Social distancing in Clink Street

As part of the Thames Path Clink St is suffering an increase in recreational activities. Crowds of cyclists, runners and pedestrians vie for space, especially at the pinch point by the Clink Prison. To exacerbate the problem scaffolding has been erected at the narrowest point and a building project is underway. Residents (of whom there are some 120) have difficulty stepping into the street and cannot use the extremely narrow and now blocked western end safely at all. Proper social distancing is impossible. As widening of the road, as is being done in other parts of the Borough, is not an option cyclists should be directed to dismount, runners to walk and all to keep in single file and proceed at a steady pace with no lingering for sightseeing. This would require close monitoring as present attempts at control have been spasmodic and generally ineffective.

Similar problem on the Thames Path at the St Saviours Dock footbridge. Narrow footpath and despite the no cycling signs, cyclists (not those that have dismounted) and pedestrians jostling for space. The warm weather doesn’t help, and with increasing numbers can’t see how social distancing can be maintained on a narrow footbridge with two way movement.

You could suggest a one-way system to Southwark Council via their Street Space website: http://southwarkstreetspace.commonplace.is/

The Thames Path has been extremely popular since the start of lockdown and I've not seen much attempt at social distancing from most people. I soon realised the best option is just to avoid it altogether and take the back streets instead. Alternatively, the streets are eerily quiet in the evening (maybe a little too eerie! A couple of weeks ago I was the only person in Clink St just as it was getting dark and I felt like I was in Dickensian London).

I was really worried about the joggers, groups of walkers 4 abreast etc. on the thames path - but the chance of such a fleeting encounter being a risk of any sort is vanishingly small (in my view). As a cyclist i try to be really considerate, but wheeling a bike takes up far more space than cycling v slowly and v carefully on one side of a narrow path, so sometimes i have to admit not dismounting as it feels more risky not less.

I know that everyone has their own interpretation of the rules and just try to make eye contact and say thank you to people who actually wait and turn take when crossing bridges etc.

The chances of you getting Covid from brushing against somebody are nil.

The chances of you getting hit by cyclists on the South Bank pre-lockdown were pretty high - it's happened to me several times. The aggressive behaviour of many cyclists coupled with the desire to treat the Thames Path as a 'cycle motorway', despite the route being a longer distance than the A3200.

Without a proper physical demarcation, it's just not a suitable area for mixing pedestrians and speedsters. The Clink is probably the worst bit other than King's Stairs in Rotherhithe along the river for space.

For some reason local government wants people walking and those flying along at umpteen miles an hour to mix. This despite the Highway Code quite rightly saying that cyclists belong on the roads.

I should point out that I'm both a walker and a cyclist. Though not at the same time.

This Ordnance Survery map clearly shows the Thames Cycle Path distinct from the Foot Path for most of the South Bank -
1:50000 Map of South Bank

The problems are ignorant people on bicycles who either don't know or don't care about the proper cycle route, and a lack of enforcement, possibly with a lack of signage (although, having seen cyclists purposely going contraflow down the laned pedestrian walkway on London Bridge, even though there is virtually no traffic on it, I'm not convinced that's really the problem - some people are just arseholes).