Red light jumping at Bow roundabout - below is TFLs response to my email about trying to make this better and a small selection of examples from YouTube.

Email to TFL re: Bow RLJs

My original email:

Hi there, 

I'm emailing you to share my experience of cycling over Bow roundabout, particularly with reference to the early start system in place. 

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/improvements-and-projects/bow-roundabout 

The above article claims that the early start system makes the roundabout safer - and I can see the logic behind it - but in reality, the junction is still very dangerous as cyclists are exposed to dangers from traffic already on the roundabout jumping the red lights. 

To give a very recent example, yesterday I cycled into London via Stratford and took the CS2 route via the roundabout. 

The main traffic light was on red and the first cycle light on green so I approached the advanced stop line. Normally, when my light goes green I tend to get going pretty quickly but having seen red light jumping at this junction before, I waited a few seconds and I'm glad I did. One van jumped the light about 1 second after my light went green and then another about 3 seconds later. If I had gone when my light changed, I'd probably be dead. 

The problem with the advance stop line and the early start is that vehicles on the roundabout heading towards the A12 exits see the traffic held at the first stop line (which is set quite far back) and do not see the cyclist waiting at the advance stop line (they probably don't even look) and simply think they can take the chance and shoot through the red light, often at high speed as they accelerate towards the A12 entry slip road. 

I seriously urge you to take measures to reduce red light jumping at all the lights at the roundabout but particularly those on the roundabout itself. Having police officers stand at the junction is pointless. Measures you could consider: 

1. Install red light cameras 
2. Consider a change in the phasing of the lights so there is a bigger delay between the on roundabout lights changing to red and the early start lights going green 
3. Put up signs telling drivers to look out for cyclists using the early start box 
4. Put up signs telling cyclists at the early start line to watch out for traffic from their right before proceeding. 

In an ideal world none of these things should be necessary but there are a lot of bad, dangerous drivers out there. 

I would appreciate some feedback on this. 

Regards 
Luke Redpath 

TFL response

Dear Mr Redpath

Thank you for contacting us on 10 September 2014 suggesting improvements for Bow roundabout.

I am sorry you have experienced motorist jumping the red lights at Bow roundabout.

There is a London wide policy to only install red light cameras as mitigation for a history of people being Killed or Seriously Injured (KSI) as a result of red light trespass. Criteria are used to assess whether the installation of a camera would be justified so that the camera would help improve safety by reducing the number of red light trespass related KSIs. The criteria for the implementation of a red light camera is that there must have been a minimum of two injury collisions on the same arm of a junction (in a three year period) that resulted in one KSI and both of these must have been as a result of a red light trespass.

According to Transport for London (TfL) records, none of the collisions at Bow Roundabout have been as a result of red light trespass. Therefore, as there has been no red light trespass related KSIs at this location it is doubtful that the introduction of a red light camera would be effective in addressing the collision problem and so would not be considered in this instance.

However, if you feel there is habitual running of red lights at Bow roundabout you might be interested to know that there is a website where concerns pertaining to a particular location can be reported to the Metropolitan Police via the Road Safe London website (www.met.police.uk/roadsafelondon/) which has been set up to allow the public to pass on information in confidence about illegal or nuisance road use.  The police concentrate their resources on those issues of most concern based on such information.

I hope I can assure you that whilst there have been improvements made at Bow roundabout the process to improve the area has not finished.  We are currently working with the London Boroughs of Tower Hamlets and Newham, and other key stakeholders, to deliver the Vision for Bow: a place which all road users passing through find accessible, safe and connected. We are therefore looking at opportunities to deliver more substantial changes at Bow for pedestrian and cyclists in the longer term, in order to support the regeneration of the area.

Thank you again for taking the time to write to us with your suggestions to improve safety at Bow roundabout.

Please contact me again if you need any further assistance, or if you would prefer to talk to us about this matter, please call us on 0343 222 1234.

Yours sincerely


Jonathon Cartwright

Customer Service Adviser
Transport for London Customer Services

Video Examples

Thanks to everyone who has uploaded these (timestamped links where relevant):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnKLy1PeD-4&t=1m0s (x3)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0WM1lbted8&t=0m11s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvzfjhEbRdY&t=8s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pWsTXGmq6Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Smn21O9ixPk&t=23s (London Bus)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAhMS1NMECo&t=15s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoZ_hzrEuWc&t=37s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kuvh9eaf3b0&t=1m41s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOhE7vgIAo4&t=47s (x2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b5eImY7AgA&t=45s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDdx2i6lEfk (Lorry)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABfSmElotio&t=40s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXWc77tFA9c&t=39s (double RLJ on to roundabout)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXWc77tFA9c&t=51s (bonus amber gambling)

YouTube playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnKLy1PeD-4&list=PLPNwZv8-Vut-boNJshJWf9KfxGcbA1Ttj

Got any more examples? Post them here and I'll update the gist. If no video, I'm interested in hearing your experiences anyway.