Last month we reported how Boris Johnson had revealed very rudimentary plans for an elevated cycle path over London, and now a firm of architects has produced sketches of how the project, with the working name SkyCycle, might look.
Sam Martin, a landscape architect and director of Exterior Architecture, has apparently been in discussions with the Mayor of London and Network Rail since May about using disused railway lines above ground in a network linking mainline railway stations across the capital.
"TfL estimate the number of journeys made by bike will treble to around 1.5 million by 2020. Where are they meant to go? SkyCycle is the next logical step, because you can’t realistically build more cycle lanes on ground level.
"You have to start knocking down buildings and there will always be the problem of traffic. It will be less safe than it is now and you can’t persuade people to get on bikes as it is even if you keep raising taxes on cars.
"Boris loves the idea and Network Rail are really positive about it. I sincerely believe it could be the next significant piece of London infrastructure and would transform the capital.
"It has been compared to New York’s High Line, which I am familiar with, but the reality is this is a completely different concept."
Mr Martin's plans include a pay-as-you-ride Oyster service, which he proposes costing £1 per journey, with a corporate sponsor like Barclays helping to fund the construction costs.
It is thought the first route could be built on the Olympic regeneration of east London, linking Stratford with the City of London through Liverpool and Fenchurch Street stations but this has yet to be confirmed.
Help us to fund our site
We’ve noticed you’re using an ad blocker. If you like road.cc, but you don’t like ads, please consider subscribing to the site to support us directly. As a subscriber you can read road.cc ad-free, from as little as £1.99.
If you don’t want to subscribe, please turn your ad blocker off. The revenue from adverts helps to fund our site.
If you’ve enjoyed this article, then please consider subscribing to road.cc from as little as £1.99. Our mission is to bring you all the news that’s relevant to you as a cyclist, independent reviews, impartial buying advice and more. Your subscription will help us to do more.
After an unpromising start, having to be bribed by her parents to learn to ride without stabilisers, Sarah became rather keener on cycling in her university years, and was eventually persuaded to upgrade to proper road cycling by the prospect of a shiny red Italian bike, which she promptly destroyed by trapping a pair of knickers in the rear derailleur. Sarah writes about about cycling every weekend on road.cc.
Latest Comments
Bungle_52
0 sec ago
I wasn't joking. When I retired 10 years ago I was teaching kids to pass exams, I was not teaching the subject any more. By the time I left, I...
I wasn't joking. When I retired 10 years ago I was teaching kids to pass exams, I was not teaching the subject any more. By the time I left, I...
Poor things. How will they ever survive? My heart bleeds . . .
172.5mm to 175mm will almost certainly not be noticeable. The length of the cranks is insignificant compared to the length of the levers you're...
But then Eton Rifle would never have been able to use the phrase "Quitlings" which I had not heard before and I rather liked.
same here, I have excellent form at picking riders in the classics that either crash, puncture or get COVID...
I don't see gorilla serum on the list - either he was missing a trick, or the anti-doping agencies are lagging behind as usual.
Yes, there'd certainly be some words that you wouldn't be able to use - anything with a "B" or an "M" for starters...
"If you want to kill someone, the best way to do it is in a car…" ...
Unfortunately not. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/report-86-carrying-fake-or-toy-guns-killed-...
The bollards were installed in October 2020 and keep all non-essential vehicles, including shop deliveries, out between 10:30 and 16:30 - long...