Mansion House and other road changes in the City

[RubyToogood]

So I would like to be able to go to the office, near Finsbury Square, now and then and had a little scout round on the motorbike to have a look at routes and parking. Of course it is all change since I was last there and they have deliberately made it harder to navigate. I am not sure how much of this is temporary pandemic stuff and how much is long term ban all vehicles stuff.

So first up you now can't go straight on after London Bridge, which I was pretty much expecting as they have been fucking about with that for ages, but Google gave me an alternative route over Blackfriars which looked ok. However, it thought I could go straight over at Mansion House west to east, but when I got there there were fierce signs saying I couldn't.



If Google Maps is out of date I'm a bit stumped. Any clues? I like to know my route before I set off, particularly around the City which doesn't lend itself to winging it really. The signs at Mansion House were talking about Bank Junction but there were definitely blue no entry signs.

I should probably get a satnav. At the moment I have to either carry the route in my head or stop to look at my phone. Google Maps has given me an alternative way round that bit (the grey line) but it's so complicated I'd have to check constantly.

 

[pseudonarcissus]

So I would like to be able to go to the office, near Finsbury Square, now and then and had a little scout round on the motorbike to have a look at routes and parking. Of course it is all change since I was last there and they have deliberately made it harder to navigate. I am not sure how much of this is temporary pandemic stuff and how much is long term ban all vehicles stuff.

So first up you now can't go straight on after London Bridge, which I was pretty much expecting as they have been fucking about with that for ages, but Google gave me an alternative route over Blackfriars which looked ok. However, it thought I could go straight over at Mansion House west to east, but when I got there there were fierce signs saying I couldn't.

View attachment 272981

If Google Maps is out of date I'm a bit stumped. Any clues? I like to know my route before I set off, particularly around the City which doesn't lend itself to winging it really. The signs at Mansion House were talking about Bank Junction but there were definitely blue no entry signs.

I should probably get a satnav. At the moment I have to either carry the route in my head or stop to look at my phone. Google Maps has given me an alternative way round that bit (the grey line) but it's so complicated I'd have to check constantly.

try Waze or something, that junction has been closed to traffic for a few years now

 

[RubyToogood]

try Waze or something, that junction has been closed to traffic for a few years now

Waze is also saying I can do this. For clarity, it's where Queen Victoria Street meets Cannon St.

 

[T & P]

Are you planning to go on your motorbike, or in a car? Some restricitons apply to both types, but others only to cars. As an example, motorcycles are allowed on London Bridge, but cars heading north (perhaps south as well, I'm not sure) haven't been for a while now.

However even though you're allowed on your motorbike on London bridge, you're not allowed to proceed onto Bishopsgate before 7 pm, for no other reason than TFL currently being run by spiteful clueless cunts IMO, but that's another argument.

If you're talking about driving in a car, I'd agree that a satnav is your friend, as recently implement set of new rules and restrictions is a minefield and random as fuck at places.

 

[RubyToogood]

Are you planning to go on your motorbike, or in a car? Some restricitons apply to both types, but others only to cars. As an example, motorcycles are allowed on London Bridge, but cars heading north (perhaps south as well, I'm not sure) haven't been for a while now.

However even though you're allowed on your motorbike on London bridge, you're not allowed to proceed onto Bishopsgate before 7 pm, for no other reason than TFL currently being run by spiteful clueless cunts IMO, but that's another argument.

If you're talking about driving in a car, I'd agree that a satnav is your friend, as recently implement set of new rules and restrictions is a minefield and random as fuck at places.

Motorbike!

 

[Elpenor]

I can’t help on the roads as I’ve not driven in that area but my suggestion would be to do a recce early one Sunday morning when traffic should be minimal.

 

[T & P]

The problem with the satnavs (or at least the ones I have tried) is that they don’t offer motorcycle route planning, only cars’. So plenty of roads you are legally allowed to travel on might be shown as forbidden and not taken into account. Such as London Bridge, which is most certainly available to motorbikes.

 

[Crispy]

Going straigtht on the N side of London Bridge will be possible from August 4th (it's been closed while they're building the Bank station improvements)
The whole 6-way Bank junction is closed to anything but buses and bicycles 7am-7pm, mon-fri

 

[RubyToogood]

Going straigtht on the N side of London Bridge will be possible from August 4th (it's been closed while they're building the Bank station improvements)
The whole 6-way Bank junction is closed to anything but buses and bicycles 7am-7pm, mon-fri

Really? When I say straight on btw I mean up Bishopsgate.

It's very rare for there to be significant things motorbikes can do that cars can't, other than using bus lanes. In fact, this is the first instance I've come across.

I might just have to recce by bicycle. I wouldn't commute it regularly by bicycle though, bit far for me.

 

[T & P]

What’s even worse is that TFL hasn’t always bothered to update the road signs. On the approach to London Bridge from the south you come across (or used to until recently) one or several signs saying it’s for cyclists and buses only, and a solitary temporary sign informing road users that motorbikes are in fact also allowed on it.

 

[RubyToogood]

I'm now wondering whether it would be simpler to approach it from the opposite direction. Go over Blackfriars Bridge, keep going, turn right onto Clerkenwell Rd, Old St Roundabout and drop down Moorgate. Except that's probably verboten too now.

That would have the merit of being on wide ish roads I could filter on, and being simple.

 

[not-bono-ever]

 

[not-bono-ever]

I'm now wondering whether it would be simpler to approach it from the opposite direction. Go over Blackfriars Bridge, keep going, turn right onto Clerkenwell Rd, Old St Roundabout and drop down Moorgate. Except that's probably verboten too now.

That would have the merit of being on wide ish roads I could filter on, and being simple.

Looks like unless you are turning left into Cannon Street from London Bridge, then you are stuffed

 

[T & P]

I don't know where you're coming from, but you could go over Blackfriars Bridge, turn right on Clerkenwell Road (near where legendary nightclub Turnmills nightclub used to be), then 1-2 minutes later right again at Goswell Road. You'll then promptly arrive at the roundabout where the Museum of London is, and from there is 1 minute to Finsbury Circus Gardens, where there are shit loads of motorcycle parking bays.

I did a very similar route on my bike a few weeks ago and although it's not as direct as others, it's fast on a bike and very straightfoward- one does not have to worry about navigating through side streets or entering a restricted street.

 

[RubyToogood]

I don't know where you're coming from, but you could go over Blackfriars Bridge, turn right on Clerkenwell Road (near where legendary nightclub Turnmills nightclub used to be), then 1-2 minutes later right again at Goswell Road. You'll then promptly arrive at the roundabout where the Museum of London is, and from there is 1 minute to Finsbury Circus Gardens, where there are shit loads of motorcycle parking bays.

I did a very similar route on my bike a few weeks ago and although it's not as direct as others, it's fast on a bike and very straightfoward- one does not have to worry about navigating through side streets or entering a restricted street.

That sounds workable and is similar to the route I was contemplating in my last post. Can I turn left into Moorgate going that way?

I'm a big fan of the motorbike parking in Finsbury Circus although Finsbury Square is nearer my final destination and was well endowed with bays too in the before times.

I'm coming from Crystal Palace. Getting to the river is the easy bit (although they've blocked off my usual northbound route through Dulwich Village).

 

[T & P]

If you’re coming from Crystal Palace you could actually use Waterloo Bridge. Go into the underpass and at Holborn turn right into Theobalds Road. Which quickly becomes Clenkerwell Road, and effectively the latter part of the route I suggested earlier.

I am not sure if there is a direct right turn at Holborn, but even if it weren’t it’s dead easy to do a legal U-turn on a bike. And Waterloo Bridge via Kennington is more appealing and less traffic intense than anything going via Elephant and Castle.

 

[RubyToogood]

If you’re coming from Crystal Palace you could actually use Waterloo Bridge. Go into the underpass and at Holborn turn right into Theobalds Road. Which quickly becomes Clenkerwell Road, and effectively the latter part of the route I suggested earlier.

I am not sure if there is a direct right turn at Holborn, but even if it weren’t it’s dead easy to do a legal U-turn on a bike. And Waterloo Bridge via Kennington is more appealing and less traffic intense than anything going via Elephant and Castle.

That feels less intuitive... The bit between Aldwych and Holborn can be quite bad. I like your previous suggestion.

While we're here, Southwark Bridge. Huh. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing.

 

[T & P]

That feels less intuitive... The bit between Aldwych and Holborn can be quite bad. I like your previous suggestion.

While we're here, Southwark Bridge. Huh. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing.

Filming.

 

[RubyToogood]

So a week after posting this thread I broke my wrist and didn't go anywhere on the motorbike for some time, but this has now come back again.

Can I do this route to Finsbury Square currently?

• Cross London Bridge
• Go up Bishopsgate
• Turn left into London Wall
• Turn right into Moorgate

If not, what's my best bet?

 

[Crispy]

That would work. You could also carry on up Bishopsgate and turn left onto Primrose Street then Appold Street and Sun Street, to avoid any RH turns.

 

[ouirdeaux]

If the broken wrist was related to the motorbike, or even if it wasn't, I'd take it as a sign from the divine power I don't believe in to stop riding and stay where I was. What's wrong with Crystal Palace?

 

[RubyToogood]

If the broken wrist was related to the motorbike, or even if it wasn't, I'd take it as a sign from the divine power I don't believe in to stop riding and stay where I was. What's wrong with Crystal Palace?

It wasn't. I tripped over a bag of firewood.

Crystal Palace is very nice, I'm a huge fan, but I've seen a lot of it lately, specifically my kitchen.

 

[RubyToogood]

That would work. You could also carry on up Bishopsgate and turn left onto Primrose Street then Appold Street and Sun Street, to avoid any RH turns.

Unfortunately it doesn't work. On a motorbike you're allowed to cross London Bridge but not do anything useful afterwards. You can turn left into Cannon Street or right into Eastcheap but not anything approximating north eg straight on up Bishopsgate or half left up King William Street.