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TfL, the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Hounslow have opened two new temporary cycle lanes, totalling almost 5.5 kilometres of space as part of the Mayor’s Streetspace programme.
This builds on the 90 kilometres of new or upgraded cycle lanes that have been delivered or are under construction since May in response to COVID-19.
The new route in Greenwich will make cycling between the Old Royal Naval College and Angerstein Roundabout much safer and includes a protected route through the Angerstein Roundabout. Other improvements include new pedestrian crossings.
The new lane will form part of an extended Cycleway 4 (C4), which when complete, will connect Charlton and Greenwich to central London via Rotherhithe and Bermondsey. In September, TfL opened the first section of the route between Tower Bridge Road and Rotherhithe, including a complete overhaul of Rotherhithe Roundabout and three new Santander Cycles docking stations along the route.
In west London, the new 2.4-kilometre track along Chiswick High Road is the first major section of the Cycleway 9 (C9) route to open. The new route links to other changes to create one of the longest cycleways to have opened under the Streetspace programme so far. The new cycle track runs between Heathfield Terrace and Goldhawk Road, separating people cycling from traffic and reducing the risk of collisions with motor vehicles.
Other temporary work on C9 that has been carried out so far includes measures on Wellesley Road and between Olympia and Goldhawk Road, which have together created a safer cycling corridor between Olympia and Gunnersbury for the first time. TfL will continue to work with Hammersmith and Fulham and Hounslow Councils on plans to create the Cycleway 9 route in full.
“Creating more cycle routes is more important than ever so I’m delighted that these two new routes are now complete,” said Will Norman, London’s walking and cycling commissioner. “Not only will they enable many more journeys to be made by bike, which is vital to reduce the risk of a car-led recovery from the pandemic, but they also help ease pressure on public transport while social distancing continues to limit capacity. I’m particularly pleased that the notorious Angerstein roundabout has been made much safer for both people cycling and those on foot.”
Nick Fairholme, TfL’s director of project and programme delivery, added: “We’re determined to do all we can to ensure that London recovers from coronavirus sustainably and measures to keep people cycling safe are absolutely vital to this. These new protected cycle lanes will make a real difference to thousands of people in the area and beyond, giving them confidence as they make journeys by bike.
“I’d like to thank people in the area for their patience during construction work and as with all of our new infrastructure, we’ll continue to monitor local roads to ensure that the new lanes are working as intended.”
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