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The first two pilot Barclays-sponsored Cycle Superhighways are set to open next Monday July 19th, running from Merton to the City and from Barking to Tower Gateway.
Launch day will also see the first of a series of cycle guided tours that will run through the summer on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for four weeks. The rides are designed to encourage Londoners to make use of the new Superhighways.
The rides will depart from eight different locations along or close to the Superhighways. Trained marshals from the London Cycling Campaign will give each participant’s bicycle a basic check before guiding the riders into central London, arriving before 9pm.
Mayor of London’s Transport Advisor Kulveer Ranger said: “With the Capital’s two flagship cycling schemes just around the corner, more and more Londoners are switching to the joys of pedal power. These guided cycle rides, launching alongside the start of our Superhighways, are a simple way of offering support to new cyclists who would like a little extra help to gain the confidence they need to get onto two wheels.”
Ben Plowden, Director of Better Routes and Places at TfL, said: “Cycling has soared in popularity in London in recent years but swapping to a pedal powered commute can be daunting. For this reason, TfL is offering guided cycle rides with the aim of encouraging as many Londoners as possible to reap the benefits of getting to work or college by bike.”
Details of the guided rides can be found at www.tfl.gov.uk/guidedcyclerides.
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A rumour stemming from the London SE1.co.uk forum suggests that the Cycle Superhighways are currently undergoing work to thin the width of lanes near Sothwark Bridge Road.
It is said that a £4,000 a day machine is performing the lane reductions, though this is yet to be confirmed by the Mayor’s office.
