Transport for London’s (TfL) board has approved plans for the construction of four new cycle superhighways.
New superhighways will be built in East-West, North-South, CS1 and the inner section of CS5 while upgrades will be made to the four existing cycle superhighway routes (CS2, CS3, CS7 and CS8) as part of the Mayor’s Cycling Vision.
The schemes, which will cost around £160m to deliver between now and the end of 2016, will help treble the number of cycle journeys made over the next 10 years and transform London’s streets and spaces to places where cyclists feel they belong and are safe.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “We know that Londoners want these routes and that they want them to be delivered to the high standard I promised, as quickly as possible. I will keep that promise and spades will begin hitting the ground next month. Thanks to the skill of TfL’s engineers and traffic managers, we have made changes which keep the cycle track and junctions segregated, while taking out much less of the route’s motor traffic capacity. I now look forward to the transformation that these planned routes will bring – not just for people who cycle now, but for the thousands of new cyclists they will attract.”
Chris Boardman, British Cycling’s policy advisor, said: “This is a fantastic day for Londoners as well as the many million people who visit the capital every year.
“This vision for large-scale, properly segregated cycle ways will make cycling a more attractive transport option, creating a more pleasant, healthy and sustainable London for everyone. The move brings the capital one step closer to creating a true cycling culture to rival cities like Copenhagen and Amsterdam. But most importantly of all, it will set a standard for the rest of the country.”
Now that the TfL board has approved the plans, a wide programme of communication and traffic management will be carried out to ensure that these works can be delivered with minimum disruption to London’s roads.
