A1000 cycle lanes survey

I rode the new cycle lanes south of Tally Ho Corner on 13th Nov 2020.  In general they are very useful for cyclists.

Here are a few places where improvements would be helpful:

1) North of Summers Lane / Granville Road

There is a problem with cars parking in the cycle lanes. It's nice to have wide cycle lanes, but narrower lanes or double yellow lines might discourage illegal parking.

Southbound:

A1000 southbound at Sandringham Gardens.
Car illegally parked - just enough room to squeeze through on a bike

Southbound at No 593 near Addington Drive.
Car illegally parked. No room to squeeze through safely on a bike.

Northbound:

Northbound at Eton Avenue.
The car is parked legally, but the van in front
 blocks access to the cycle lane beyond.

Northbound at Fallow Ct Avenue.
Car parked illegally, ignoring blue paint,
solid white line and cycle lane sign.

Northbound at Fallow Ct Avenue.
Car parked illegally, ignoring solid white line and posts. 

2) Entrance to Finchley Leisure Centre car park

Outside lockdown, this is a busy entrance and there is a left-hook risk. Emerging traffic turning right may use the blue cycle lane to wait for a gap in the traffic.  Traffic lights and an ASL here would increase safety and assist motor traffic entering and leaving the site. 

Southbound at Finchley Leisure Centre

3) South of North Circular Road

Just south of the Strawberry Vale traffic lights, 2 lanes of motor traffic merge just at the point where cyclists have to overtake a couple of parked cars. It's worse if there are also cars trying to turn right into Sylvester Road just beyond here. This parking needs to be relocated.

Southbound at No 348 south of Strawberry Vale

4) The Bishops Avenue

Traffic emerging from The Bishops Avenue has poor visibility looking right due to a large tree immediately south of the junction. Traffic tends to push out onto the A1000, blocking the cycle lane. There is also a left-hook risk from northbound A1000 traffic turning left.  Safety could be improved by installing traffic lights, or removing the tree and planting more trees elsewhere.

Northbound at The Bishops Avenue

5) Northbound to East End Road traffic lights

Traffic going straight on, or left, moves into the left lane and leaves little or no room for cyclists to reach the ASL at the traffic lights. An approach lane could be provided either by (a) narrowing the pavement, or (b) banning the A1000 southbound left turn into Fortis Green, narrowing the southbound carriageway and widening the northbound carriageway.

Northbound approaching East End Road

Wash Lane workday 23 Mar 2019 (NCN 12)

10 fantastic volunteers from Barnet Cyclists and Sustrans held a workday to clear the rest of Bridleway 71 at South Mimms.  The day was facilitated by Miriam of Herts Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW), who brought a van load of tools and opened the access gate behind South Mimms Services.

Miriam hauling cuttings. The hedge on the left is blackthorn with viscious thorns, so great care was needed to avoid injury.

Charles wielding a wooden rake, We tried not to leave any brambles or blackthorn on the path. Several cyclists came through and we advised them to carry their bikes.

It's amazing how much can be done by 10 volunteers

After lunch, generously provided by Barnet Cyclists at the Services, we finish the job and the path is now restored to the original width ready for mowing.

This is where we put the cuttings at the bottom of Dancers Lane.##

Finishing touches by Sustrans East Herts

North side of culvert, showing pipes, cable and fencing removed from the brook by Defra the previous week.

End of the day back at the CROW van.

Wash Lane survey 21/01/2019 (NCN 12)

Taken after some clearance work (By CRoW?) mainly on the north side in January.  Photos follow the path from the south side entrance on Dancers Lane to South Mimms Services on the north side:

Start on south side - not cleared

South side - partially mowed - a lot of foot long clumps of thorn left on the bike path

Not cleared -still restrictive for 3-wheeler

Still quite narrow - will be overgrown by Spring

Some cutting back at side

Nicely clear here approaching tunnel

Some cutting back at side

Quite well cleared

Clear but broken fence here

Mud cleared from culvert - note high tide mark

North side cleared - a lot of cutting have been thrown up and need to be cleared away as they could eventually bloack the stream

Shrubbery cut well back on north side

Footpath cleared

Wash Lane toward the South Mimms overhanging trees

Photo album can be viewed here.

Wash Lane surveys 2017/18 (NCN 12)

National Cycle Network Route 12 between Dancers Hill and South Mimms Services goes under the M25 in a culvert alongside Mimmshall Brook. This diversion avoided the cost of providing a direct underpass, but took the route to the lowest point next to the brook, where it is prone to flooding.

The old Wash Lane - Dancers Lane route was severed by the M25 in 1975

At the north end of Dancers Lane a new bridleway (No 71) was constructed alongside the motorway to a culvert. It goes through the culvert on a concrete platform next to the Mimmshall Brook, then continues to rejoin Wash Lane north of the M25.

Detail from the interpretation board at South Mimms Services

The route needs to live up to this glowing description. Lack of routine maintenance is evident from the following photos taken since 2017.
 

Summer 2017

• Narrow, rough single track
• Recently mowed and passable
• Not easily cycled due to narrow width and poor surface...

May 2017: north end of Dancers Lane

Earth has accumulated in this dip, which gets boggy in wet weather.

May 2017: Bridleway 71 on south side of M25

The bridleway runs for 225 metres parallel to the M25 to reach the culvert. Grass and blackthorn hedges have encroached at each side, but it was mowed in 2017 and there were no brambles growing over the path.
 

SUMMER 2018 (dry)

• Narrow rough single track
• Very badly overgrown
• Not rideable

July 2018: Bridleway 71

Grass, brambles, cow parsley and hogweed have not been mowed at all in 2018.

August 2018: Bridleway 71

By August it was so overgrown that bikes had to be pushed through.

AUTUMN 2018 (DRY)

• Very narrow single track
• Still badly overgrown - had not been mowed
• Not easily rideable by elderly, disabled, road bikes, tandems, trikes...

Bridleway 71: 13th Oct 2018 (a dry day)

The annual cow parsley / hogweed has left tall stalks. Brambles and blackthorn remain.
  

AUTUMN 2018 (WET)

• Difficult, slippery ramps
• Temporarily flooded under M25
• Not easily passable on foot or bike

Slippery slope on south side of culvert

After a wet day the steep 90 degree concrete slope down to the culvert is slippery, especially in cycling shoes.

Flooded culvert under M25

Inside the culvert there was a couple of incles of water on top of the muddy concrete platform. The water subsided within two days.

The brook flows north (towards the camera) and flooding is deeper at this end, where a lot of vegetation is blocking the flow. Flooding would be reduced if the brook was cleared out regularly.

Slippery slope on north side

This S bend slope on the north side is very steep and is designed to go above a drainage pipe.

Wash Lane north of M25

Wash Lane is tarmacked and broad, but a few parts are getting overgrown and there are patches where water and mud are accumulating.

Wash Lane near South Mimms Services

The surface improves going north from here to the junction with Swanland Road.

Autumn 2018 - with a trike

• Brambles across path
• Stalks and grass on both sides
• Slippery ramps and mud under M25
• Not easily walked or cycled

Start of bridleway near Dancers Hill

 Dead stalks and long grass on both sides of narrowed track.

Half way along the south side

Trying to avoid brambles across path. Despite taking care and removing visible brambles, two punctures occurred along this bridleway.

90 degree bend on southern slope

Dismounting would be required here even if vegetation was cleared.

Slippery platform after flooding - no problem on 3 wheels

Pushing up the northern slope

Pushing a heavy bike or trike is awkward and requires strength. Not suitable for elderly or disabled users.

Bridleway to north of M25

More brambles on the bridleway leading onto Wash Lane.

Improving the ramps and culvert

The ramps are too steep and sharply bent, but there is room to realign them as these photos show: 

Approach to southern ramp

There is room on the left of this wooden fence to create a wider sweep, reducing the angle of the bend and the steepness of the slope.

Northern slope bends up and over this pipe

We think the S bend could be straightened out by bridging this gap, creating a straight path with an easier slope.

A complete set of photos is available.