Two new Cycle Superhighways were unveiled in London yesterday which includes an 18 mile continuous East to West cycle route nicknamed the “Crossrail for Bikes”. The new routes will run East – West from Tower Hill to Westbourne Terrace and then North – South from Kings Cross to Elephant and Castle. The new routes will be substantially segregated and road space will be reallocated to those on bikes including one whole lane of the Westway flyover.
The London Cycling Campaign (LCC) labelled the plans as a ‘major step forward in creating streets that are safe and inviting’ for cyclists. The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said “Bikes already make up 24% of all rush-hour traffic in central London – hundreds of thousands of journeys every day that would other wise be made by car or public transport. Because this isn’t just about cyclists. Getting more people on to their bikes will reduce pressure on the road, bus and rail networks, cut pollution, and improve life for everyone whether or not they cycle themselves.”
Consultation on the two routes began on the 3rd of September and Transport for London (TFL) say the routes chosen that link up with Quietways and other Cycle Superhighways have seen a reduction about a quarter of motor traffic in the last decade. The East-West Superhighway will replace a traffic lane on Victoria Embankment where motor traffic declined 24% between 2004-2013 while in places 15 percent of vehicles are bicycles.
The Chief Executive of London Cycling Campaign referred to the 10,000 LCC supporters that campaigned in 2012 for safer streets to cycle like Holland’s. In response to that the Mayor promised them that they would have new cycle superhighways that match the best continental standards. TFL is working with the London boroughs who manage the majority of the capitals roads to deliver the routes. In places that include West of the Westway and through Farringdon, details are still being finalised. The East West route was originally announced as the centrepiece of the Mayors £913m Cycling Vision in March 2013.
