Work starts on London’s Cycle Superhighways

Work has started on the two pilot routes in London.

The two routes, part of twelve Cycle Superhighways planned for the Capital, run from Merton to the City via the A24 and A3, and Barking to Tower Gateway via the A13 and Cable Street.

Transport for London has now started work on the Barking to Tower Gateway route with resurfacing work near Westferry DLR station. TfL will also trial new continuous cycle lanes through three junctions on the Merton to City route shortly.

As well as installing new cycle lanes and upgrading existing ones, other works scheduled before the pilot routes launch in summer 2010 include installing Advanced Stop Lines at many junctions along both routes, for example at the junction of Clapham Common Southside and Narbonne Avenue, which provide a space for cyclists to wait at lights ahead of the queue of traffic.

There will also be a realigning of traffic lanes and bus lanes to make busy stretches of the Superhighways safer for cyclists, for example on the southbound section of the A24 at the junction of Kennington Road and Brixton Road.

Another safety measure is the trialling of mirrors, subject to Department for Transport approval, at junctions along both pilot routes. These mirrors give drivers of large vehicles better visibility of cyclists when turning left.

TfL will be assessing the impact of reducing the two northbound lanes of the A3 at the Stockwell Gyratory to one lane, allowing the installation of a new segregated cycle lane at this location. A further segregated lane is proposed at the junction parallel to Stockwell Terrace.

Sections of the Cycle Superhighways will be resurfaced to ensure a smoother, more comfortable ride, for example between Newby Place and Naval Row in Poplar.

There will also be improvements to the existing diversionary route around the Elephant and Castle roundabout with better signage and resurfacing of some sections.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “Just as the oak springs from the acorn, so too from these first works will London’s Cycle Superhighways appear – giving commuters easier, continuous and safer ways to travel to work by bike.

“The Superhighways, alongside our cycle hire scheme and our huge cycle safety programme, will transform the experience of cycling in the Capital. This in turn will help us improve air quality, and tackle pollution and congestion on the transport network. This really is a year of cycling for London, and as we go forward Londoners will see huge improvements unfold.”

David Brown, Managing Director of Surface Transport at TfL, said: “The Cycle Superhighways will benefit the many thousands of Londoners who already choose to commute by bike. For those who want to start, we hope that the changes will give them the extra confidence they need by providing easy to recognise and follow cycle routes.

“TfL has been in close discussion with the boroughs that the pilot routes run through and other interested groups in developing the detailed designs for the first two Cycle Superhighways. The pilots will allow us to test all of the measures for their effectiveness, helping to determine the scope and detailed design of the remaining routes.”

As well as cycling infrastructure improvements, TfL is installing 300 new cycle parking spaces along both pilot routes including outside all Tube stations along the Merton to City route. This is in addition to the extra cycle parking that will installed by the eight London boroughs the routes run through, using the £1.49m that has been allocated by TfL for cycle parking alongside training and cycle maintenance sessions. In addition, TfL is working with businesses along the routes to encourage cycling among their employees.