“Why do cyclists believe that they have a right to endanger pedestrians?” Council promises to install anti-bike barriers in foot tunnel, as locals and politicians claim “speeding” cyclists are “almost hitting” families and “abusing” pedestrians

Greenwich Council has pledged to install barriers in both the Greenwich and Woolwich foot tunnels in a bid to ensure cyclists using the key commuter routes dismount, after local politicians, residents, and media outlets launched a renewed campaign attacking those who ride their bikes through the tunnels, claiming that they “go too fast”, pose a danger to families, and respond with abuse when confronted.

Responding to the complaints raised by locals using the Greenwich foot tunnel – which is used by an estimated 4,000 cyclists and pedestrians a day and forms part of National Cycle Route 1 – the Royal Borough of Greenwich Council said it recognises that “some cyclists are making pedestrians feel unsafe” and announced that it is working alongside the tunnel’s joint owner Tower Hamlets Council to improve safety, including the installation of new cycle barriers.

Over the past few decades, with the development of the financial district centred on Canary Wharf, London’s north-south Greenwich tunnel, first opened in 1902, has become a key commuting link for people who work there but live south of the Thames, given the lack of other convenient crossings in the area.

But despite forming part of National Cycle Route 1, linking Dover and the Scottish Highlands, cyclists are currently only allowed to walk their bikes through the tunnel (since 2014, bikes have been permitted on Docklands Light Railway trains, but only at off-peak times).

> Councillor calls for anti-bike barriers to prevent “dangerous” cyclists “zooming across” foot tunnel

In 2017, Labour-controlled Greenwich Council, which is responsible for maintaining the tunnel, sanctioned plans to allow cyclists to ride through it at certain times, a proposal which requires approval from its joint owner Tower Hamlets Council, where the Aspire Party, which in 2022 controversially ripped out a school street in the borough, has the majority.

Despite electronic signs being tested in the tunnels, indicating when cyclists can use them, the scheme has faced opposition from Tower Hamlets Council, with Conservative councillor Peter Golds arguing at the time of the initial proposal that the Edwardian tunnel “was never designed for cycling”.

A user group for the tunnel was disbanded in 2021, as members expressed their frustration at the lack of progress in resolving the cycling issue, as well as problems with the tunnel’s lifts, which were installed in 2010 during a much-criticised refurbishment.

The proposals came under the microscope once again in early 2023, when Golds claimed there was “huge popular support” in the area for “rigorous” health and safety checks to be implemented before any ban on cycling in Greenwich foot tunnel is lifted.

And this week, local media outlet MyLondon has reignited the debate by highlighting the apparent concerns of residents and tourists about “dangerous” cycling in the tunnel.

> Isle of Dogs fury that cyclists may be allowed to ride through Greenwich foot tunnel 

One person interviewed by the site, Shirley, a tourist who’s staying in the Isle of Dogs and visiting a friend around Cutty Sark, claimed she was subject to abuse by cyclists she reprimanded for riding through the 370m-long tunnel.

“People completely ignore the ‘no cycling’ signs,” Shirley said. “Even responsible-looking individuals cycle because everyone else is doing it! I’ve seen families almost get hit, and when you confront cyclists, they often respond with abuse.”

The MyLondon reporter also claimed that Shirley was “met with swearing” when she criticised a cyclist for riding their bike, while another pedestrian was allegedly told by one person on a bike to “mind your own business”.

That commuter, Vince Soodin, who says he knows someone who received a £100 fine for cycling through the tunnel, added: “Some cyclists go too fast, even when the tunnel is crowded. As a cyclist myself, I understand the temptation, but safety should come first. The tunnel is as narrow as a pavement, yet some ride as if it’s a road.”

"There are plenty of signs indicating that people shouldn't cycle on this staircase and in the tunnel itself,” Rosalind Goodwin said. “However, the temptation to get through quickly often leads to people ignoring the signs. I’ve written to the Tower Hamlets Council in the past, but nothing has changed.”

Meanwhile, another pedestrian said that “with cyclists speeding and kids running around, it becomes really dangerous” in the tunnel.

“People with impaired hearing wouldn’t hear a cyclist coming, which is even more risky. Even to me, it’s unnerving to have cyclists zoom past me, causing me a lot of anxiety,” a daily commuter added.

> Greenwich foot tunnel bike commuters face months of carrying bikes up stairs 

Following the story’s publication, Conservative councillor Golds took to social media to write: “I have been raising this for years on behalf of users far and wide. Why do cyclists believe that they have a right to endanger the safety of pedestrians?”

Responding to the complaints, a spokesperson for the Royal Borough of Greenwich said: “We take people’s safety extremely seriously and recognise that some cyclists are making pedestrians feel unsafe.”

“We are continuing to liaise with the London Borough of Tower Hamlets to improve safety in the tunnel. One solution is changing the byelaws, but both parties need to agree to this before we are able to move forward.

“There is a plan underway to regenerate both the Greenwich and Woolwich Foot Tunnels, including replacing the lifts, and installing barriers. A new lift servicing and maintenance contract is also currently being organised.

“CCTV monitoring is already in operation throughout the tunnel, stairs and lifts. Help points are also provided within the tunnel and are monitored 24 hours daily.”

As noted above, in January 2023 Tower Hamlets councillor Golds claimed that the “growth of illegal cycling” in the tunnel was a “major issue” and that “rigorous” health and safety checks would need to be implemented before cyclists are permitted to ride through the tunnel alongside pedestrians.

“The issue here is the growth of illegal cycling in the foot tunnel which is increasingly dangerous,” Golds said.

“We constantly get issues of families going through the foot tunnel and suddenly finding people coming towards them, shooting through at speed on bicycles, frequently blowing whistles to expect people to get out of the way.”

Another member of the council, this time from Labour, also called for barriers to be installed along the path to stop cyclists “zooming across from one end of the tunnel to the other”.

However, Green Party councillor Nathalie Bienfait argued that the discussion only served to give “unhelpful airtime to the false narrative that cyclists are fundamentally irresponsible and lawless”.