Cycling from Chiswick into Hammersmith on King Street, Sw6. You will be led on to yet another contraflow cycle lane, which is again bad for you.

On the one way bit of King Street starting from Hammersmith gyratory that goes all the way down to the junction of Nigel Playfair Avenue to your left and Studland Street on your right. There is a cycle lane running on the right hand side against the one way street flow.

I saw this cycle lane quite a few years ago and right away knew it would be a bad idea to use it. So over the years I have just gone the way that the traffic had been led around the Hammersmith gyratory system.

Though the other day I had to use one of the banks on King Street and decided to give it a go. Good thing that I was prepared for what would happen, three pedestrians walked out in front of me. And a car coming out of one of the side roads was quite surprised to see me where I was.

1/ Very high kerbs to the both sides of the cycle lane and very narrow.
Which will not give you much space to maneuver safely.

2/ Parked cars on your right all the way down the cycle lane.
When cars are parked next to the cycle lane the doors opens right out into the cycle lane, which makes your space even smaller. People getting in and out of these cars will think that they are next to the pavement. And therefore they will not be thinking about cyclist using the cycle lanes.

3/ Pedestrians will be crossing road at any point.
Just as the users of the parked cars, pedestrians will think that the cycle lane is part of the pavement. And therefore only will be thinking about finding a safe place for them to cross the road between the parked cars. And will not look out for cyclist coming down the road in the opposite direction of the cars.

4/ Four side road comes out onto King Street.
There are four side roads, joining or turning off King Street. Other road users will not always be ready for oncoming traffic when they are turning off King Street since the cycle lane will be hidden by parked cars, vans etc. The cars coming out onto King Street from the side roads will be looking out for pedestrians and other road users coming from their left, not the cycle lane going the opposite direction of the flow of traffic.