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I did check if it had been done before and couldn't see owt...
[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25549789 ]London cycle skyway[/url]
Could be a good idea, or they could just create hover bikes for commuters.
many years ago they tried the same thing in Liverpool raised walkways made from steel for pedestrians, they even built a railway staion underground that you go up an escalator to then descend . Moorefields.
It failed, and was reduced to scrap, no cover from the weather, got flooded in places large puddle, looked terrible, etc etc.
Cost will be horrific, sledgehammer solution to crack a nut problem. Won't happen.
Ever seen the 'monorail' episode of the Simpsons? 😀
Wow, someone came before you all tonight with a good idea!
Probably the greatest idea ever!... aw, heck- it's not for you.
Probably more of a Pinkbike idea.
I love it. Bollocks to sensible road layout and campaigns/training to improve everyones general road craft. Nah, We'll put bicycles in the sky...
I also loved the estimated costs and time scales £200m over 20 years? I'm sure that'll be really close to the actual cost of delivery...
They already run similar systems for traffic in some cities. Bangkok being one that I've been to. They have toll roads in the sky, and also the sky train (which is a little bit scary if you ask me). So I see no reason it can't work for bikes, so long as there's enough traffic. And it seems to be in abundance in London.
That said...whilst I'm all for segregated cycle facilities, I can't help but feel it's a bit 'out of sight, out of mind'. And I think the city would actually be much more pleasant if it was full of cyclists and pedestrians at ground level, and you put the big noisy motors in the sky somewhere. It feels the wrong way round.
It's a great idea though, even better if they made it covered. But I reckon the incline of the ramp to get up there would put loads of fatties off.
They should build the first one immediately as one of those between Liverpool Street and Stratford would be ace for when I ride in & out of London. Usually half the journey time is just on that short bit as it's stop / start all the way from the city, through Aldgate, Whitechapel, etc and only gets properly moving one I've gone over the Bow flyover.
Be intresting to know how theyre going to manage the parts where the railway goes under a road or through a tunnel, and what about level crosings,also how do you keep the doggers off the thing, ones who walk dogs till empty.
Disappointed it's not an article in the Fail, the froth it would have caused would have been awesomez!
Personally I don't believe it will ever happen apparently it, is going to run above the trains and the approx build time is 20 years+. It makes no sense, has Sir Norman been paid to do this?