I can understand the concerns of the pedestrians, I've seen electric bikes fly through the common dangerously before. But, not 4 days ago on the road around the common an 11 year old was left fighting for her life after being hit by a car, and I don't hear calls for a speed camera, red light camera or traffic calming measure on that road. The same area of road where a car completely destroyed a bus stop a few weeks ago. Can we stop pretending bikes are the problem here?
I can't exactly see people with illegally midifed electric bikes (phone snatchers, rule-bending delivery drivers) stopping and accepting the fine just because a 'park police' officer politely points out they've breached an archaic cycling speed limit. They'd surely just speed off. That's probably why they're fining the average poor sod on a Brompton bike, because they're an easier target -- going after the real problem is too much work
Dont worry, we will hear from car people. "Cars don't kill people, people kill people" (being facetious). The reality is that a lot of people just turn a blind eye to bad driving because its just so common now.
Cars are such a naturalised nuisance. A friend told me "you try to take a picture of any pretty street, and after taking it you notice that there are so many cars making it ugly, cars that you automatically ignore when walking around".
It sounds like they are both problems, so it's good that one of them is being addressed.
We don't criticise the NHS for treating broken fingers when cancer is the real problem. We shouldn't criticise police for controlling cyclists because cars are the real problem - any more than we should criticise them for policing cars just because murder is the real problem.
Road injuries continue to fall year on year in London - most likely as a result of the spread of 20mph zones - something that requires no police resources.
Since cyclists are unregistered and so immune to existing (and profitable) camera based behaviour controls, it seems reasonable to deploy actual people to do some light enforcement of the law instead. Although if cyclists greatly object to the waste of police time, I'm sure a registration plate scheme for bikes could be created. Perhaps the profits could go to TfL...
I do realise I've stepped into the world of whataboutism on this which I'm not a particular fan of so my apologies and, you are right, I don't criticise the NHS and police for treating small and big problems. My struggle with this story is actually more the deployment of measures for something friends of Tooting Common have said is "waiting to happen", with a man on a fold-able Brompton bike traveling at 15mph being fined like they were risking the safety of pedestrians, rather than things occurring on the next street that are causing actual harm to pedestrians. If there was a speed enforcement in place because there has actually been an accident and police are taking that incident seriously to ensure that it doesn't happen again, I would be more in agreement. Although saying that makes it sound like I'm saying "let's have an accident first!" which I obviously don't want either.
Also, we don't criticise the NHS for treating small *and* big problems because they do both. The police are currently failing badly to treat very big problems all over - and yet somehow can find the resources to only treat small problems. That's core for the council too - of all the things to put very limited resources into chasing, you put them here?!
And of course there's the 'Wandsworth issue' here. The council leader seems to viscerally *hate* cycling - and so of course there's no alternative proviison for cycling here - it's go through the park or face lots of road danger. It's a pinch point of the council's own making. And then we've got local MPs who're all theoretically on board with cycling and road danger reduction - except when anyone at all complains. Then we're back to shared use paths and wringing hands.
Last Friday an 11 year old girl went to hospital following a collision on Tooting Bec Road (which runs alongside the common).
TfL consulted on proposed changes with cycle tracks in 2017, but AM Leonie Cooper opposed the proposals as elderly people could have been run over by cyclists at the crossing next to the athletics track. Sadly the parks police are different to the road police so this crazy allocation of resources allows danger on our roads to be ignored, whilst anti social cycling is tackled like this. Also how are people cycling without a speedometer supposed to know what speed they are cycling at...
I was in Brisbane last week where I saw regular police speed checks on both powered scooter users and cyclists in parks and on pedestrian bridges. It seemed to me that officers were 'having a word' with offenders rather than ticketing them, but either way as a pedestrian I was very glad to see this. No one is above the law, anywhere ...
> Legal e-bikes have their speed capped at 15.5mph in the UK
More accurately, motor assistance has to cut out at 15.5mph, but it’s perfectly legal for the bike and rider to go faster than this, as long as it’s all-leg, or gravity (downhill), providing the additional speed.
Legal e bikes (and illegals) all have a speedometer as part of the overall controls - (so unlike pushbikers we can't plead ignorance of the speed we are going if excessive) as a legal E biker , most of us aren't going much faster than the set limit - I would probably support a crackdown even with speed guns to spot and record the speed of the illegals who hit 20mph plus without even pedalling which is a dead giveaway (as some pedalling is required for legal limited assist).
Any e biker doing 20 plus and not even pedalling on the flat for long periods or uphill is highly suspect.
Back in March, Get Living's showcase 'Filigree' tower was evacuated after a burst water main flooded the newest build along the Lewisham Gateway. This is not surprising; the complex is sited over the bend in the Quaggy River, and one can only imagine insurance denied as 'flooding' is hastily re-categorized as 'rising groundwater'.
The evacuation notices were emailed on Friday evening; those unfortunate enough to read them Monday morning saw alternative Brixton accomodation already snapped up, with distant Kent's additional time and travel costs adding to the misery. Get Living estimate return is possible sometime next year, though given the years-long delays associated with that spiritually noxious site, one may spare a thought for those of the Filigree as well as the poor souls of the Halo.
It has been shared for decades. Previously there was a white line down the middle. The line was removed as given the width of the path, having people on foot and on bikes negotiate the space between each other is the best way to manage risk. There was a public enquiry before the white line was removed, so the evidence base is robust.
I know most of the comments here at the moment are about the cycling story, but the story about the Halo Tower in Stratford deserves a post / main headline of its own - I’m completely gobsmacked and at a loss for words at how shockingly those residents are being treated.
A very simple solution - more safe cycle paths and take the cyclists out of the parks. Wandsworth is palpably anti-bike with very little thought through to infrastructure around that athletics track. The road along the common is a regular raceway as attested to by engine pitch and one without a cycle path. None of the bridges from Lambeth to Wandsworth nearby have cycle lanes. Cyclists use the commons to be safe.
They should just have an officer stationed at Burgess park if they want to catch speeding ebikes. No need for 12mph cap, try 30mph. Speaking as a cyclist who cycles there as well.
On that point though CAR traffic violations on Walworth road are outrageous (red light breaking, on the wrong side of the road, by cars! I have seen multiple times). Just a bit more traffic policing in general around Camberwell/Walworth really wouldn't go amiss
20 mph(32kph) is plenty for around town on road. It is also fine on an empty cyclepath. Cycle speed on shared paths should be adjusted to the path conditions, both physical(e.g. icy, foggy) and social( numbers,types and speeds of other users). Bad behaviour occurs from all types of user, not just cyclists...e.g. inattentive pedestrians glued to their phones....cylists looking at their phones whilst cycling!!!!..mobility scooters turn8ng suddenly without indication......and so on- you get the picture ;)
Just to follow up on Rowans, a little disingenuous to compare income to directors' salaries and dividends. Implies they're making 50% when the actual p&l suggests more like 19%. Still decent for hospitality but not exactly a goldmine...
Every mapping app can show speed...dont need a dedicated speedometer. If you cycle regularly you do have a sense of how fast you're going because of the difference in effort between 10 mph and 15 mph. At least I do get to know.
I cycle regularly and I have no idea of how fast I’m going! How would I? I don’t use an app as I know where I’m going. I always assumed I was going 20mph or more because thats the speed limit in my area and it’s often faster to cycle than drive
The satellite geo-location is only accurate to between 1 to 9 meters. The variation in the accuracy makes legally enforceable speed measurement impossible.
I can understand the concerns of the pedestrians, I've seen electric bikes fly through the common dangerously before. But, not 4 days ago on the road around the common an 11 year old was left fighting for her life after being hit by a car, and I don't hear calls for a speed camera, red light camera or traffic calming measure on that road. The same area of road where a car completely destroyed a bus stop a few weeks ago. Can we stop pretending bikes are the problem here?
Picking up the illegal electric mopeds would also be really easy, they're everywhere and very obvious.
I can't exactly see people with illegally midifed electric bikes (phone snatchers, rule-bending delivery drivers) stopping and accepting the fine just because a 'park police' officer politely points out they've breached an archaic cycling speed limit. They'd surely just speed off. That's probably why they're fining the average poor sod on a Brompton bike, because they're an easier target -- going after the real problem is too much work
Dont worry, we will hear from car people. "Cars don't kill people, people kill people" (being facetious). The reality is that a lot of people just turn a blind eye to bad driving because its just so common now.
Cars are such a naturalised nuisance. A friend told me "you try to take a picture of any pretty street, and after taking it you notice that there are so many cars making it ugly, cars that you automatically ignore when walking around".
It sounds like they are both problems, so it's good that one of them is being addressed.
We don't criticise the NHS for treating broken fingers when cancer is the real problem. We shouldn't criticise police for controlling cyclists because cars are the real problem - any more than we should criticise them for policing cars just because murder is the real problem.
Road injuries continue to fall year on year in London - most likely as a result of the spread of 20mph zones - something that requires no police resources.
Since cyclists are unregistered and so immune to existing (and profitable) camera based behaviour controls, it seems reasonable to deploy actual people to do some light enforcement of the law instead. Although if cyclists greatly object to the waste of police time, I'm sure a registration plate scheme for bikes could be created. Perhaps the profits could go to TfL...
I do realise I've stepped into the world of whataboutism on this which I'm not a particular fan of so my apologies and, you are right, I don't criticise the NHS and police for treating small and big problems. My struggle with this story is actually more the deployment of measures for something friends of Tooting Common have said is "waiting to happen", with a man on a fold-able Brompton bike traveling at 15mph being fined like they were risking the safety of pedestrians, rather than things occurring on the next street that are causing actual harm to pedestrians. If there was a speed enforcement in place because there has actually been an accident and police are taking that incident seriously to ensure that it doesn't happen again, I would be more in agreement. Although saying that makes it sound like I'm saying "let's have an accident first!" which I obviously don't want either.
Also, we don't criticise the NHS for treating small *and* big problems because they do both. The police are currently failing badly to treat very big problems all over - and yet somehow can find the resources to only treat small problems. That's core for the council too - of all the things to put very limited resources into chasing, you put them here?!
And of course there's the 'Wandsworth issue' here. The council leader seems to viscerally *hate* cycling - and so of course there's no alternative proviison for cycling here - it's go through the park or face lots of road danger. It's a pinch point of the council's own making. And then we've got local MPs who're all theoretically on board with cycling and road danger reduction - except when anyone at all complains. Then we're back to shared use paths and wringing hands.
Last Friday an 11 year old girl went to hospital following a collision on Tooting Bec Road (which runs alongside the common).
TfL consulted on proposed changes with cycle tracks in 2017, but AM Leonie Cooper opposed the proposals as elderly people could have been run over by cyclists at the crossing next to the athletics track. Sadly the parks police are different to the road police so this crazy allocation of resources allows danger on our roads to be ignored, whilst anti social cycling is tackled like this. Also how are people cycling without a speedometer supposed to know what speed they are cycling at...
The 11 year old has now died according to reports.
I was in Brisbane last week where I saw regular police speed checks on both powered scooter users and cyclists in parks and on pedestrian bridges. It seemed to me that officers were 'having a word' with offenders rather than ticketing them, but either way as a pedestrian I was very glad to see this. No one is above the law, anywhere ...
As a pedantic note on:
> Legal e-bikes have their speed capped at 15.5mph in the UK
More accurately, motor assistance has to cut out at 15.5mph, but it’s perfectly legal for the bike and rider to go faster than this, as long as it’s all-leg, or gravity (downhill), providing the additional speed.
No that’s good pedantry, thank you - I’ll make that clearer.
Legal e bikes (and illegals) all have a speedometer as part of the overall controls - (so unlike pushbikers we can't plead ignorance of the speed we are going if excessive) as a legal E biker , most of us aren't going much faster than the set limit - I would probably support a crackdown even with speed guns to spot and record the speed of the illegals who hit 20mph plus without even pedalling which is a dead giveaway (as some pedalling is required for legal limited assist).
Any e biker doing 20 plus and not even pedalling on the flat for long periods or uphill is highly suspect.
Back in March, Get Living's showcase 'Filigree' tower was evacuated after a burst water main flooded the newest build along the Lewisham Gateway. This is not surprising; the complex is sited over the bend in the Quaggy River, and one can only imagine insurance denied as 'flooding' is hastily re-categorized as 'rising groundwater'.
The evacuation notices were emailed on Friday evening; those unfortunate enough to read them Monday morning saw alternative Brixton accomodation already snapped up, with distant Kent's additional time and travel costs adding to the misery. Get Living estimate return is possible sometime next year, though given the years-long delays associated with that spiritually noxious site, one may spare a thought for those of the Filigree as well as the poor souls of the Halo.
UK figures 2024.
Road deaths attributable to cyclists: 4
Road deaths attributable to drivers: 1400
Why’d they change a busy cycle path into a shared walkway???
It has been shared for decades. Previously there was a white line down the middle. The line was removed as given the width of the path, having people on foot and on bikes negotiate the space between each other is the best way to manage risk. There was a public enquiry before the white line was removed, so the evidence base is robust.
I know most of the comments here at the moment are about the cycling story, but the story about the Halo Tower in Stratford deserves a post / main headline of its own - I’m completely gobsmacked and at a loss for words at how shockingly those residents are being treated.
Agreed - I know everyone likes to moan about cyclists, but the Halo story has a far greater human impact than a few people being stopped for speeding.
A very simple solution - more safe cycle paths and take the cyclists out of the parks. Wandsworth is palpably anti-bike with very little thought through to infrastructure around that athletics track. The road along the common is a regular raceway as attested to by engine pitch and one without a cycle path. None of the bridges from Lambeth to Wandsworth nearby have cycle lanes. Cyclists use the commons to be safe.
They should just have an officer stationed at Burgess park if they want to catch speeding ebikes. No need for 12mph cap, try 30mph. Speaking as a cyclist who cycles there as well.
On that point though CAR traffic violations on Walworth road are outrageous (red light breaking, on the wrong side of the road, by cars! I have seen multiple times). Just a bit more traffic policing in general around Camberwell/Walworth really wouldn't go amiss
Thanks for the prompt about donating blood. Whilst I don't live in London, you've motivated me to donate locally in the run up to Christmas.
That story about Halo Tower… JFC! No other words.
20 mph(32kph) is plenty for around town on road. It is also fine on an empty cyclepath. Cycle speed on shared paths should be adjusted to the path conditions, both physical(e.g. icy, foggy) and social( numbers,types and speeds of other users). Bad behaviour occurs from all types of user, not just cyclists...e.g. inattentive pedestrians glued to their phones....cylists looking at their phones whilst cycling!!!!..mobility scooters turn8ng suddenly without indication......and so on- you get the picture ;)
Do you want to link directly to DG's fares post at https://diamondgeezer.blogspot.com/2025/12/2026-fares.html?
Just to follow up on Rowans, a little disingenuous to compare income to directors' salaries and dividends. Implies they're making 50% when the actual p&l suggests more like 19%. Still decent for hospitality but not exactly a goldmine...
Every mapping app can show speed...dont need a dedicated speedometer. If you cycle regularly you do have a sense of how fast you're going because of the difference in effort between 10 mph and 15 mph. At least I do get to know.
I cycle regularly and I have no idea of how fast I’m going! How would I? I don’t use an app as I know where I’m going. I always assumed I was going 20mph or more because thats the speed limit in my area and it’s often faster to cycle than drive
The satellite geo-location is only accurate to between 1 to 9 meters. The variation in the accuracy makes legally enforceable speed measurement impossible.