CS11 protester says group she heads not behind Regent's Park tacks

The leader of a campaign to stop CS11 from being built has said that her group was not behind the tacks spread at Regent’s Park last week. Tacks were found on the Outer Circle – which is on the proposed CS11 route – at 7am on Friday, following a similar discovery on the Inner Circle eight days before.

Regent’s Park Cyclists’ spokesman, Justin McKie, said: “Cyclists doing laps generally travel at around 20mph, so getting a puncture which causes loss of control will quite often leave the rider on the floor and most likely injured. If that’s in front of a car, then that’s the big concern.”

Jessica Learmond-Criqui, who is behind a crowdfunding drive to raise £150,000 for a judicial review of CS11, condemned the actions and told Ham&High that most objectors were not ‘anti-cyclist’.

“If the tacks on the road were placed there deliberately that is criminal, homicidal irresponsibility and should be condemned by anyone and everyone. But tacks are not just anti cyclist, it’s anti motorist too.

“I understand that there may be long-running tensions between training cyclists and residents and or motorists in the park. I have never met anyone involved in objecting to CS11 who would countenance or condone putting tacks on the road.

“CS11 objectors are not anti-cyclist and we have made that clear on many occasions. Any suggestion otherwise is provocative and designed purposefully to stir discontent.”

In April, Learmond-Criqui said that Cycle Superhighway 11, which is proposed to run from Swiss Cottage to the West End, would “act as a cork” to traffic, forcing cars onto narrow residential roads and worsening air pollution.

The employment lawyer, who lives and works around Hampstead, said: “Finchley Road is used by 35 million vehicles, and CS11 will see more than 200 more vehicles per hour being funnelled through the streets of Hampstead because TfL are trying to narrow five lanes to three at Swiss Cottage. Hampstead has 12,500 children and 55 schools and pollution is a danger. Hampstead is exceeding safety levels for pollution."