Do ASLs help cyclists?

As I was cycling home the other day, I was looking at how other cyclists use the ASLs and filter lanes. Do they help us in situations where there are vehicles waiting at the lights.

The ASL is meant to provide cyclists with the space to take a controlling position in the lane and be in a position where they can easily be seen by the driver behind them. Providing them with safety whilst they set off .
But there are several issues with this;

• There are often other vehicles in the ASL
• Most of the time there is only one legal way to enter the ASL
• The filter lane is often on the left of vehicles
• The filter lanes can often be blocked
• Most cyclists don’t understand where you should position your self

The first 4 points are self-explanatory but what do I mean by cyclists don’t understand where to position themselves? As I said further up, the whole point of the ASL is to let cyclists position themselves in a position where they are in control of their lane as they set off and they are in a position to be seen. I see far to many cyclists that use the filter lane and ASL to get in front of the traffic but then stop on the left by the pavement. This means you can get the usual close pass when you start again.

I also see issues when using the ASLs on the Cycle Superhighways. The amount of cyclists that you can have around you whilst you are commuting is approaching 40. Even with half that number you will have issues as people don’t use the whole length and width of the ASL. If you get 2 or 3 that stop on the left then the entry to the rest of the ASL will be blocked and lots of cyclists are stuck next to vehicles, which is the worst place to be when setting off in traffic.

The ASL has one major flaw, have a look at this image and see if you can see it.
The blind spot of the lorry is highlighted in black and that shape looks a lot like an ASL and feeder lane.

The ASL should be avoided if there is a large vehicle at the front of the queue!

I’ve had a few problems recently where I need to hold a primary position for quite some time after the ASL. This can often anger drivers, even when you are going near 30mph! And it can result in a dangerous situation.

In some cases I will filter to a point where I can fit into to traffic, several cars from the front. This will mean that I can take control of the lane, get through on the next phase and it will be easier to prevent an overtake from the behind vehicle if I keep up with the vehicle in front.

It is certainly possible to live without the ASL and I think in some cases it is a cause for concern as many cyclists have the ‘must get in front’ mentality, putting them selves in a dangerous situation because the lights have changed or because they stop somewhere they shouldn’t.

What do you think about ASLs?

Cycle Superhighway Route 7

With major work set to start on route 7 of the London cycle superhighway in the next week or two, some doubt is coming into my mind. Although i’m confident that this will bring more people out of their cars and onto a bicycle during the summer months, which can only be a good think. I’m not so confident in the design of some of the test junctions, at present the road layout hasn’t been changed at any and only a blue strip has been painted on the ground. With the aim of the cycle superhighways is to allow cycling commuters to travel in mass from the out skirts of London and into the centre of the city. Safety should really be a priority and at some junctions it clearly hasn’t been thought out, at some points it is best for a cyclist to control the lane and cycle in the middle to attempt to prevent dangerous overtaking, nothing to accommodate or hint towards this has yet to be seen.

I shall post more videos and news on this cycle route as it progresses.