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Sadiq Khan reveals quality criteria for new Cycleways and criticises boroughs ‘wedded to the status quo’

Criticises boroughs such as Westminster who he says are ‘wedded to the status quo’

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, today revealed Transport for London’s (TfL’s) new quality criteria for Cycleways. He went on to criticise several boroughs who he said were ‘wedded to the status quo,’ and as a consequence were ‘harming the health of Londoners.’

Earlier this year, it was announced that the Cycle Superhighway and Quietway names were to be dropped and replaced by a single brand – Cycleways.

All new cycle routes will have to meet TfL’s new quality criteria in order to be branded and signed as a ‘Cycleway’.

When designing routes, the criteria will be used to decide where protected space is necessary and where changes to junctions and parking are needed.

Decisions will be based on:

  • The total volume of motor traffic, to ensure the number of motor vehicles mixing with people cycling is low
  • The speed of motor traffic, to reduce the risks caused by vehicles travelling at higher speeds
  • The width provided for people cycling, to ensure that there is plenty of space to both cycle and overtake
  • The collision risk between people cycling and turning vehicles
  • Reducing the interaction between HGVs and people cycling to a minimum
  • Minimising the impact of any kerbside activity on people cycling

Speaking at London’s Walking and Cycling Conference, Khan also claimed to have doubled the amount of protected cycling infrastructure built in the capital during his time in office.

“I said before the election that I wanted to increase the pace of change building new cycling infrastructure. I’m delighted that in just three years we have achieved more than the last Mayor did in eight years, already doubling the amount of protected cycle routes on streets across London.

“I want to now deliver even more high-quality cycling and walking infrastructure across all parts of the capital, but even with record investment from the TfL we can’t achieve that on our own. Boroughs across London must recognise the huge benefits of getting more people out of their cars and cycling as part of their everyday routine – getting more people active, improving their health, and reducing the air pollution on our streets which causes so much harm.” 

The amount of protected space delivered since May 2016 comprises:

  • 20km in the Superhighways programme
  • 5km in the Quietways & Central London Grid programme
  • 21km in the mini-Holland programme
  • 17km from other schemes, such as Stratford High Street, Highbury Corner and Westminster Bridge South

London’s former cycling commissioner Andrew Gilligan has previously accused Sadiq Khan of presiding over the construction of a “fake cycle network,” arguing that in many areas the mayor has done little more than add Quietway signs to roads and claimed them as new routes. He has also suggested that most of what has been completed was begun before Khan took office.

Construction work is due to begin this summer on Cycleway 4 in south east London and on Cycleway 9 in west London.

TfL and boroughs are also working towards consultations on several other cycle routes between:

  • Ilford and Barking Riverside – consultation on first section 2019
  • Dalston and Lea Bridge Road - consultation in 2019
  • Rotherhithe and Peckham - consultation in 2019
  • Camden and Tottenham Hale – consultation in late 2019 / 2020
  • Greenwich to Woolwich – consultation in late 2019 / 2020
  • Wembley and Willesden – consultation on first section by 2021

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11 comments

Avatar
ktache | 4 years ago
1 like

Burt if you want quo, go early and go psychedelic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQyB5buEV5s

Avatar
burtthebike replied to ktache | 4 years ago
1 like

ktache wrote:

Burt if you want quo, go early and go psychedelic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQyB5buEV5s

Great song, but thank your deity that they discovered eight bar blues.  I've always hated miming.

The follow up was "Like ice in the sun" which was a dismal flop. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ochr0YNqq9M

But much under-rated, SQ.

Avatar
burtthebike replied to ktache | 4 years ago
1 like

ktache wrote:

Burt if you want quo, go early and go psychedelic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQyB5buEV5s

Or just for helmet wearers, including the line "let my head take a softer ride" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ochr0YNqq9M

Avatar
Xena | 4 years ago
1 like

A lot of the cycle ways in London have just complicated the things for no reason . Riders join roads at sometimes very dangerous positions , other road vehicles are not always aware. 

Pedestrians stiil feel it’s ok to walk in The  cycle lanes because they are Separated from the main traffic some people just don’t recognise or understand that they are not for pedestrians. 

Most deaths in London on bikes have been due to cyclists  being on the inside of a lorry turning left and they get squished. Bikes were and are fine on the normal roads and still are. You cant cater for everyone if you don’t have the physical space like many of London’s streets  and roads then it’s up to the road users to look out for themselves and then each other ,in that order.   All these separate cycleways make the roads smaller do nothing for anyone’s safety and waste money. 

There are idiots who ride bikes ,drive cars  drive lorry’s etc etc . Have patience  and be aware of your surroundings and let other “ idiots get angry “ Simple as that .  

London in my view has made a mess of things when it comes to the roads and safety . 

Avatar
Jharrison5 | 4 years ago
2 likes

The crossing you're writing about is called a tiger crossing: https://lcc.org.uk/articles/first-tiger-crossing-comes-to-london-cyclists. It already exists in London. The first tiger crossings in Scotland should arrive in the next couple of years in the westedinburghlink.info project.

Avatar
ktache | 4 years ago
3 likes

TheRantyHighwayman has dicussed that one a bit HP, I think it's difficult as there has to be a certain distance from a junction, belisha beacon and zig zags.  I aslo think that there would have to be a change in law.  If only it were as simple as a bit of paint.

Where I live, they have painted on fake paving on entrances/exits on a mini roundabout, some motorists will stop at them to let pedestrians across, I am not aware whether they give any more legal protection than any normal bit of the road though.

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to ktache | 4 years ago
4 likes

ktache wrote:

TheRantyHighwayman has dicussed that one a bit HP, I think it's difficult as there has to be a certain distance from a junction, belisha beacon and zig zags.  I aslo think that there would have to be a change in law.  If only it were as simple as a bit of paint.

Where I live, they have painted on fake paving on entrances/exits on a mini roundabout, some motorists will stop at them to let pedestrians across, I am not aware whether they give any more legal protection than any normal bit of the road though.

I appreciate that - I'd want the law changed to allow a simpler zebra style crossing at the end of side roads, but still have priority to the peds/cyclists going over it. Then it could be as simple as a bit of paint on all the side roads.

Avatar
BehindTheBikesheds | 4 years ago
7 likes

WAFFLE WAFFLE WAFFLE WAFFLE WAFFLE WAFFLE, all wind and piss, consultations, lol, how many years with sod all actually of note done?

Avatar
hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
10 likes

I wish they'd sort out the priority mess when a cycleway crosses over a side road.

What I'd like to see is a simple zebra crossing style black and white lines where the side road meets the cycleway to indicate to drivers that pedestrians and cyclists have priority to continue straight on and not have to stop at every single side road.

Avatar
BehindTheBikesheds replied to hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
0 likes

hawkinspeter wrote:

I wish they'd sort out the priority mess when a cycleway crosses over a side road.

What I'd like to see is a simple zebra crossing style black and white lines where the side road meets the cycleway to indicate to drivers that pedestrians and cyclists have priority to continue straight on and not have to stop at every single side road.

A stop line with cameras would be far better, we see how drivers don't give a flying one about priority and why the Dutch have huge numbers of deaths of cyclists at these points.

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