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Congestion Charging

from Cathy (cathyvpreece@aol.com)

Better for cyclists, even in rush hour

By David Firn

Financial Times

Published: February 17 2003 11:12 | Last Updated: February 17 2003 11:12

Keen to test the impact of the new congestion charge, I deliberately waited until 9 am - the peak of the rush hour in my part of south-west London - to cycle into work on Monday.

At this time of day it would usually take me 40 minutes-to-an-hour on the 344 bus or about 25 minutes by bike.

Battersea Park Road was very quiet, but I reminded myself that the mayor has cunningly introduced the charge during school holidays. In term time there would normally be a convoy of harassed parents in four-heel drives heading for Newton Prep school at this time of day.

The most stressful part of my journey is the stretch along Nine Elms Lane, from Battersea Dogs Home to Vauxhall Cross, the start of the congestion charging zone. It is a fastish stretch of road through an industrial zone. Drivers often cut up the bus and cycle lane to beat the lights.

There was no doubt about it. The road was unusually quiet. Quieter than I've ever seen it on a working day.

At Vauxhall Cross, right on the edge of the zone, a steady stream of traffic was heading south over the river - the last free crossing from the north to the south-west of the city. But it was moving.

In recent weeks this junction has often ground to an angry gridlock for hours. But that probably had as much to do with the year of roadworks - preparations for charging - as the volume of traffic. I noticed last week that two sets of lights here had been re-set to allow more cars through on the way out of town.

Calvin Winner, a regular cycle commuter, said things seemed to be better than usual. "It is half-term so its hard to tell, but I've just come through Kennington on the border and that seemed to be clear."

Inside the charging zone on Millbank it was cycle paradise for a moment. The first car to overtake me brought me back to my senses as it sped past at an unprecedented 30 mph.

An articulated truck that had got stuck between bollards at Lambeth Palace seemed to be having little impact on the traffic.

"It's fantastic. Like Christmas," called a lady cyclist as she sped through the lights at Lambeth Bridge wearing fluorescent yellow Goretex.

Sidney Few, a taxi driver, said he had only just got into the charging zone so it was too early to say whether things were really better than usual. Traffic outside the zone was less heavy than usual though. "It's OK," was his cautious response.

The heaviest traffic is usually around Waterloo, but here too, things were quiet. From Waterloo I cut on to Upper Ground, which runs parallel to the river and is the suggested cycle route. It is always quiet, but with two theatres and a TV studio it is quite an obstacle course. It was not much different today.

By 9.20am I was at the gate of the FT, a few minutes ahead of schedule, despite a cold headwind, and feeling a bit less hassled than usual.

(posted 7711 days ago)

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