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Transport for London is to redesign the cycle lane on Blackfriars bridge in London but the plans for the redesign have been criticised by cyclists. They believe increasing the bridge’s speed limit to 30mph is a retrograde step, the junction on the northern end of the bridge will be made more dangerous for cyclists (already a location where cyclists have been killed) and that taking road space from cyclists and giving it to cars is folly, considering there are more cyclists which use the bridge than cars.
Cycle campaigners in London recently organised a ‘flashride’ over the bridge and there have been numerous blog postings over the issue.
Yesterday, during the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group bike ride, I asked Norman Baker, the minister responsible for walking and cycling, whether he was aware of the issue. He said he wasn’t and that, in the push for localism, he wouldn’t be able to do anything anyway.
Later, when the issue had been raised with him by Ashok Sinha, CEO of the London Cycling Campaign, he agreed to talk to TfL and the London mayor Boris Johnson.
Watch this five minute video on the Blackfriars bridge issue and yesterday’s ride:
