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Greenwich and Vauxhall in line to get London's first 'Go Dutch' makeovers

Boris Jonson reveals locations at Mayor's Question Time - but will reality match expectations? ...

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has hinted that Greenwich and Vauxhall could become the first locations to see a ‘Go Dutch’ makeover in line with the campaign of that name launched by London Cycling Campaign. Mr Johnson made his comment in reply to a question from the Green Party’s Jenny Jones during last week’s Mayor’s Question Time.

While there’s nothing official from TfL regarding any potential trial of putting in place the key points outlined in LCC’s Love London, Go Dutch manifesto, which Mr Johnson pledged to support shortly before the mayoral elections earlier this month, the campaign group has welcomed his comments.

Greenwich, a UNESCO World Heritage site that draws visitors from London and overseas, lacks facilities for cyclists or pedestrians and the town centre is regularly choked with traffic as a result of the one-way system on a road layout put in place long before the motor car came into existence.

Last year, Greenwich Cyclists opposed plans by Greenwich Council to pedestrianise part of the town centre adjacent to the block that houses Greenwich Market because the plans also included the installation of a much larger gyratory system running between Greenwich and Deptford. The plans were subsequently scrapped.

Despite being a hugely popular destination for overseas and UK visitors, historic Greenwich town centre is blighted by its one-way system and lack of pedestrian or cycling facilities.

Recent plans to remove motor traffic from part of the town centre were opposed by cyclists because they would have resulted in the area being surrounded by an even larger and more uninviting one-way system.

LCC says Vauxhall is often described as “one of London's most dangerous and least people-friendly locations, with up to five lanes of motor traffic forming a noisy and polluted one-way system.”

Charlie Holland, co-ordinator for Lambeth Cyclists, commented: “Lambeth Cyclists coordinator Charlie Holland said, "We welcome Vauxhall becoming a flagship 'Go Dutch' project and can't wait to see the thousands of primary and secondary children at the schools adjacent to the current one-way system cycling in comfort and safety from their schools across Vauxhall Bridge, along Nine Elms Lane, or along the Albert Embankment."

Obviously, we are a long way from seeing any detailed plans, and those who were disappointed with the reality of the much-vaunted Barclays Cycle Superhighways following the mayor’s promises of how they would transform cycling in London might view those comments as perhaps overly optimistic.

Certainly, Mr Johnson’s commitment to Love London, Go Dutch is being watched closely by those working to make conditions better for cyclists in London, and the LCC itself plans to deliver its verdict on the first 100 days of his second term in office early in August.

Things did not get off to the best of starts in that same Mayor's Question Time last week, the first since Mr Johnson was re-elected, in which he claimed that two thirds of cyclists killed or seriously injured on the capital's roads had been breaking the law.
 

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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jonomc4 | 11 years ago
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Well I suppose it beats the hell out of the previous mayors promises with no delivery - provided that doesn't happen again it will be the "proof of the pudding is in the eating" for both sides - I really hope it is a success!

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JohnS | 11 years ago
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This is amusing. The original plans for the Vauxhall Cross makeover a few years ago, when the bus station was built, included segregated cycle routes that took space from the roads.

Instead, they were built on the pavements, cut across by service roads, and make for a very long-winded, roundabout and indirect way of getting around the junction with even more red lights than on the roads.

Result: They are ignored by many, since riding on the road, if you're assertive enough, is far quicker, more direct and relatively safe.

We are the traffic. Give us our roads back.

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