will be the first of a series giving a flavour of what we saw, although please bear in mind that this can only be a snapshot; conditions can change at different times of the day and week! There is another safari planned for Sunday 13th December, but I think I will be starting it at Stratford thus saving a return to Waltham Forest for the Spring. The subject of this week's post is the Waltham Forest Mini-Holland scheme which is ostensibly a cycling infrastructure project, but as we saw, it is so much bigger than that. Truly a project going #beyondthebicycle.
![]()
We met up in the weak Autumn sunshine at Orford Road (myself having just guzzled tea and a bacon roll at the Village Bakery) to have a quick look around the area. Orford Road was an amazing contrast to the rotten route I had cycled from entering the edges of Stratford and up through the A112 which all were traffic sewers with parking everywhere.
Orford Road was quiet and calm and the small collection of cafes had people using the chairs and tables placed outside. The scheme on the ground was taken forward after an experimental scheme to ban motor traffic during the day (apart from a local bus route) and I was sent a link to a video after the ride which shows what things were like immediately after the trial ended and the traffic let back in. How anyone would want to go back is beyond me.
![]()
The street has been relaid as a level surface shared space with motors only allowed through after 10pm at night and before 10am in the morning and the street is one way to motors and 2-way for cycles (I understand there is CCTV enforcement).
The work is finished to a high standard with good quality paving materials for the main walking routes. The area on which traffic runs is a tidily laid asphalt surface. Buses can come through during the restricted times and other vehicle outside of these times, although I thought the asphalt area to be a little narrow for larger vehicles and there were a few maintenance issues appearing.
![]()
The street has a 20mph speed limit and is part of a much larger (and older) 20mph Zone. There were some nice touches such as the lighting columns facing the "wrong" way to illuminate the main walking routes rather than the "carriageway" section. I don't know how visually impaired people find the street and I would be very interested to know.
![]()
The other end of the street is "no entry, except cycles" which works just fine. The other end of the street has incorrect signage in my view however. A white circular sign with a red edge means no vehicles and that technically means cycles. I think this needs to be looked at again and made a pedestrian zone or a pedestrian and cyclist zone when the rules finally catch up. I am not even sure that a one way is required, a no entry and one end makes that the case by default. These may be little issues, but I like to see these details done correctly.
![]()
Business needs are not neglected with a large loading bay provided at one end of the street. Yes, people will need to walk goods using a trolley. I am not sure what the demand is, but we did see a couple of small vans sneak in to deliver and I wonder if allowing deliveries during the banned period would be such an issue?
![]()
Just off Orford Road, a side road has been closed to traffic (Eden Road) and the space combined with a tatty old planted area to create "Walthamstow Village Square" and very nice it is too. The main walking route is paved the same as Orford Road and the open space finished in self-binding gravel which is an awful lot cheaper - a big impact to a budget! The "village" concept is a theme of the Waltham Forest Mini-Holland programme which splits the borough and the work into village themes and from what we could see, things were moving in the right direction. We'll leave the Village with a little video.
![]()
Beyond Orford Road, we had a quick look at a motor traffic filter in the form of a railway bridge carrying West Avenue Road. If you look back in time, you will note that the edge of the carriageway was lined with vehicle containment barriers and this is because either the footways on the bridge or the parapet (walls), or both, were under-strength. Closing the bridge to motors has essentially removed the loading risks to the bridge and the area re-purposed as a motor traffic filter and pocket park; two jobs for the price of one!
![]()
We noticed a series of numbered bollards on the bridge and when I started hopping between them, their use was immediately obvious; a cheeky bit of street play for kids walking along - it will send the health and safety brigade reaching for their hi-viz and clipboard (I think it is wonderful, even as a trained road safety auditor!)
![]()
The closure to motors is part of a wider network of filters which are laid out to prevent or discourage (by making vehicle routes very long) driving through the area, thus leaving it quiet for walking and cycling, but maintaining access for those living and working in the area who need to take vehicles in. This essentially reclassifies this as a network of local streets.
![]()
Not all of the works to filter through motor traffic from the area are high cost. This example at Copeland Road simply uses a bit of asphalt, some bollards and trees to do the job (although the dropped kerbs were not properly flush - attention to detail please guys). The timber planters a left over from the original experimental scheme and I assume they will be reused at the experiment.
So far, this post has not shown any cycling infrastructure other than an "except cycles" sign and this is an important point. Local streets do not need any specific cycling infrastructure, just the removal of heavy and fast through traffic. This is a way of recreating places for people walking too, kids can play in the streets, people can hear each other speak and the pollution and traffic danger is reduced substantially. In the example of Walthamstow Village, Waltham Forest has spent the big money well, in places where people will want to be, but also very little money in other places to remove the unwanted motor traffic.
So, let's have a look at some cycling infrastructure. Our brief whizz around the area took us to Ruckholt Road. Nominally a secondary street (A106), it is part of a wider and more complicated set of one-way systems and loops which permeate the wider area.
![]()
The first section we looked at was a conversion from an advisory cycle lane approaching a junction with an advanced stop line to a mandatory cycle lane protected with "light" segregation in the form of "Orcas". The old cycle lane has been widened by taking a section of footway, but the old channel block has been in which is not a great detail. The Orcas themselves don't instill the same levels of experienced safety as a kerb.
The unit is (I think) some sort of recycled plastic affair with a low profile on the cycling side and a half-battered profile (like a kerb) on the traffic side. They are bolted to the road surface, so no excavation is required. The white line of the cycle lane is on the traffic side which could be an issue for those cycling in the dark - perhaps a line on each side would be better, although that kind of becomes a double-white line road marking which isn't intended for this use.
![]()
As usual, I threw personal safety to the wind and bounced over the edges of the Orcas, although I was on my big bike and I didn't fancy it at speed. I don't know if this is the finished job or an experiment, but I cannot see it as being a long-term solution to providing protection that everyone will happy using.
It is interesting to note that there is no lane or protection in the other direction, although this was previously the case. The other side of the road had car parking inset into the footway (and not done that long ago) which gives a stark contrast between what the borough used to do and what it is trying to do now. One issue I could see with the Orcas was they seem to attract grit and dirt which stays damp after rain which could, over time, lead to potholes forming around them.
![]()
Beyond the Orcas, we reach the junction with Oliver Road. At first, I wondered why the Orcas where in the ASL - a swine to turn right if you miss them, but there is no right turn as shown on the now (and wonderfully) common cycle signals complete with the mini ahead only sign. This lends me to think (and hope) that this is a short term scheme which will be built on in the future.
![]()
A little further west of the junction, there is some kerbed protection which runs into a floating bus stop. The layout gently ramps the single-direction cycle track up to footway level an is picked out with kerbs. It seems to have been bolted on a little to the previous layout. It is wider than others I have seen (such as CS2 at Whitechapel) and it allows one to cycle smoothly, but I think it is a bit messy and not great for pedestrians and passengers.
There is a mini-zebra and tactile paving, but the lack of kerb upstand away from the crossing point will be an issue for some visually impaired people. I get the feeling that this is a bit of an experiment and to be honest, the experience of designing and building something is a good way of learning for many practical engineers. Let's see how it goes.
![]()
Further west, we have a slip road which leads to a retail park, industrial estate and a tangle of roads and roundabouts (i.e. local destinations rather than the A12 and M11). The whole area is a mess of roads and traffic signals and from what we could make out, there are proper kerbed cycle tracks (we didn't cycle east, so can't comment).
The slip road uses a cycle zebra crossing (zebra for pedestrians and "elephant's feet" for cyclists). I must point out that this arrangement remains unlawful as the legislation which was going to allow it has been delayed until next year (the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 since you asked). At first look, it seems OK, but as we crossed, it was clear that some drivers didn't know or want to give way. The problem is that the cycle track runs with the flow of traffic and so cyclists "appear" from behind the nearside of vehicles which is made worse by trees on the approach. This crossing arrangement really needs cycles meeting the crossing at a proper 90 degree angle with an approach to intervisibility is really good.
![]()
Just a little further west we reached the junction with Orient Way where see saw some very good provision. The cycle tracks were laid out like proper little roads with decent kerb radii, cycle signals, stop lines and "elephant's footprints" to denote the crossing path to be taken by cycles.
One little point is that the footprints should be marked outside of the crossing width. Not a massive issue, but we want to show the crossing as wide as possible.
![]()
Like many of us, the designers have been grappling with the lack of stock UK-cycling specific "forgiving" kerbs and here they have opted for small elements kerb with a 45 degree splay and an upstand of about 55/60mm. I bounced up and down them on my big bike, but they are more about preventing pedal-strike and to maximise the available width. They work fine for those reasons. I know Cambridge have been experimenting with bespoke kerbs, but we really need a proper conversion of Dutch versions to the UK and if any suppliers are reading, please have a think about this (or even get in touch).
So as we headed west, we left the emerging modern cycling infrastructure (and yes, with its faults) of Ruckholt Road as the A106 became the Eastway and we entered Hackney. Nothing to write home about here other than bollards, Toucans, shared use and roads designed for lots of traffic. We swung south through the Olympic Park and into Newham on our way to Stratford and Cycle Superhighway 2 and that, friends, will be next week's post.
Orford Road was quiet and calm and the small collection of cafes had people using the chairs and tables placed outside. The scheme on the ground was taken forward after an experimental scheme to ban motor traffic during the day (apart from a local bus route) and I was sent a link to a video after the ride which shows what things were like immediately after the trial ended and the traffic let back in. How anyone would want to go back is beyond me.
The work is finished to a high standard with good quality paving materials for the main walking routes. The area on which traffic runs is a tidily laid asphalt surface. Buses can come through during the restricted times and other vehicle outside of these times, although I thought the asphalt area to be a little narrow for larger vehicles and there were a few maintenance issues appearing.
The street has a 20mph speed limit and is part of a much larger (and older) 20mph Zone. There were some nice touches such as the lighting columns facing the "wrong" way to illuminate the main walking routes rather than the "carriageway" section. I don't know how visually impaired people find the street and I would be very interested to know.
The other end of the street is "no entry, except cycles" which works just fine. The other end of the street has incorrect signage in my view however. A white circular sign with a red edge means no vehicles and that technically means cycles. I think this needs to be looked at again and made a pedestrian zone or a pedestrian and cyclist zone when the rules finally catch up. I am not even sure that a one way is required, a no entry and one end makes that the case by default. These may be little issues, but I like to see these details done correctly.
Business needs are not neglected with a large loading bay provided at one end of the street. Yes, people will need to walk goods using a trolley. I am not sure what the demand is, but we did see a couple of small vans sneak in to deliver and I wonder if allowing deliveries during the banned period would be such an issue?
Just off Orford Road, a side road has been closed to traffic (Eden Road) and the space combined with a tatty old planted area to create "Walthamstow Village Square" and very nice it is too. The main walking route is paved the same as Orford Road and the open space finished in self-binding gravel which is an awful lot cheaper - a big impact to a budget! The "village" concept is a theme of the Waltham Forest Mini-Holland programme which splits the borough and the work into village themes and from what we could see, things were moving in the right direction. We'll leave the Village with a little video.
We noticed a series of numbered bollards on the bridge and when I started hopping between them, their use was immediately obvious; a cheeky bit of street play for kids walking along - it will send the health and safety brigade reaching for their hi-viz and clipboard (I think it is wonderful, even as a trained road safety auditor!)
The closure to motors is part of a wider network of filters which are laid out to prevent or discourage (by making vehicle routes very long) driving through the area, thus leaving it quiet for walking and cycling, but maintaining access for those living and working in the area who need to take vehicles in. This essentially reclassifies this as a network of local streets.
Not all of the works to filter through motor traffic from the area are high cost. This example at Copeland Road simply uses a bit of asphalt, some bollards and trees to do the job (although the dropped kerbs were not properly flush - attention to detail please guys). The timber planters a left over from the original experimental scheme and I assume they will be reused at the experiment.
So far, this post has not shown any cycling infrastructure other than an "except cycles" sign and this is an important point. Local streets do not need any specific cycling infrastructure, just the removal of heavy and fast through traffic. This is a way of recreating places for people walking too, kids can play in the streets, people can hear each other speak and the pollution and traffic danger is reduced substantially. In the example of Walthamstow Village, Waltham Forest has spent the big money well, in places where people will want to be, but also very little money in other places to remove the unwanted motor traffic.
So, let's have a look at some cycling infrastructure. Our brief whizz around the area took us to Ruckholt Road. Nominally a secondary street (A106), it is part of a wider and more complicated set of one-way systems and loops which permeate the wider area.
The first section we looked at was a conversion from an advisory cycle lane approaching a junction with an advanced stop line to a mandatory cycle lane protected with "light" segregation in the form of "Orcas". The old cycle lane has been widened by taking a section of footway, but the old channel block has been in which is not a great detail. The Orcas themselves don't instill the same levels of experienced safety as a kerb.
The unit is (I think) some sort of recycled plastic affair with a low profile on the cycling side and a half-battered profile (like a kerb) on the traffic side. They are bolted to the road surface, so no excavation is required. The white line of the cycle lane is on the traffic side which could be an issue for those cycling in the dark - perhaps a line on each side would be better, although that kind of becomes a double-white line road marking which isn't intended for this use.
It is interesting to note that there is no lane or protection in the other direction, although this was previously the case. The other side of the road had car parking inset into the footway (and not done that long ago) which gives a stark contrast between what the borough used to do and what it is trying to do now. One issue I could see with the Orcas was they seem to attract grit and dirt which stays damp after rain which could, over time, lead to potholes forming around them.
Beyond the Orcas, we reach the junction with Oliver Road. At first, I wondered why the Orcas where in the ASL - a swine to turn right if you miss them, but there is no right turn as shown on the now (and wonderfully) common cycle signals complete with the mini ahead only sign. This lends me to think (and hope) that this is a short term scheme which will be built on in the future.
There is a mini-zebra and tactile paving, but the lack of kerb upstand away from the crossing point will be an issue for some visually impaired people. I get the feeling that this is a bit of an experiment and to be honest, the experience of designing and building something is a good way of learning for many practical engineers. Let's see how it goes.
The slip road uses a cycle zebra crossing (zebra for pedestrians and "elephant's feet" for cyclists). I must point out that this arrangement remains unlawful as the legislation which was going to allow it has been delayed until next year (the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 since you asked). At first look, it seems OK, but as we crossed, it was clear that some drivers didn't know or want to give way. The problem is that the cycle track runs with the flow of traffic and so cyclists "appear" from behind the nearside of vehicles which is made worse by trees on the approach. This crossing arrangement really needs cycles meeting the crossing at a proper 90 degree angle with an approach to intervisibility is really good.
One little point is that the footprints should be marked outside of the crossing width. Not a massive issue, but we want to show the crossing as wide as possible.
Like many of us, the designers have been grappling with the lack of stock UK-cycling specific "forgiving" kerbs and here they have opted for small elements kerb with a 45 degree splay and an upstand of about 55/60mm. I bounced up and down them on my big bike, but they are more about preventing pedal-strike and to maximise the available width. They work fine for those reasons. I know Cambridge have been experimenting with bespoke kerbs, but we really need a proper conversion of Dutch versions to the UK and if any suppliers are reading, please have a think about this (or even get in touch).
So as we headed west, we left the emerging modern cycling infrastructure (and yes, with its faults) of Ruckholt Road as the A106 became the Eastway and we entered Hackney. Nothing to write home about here other than bollards, Toucans, shared use and roads designed for lots of traffic. We swung south through the Olympic Park and into Newham on our way to Stratford and Cycle Superhighway 2 and that, friends, will be next week's post.