Report Calls for Improvements to Canal Route

As part of the London Greenways project, a Cycle Route Implementation and Stakeholder Plan has now been published for the Westminster sections of the Regent’s Canal and the Paddington Branch of the Grand Union Canal.

A shared-use path is recommended along Delamere Terrace.

The replacement of these barriers is recommended along the canalside path in front of the Lisson Green Estate,

The aims of the study were:

• to provide a continuous east-west route for cycling which is currently not available
• to encourage faster-moving commuter cyclists to use the off-towpath route
• to make minor improvements to the towpath that will provide more comfortable pedestrian and recreational cycling use
• to encourage more people to use the towpath for recreational pursuits
• to resolve conflicts with other road and towpath users and ensure they have a greater awareness of cyclists.

The highest-priority recommendations are for contraflow cycling in Blomfield Road and a shared-use path along Delamere Terrace. These schemes will allow the canal route to work in both directions.

Other recommendations include:

• improving the lighting and surface of the path under the Marylebone / Metropolitan railway bridges
• replacing the barriers along the path in front of the Lisson Green Estate
• a staggered cycle path leading from the Toucan crossing of Lisson Grove to the Lisson Green canalside path, with separate entrances for pedestrians and cyclists
• improving the route through the streets where the canal runs through a tunnel

The total cost of recommendations made in the report amounts to an estimated £1,676,500.

The executive summary is now available at http://www.westminstercyclists.org.uk/canalcrisp.htm Please email info at westminstercyclists.org.uk for the full 7.4MB report.

Hyde Park now connects to Marble Arch

Following construction of two new gates by the Royal Parks, the cycle route around Hyde Park now connects to the toucan crossings of Marble Arch.

You are advised to use these gates rather than the one onto Park Lane, where cycling is not allowed on the footway and you could be fined - see photo below.

Long Acre Contraflow Unveiled

The long-awaited cycle contraflow lane has now appeared in Covent Garden's Long Acre.

The lane, running from Bow Street to Drury Lane, allows eastbound cyclists to ride against the one-way westbound traffic flow. This facility opens up a new route from the Charing Cross Road to Lincoln's Inn Fields.

The contraflow lane is part of an environmental improvement scheme in Long Acre, which also involved moving car-parking bays to the south side of the street (to the right in the photos). Work is now in progress to replace the mini roundabout at the junction with Bow Street and Endell Street with a pair of T-junctions as part of the same project.

You should note that 'no entry' signs are still in place at the entrance to the contraflow lane. This may mean that it is illegal to ride along it!

Concern has been expressed that the contraflow lane is little more than one metre wide. We understand that the original design was for a 1.5m lane. We are seeking to find out how the width was reduced.

Cyclists would dearly like to have a westbound contraflow lane along the western end of Long Acre. This is more difficult, however, because of the need to modify the traffic signals at the junction with St Martin's Lane. Signals had conveniently been removed from the junction with Drury Lane, making the introduction of the cycle contraflow rather easier.

Plans change for Millbank?

Transport for London may be changing its plans for a cycle route along Millbank so as to cater both for commuters and for less experienced and leisure cyclists.

Plans nearly 10 years old included:

• widening the footway on the river side to accommodate a two-metre two-way off-road cycle track
• a 1.5m cycle lane on the opposite side for northbound cyclists.

There are now concerns that these facilities could not handle the growing number of cycling commuters. And the off-road cycle track would be awkward for northbound cyclists to use, especially since TfL believe they could not extend it south of Vauxhall Bridge. Another problem is that, after widening the riverside footway, the traffic lane would be only 3.55m wide at its narrowest, which could produce conflict between cyclists remaining in the carriageway and motor vehicles.

So TfL are now considering other options. Thanks to congestion charging, traffic volumes are not so high among Millbank. It might therefore be possible to restrict motor traffic to one lane, releasing space for cyclists and pedestrians.

Plans also include re-arranging Lambeth Bridge, replacing the existing sub-standard cycle lanes with a 1.5m cycle lane in one direction and a bus lane in the other direction.

Improvements planned for Victoria Embankment

In November 2008, Boris Johnson said in Way to Go: "It is an utter disgrace that there is no decent cycle lane on the Victoria Embankment." We have now seen Transport for London's plans for Victoria Embankment, though only eastbound cyclists are going to see much benefit.

The main feature of the plans is a two-metre cycle lane for downstream (eastbound) cyclists for much of the road's length. Measures will also be taken to reduce the risk of left-turning vehicles' cutting cyclists up.

Sorry, it won't be like this just yet!

Not much is planned for upstream (westbound) cyclists, apart from cycle lanes along the first section from Temple Avenue. 

Westbourne Green bridge removed from Connect2 programme

Cyclists were disappointed to hear that the new bridge proposed for Westbourne Green has been removed from Sustrans's Connect2 programme. The bridge would have replaced the existing footbridge over the railway, known locally as 'Muggers' Bridge'. This news is particularly disappointing after the scheme was selected by the public to benefit from the lottery-funded Connect2 project.

This scheme would have seen the construction of a new, straight, wider bridge, with ramped accesses that would be at the heart of a network of cycle and pedestrian priority routes, linking to existing networks. Kensington Gardens, Westbourne Green, Kilburn, Kensal Green and the new City Academy would be connected by routes that prioritised walkers and cyclists. The new railway bridge, and its linking routes, as well as improvements to two existing bridges over the Grand Union Canal, would mean journeys through Westbourne Green would often be quicker, and certainly more attractive, when made on foot or by bike.

The location of the new bridge is shown in red.

The bridge, at Westbourne Park, is intended to be built using structures developed as part of the Crossrail project. However, current timeframes for Crossrail mean that the bridge cannot be completed within the five-year life span of Connect2 and so, unfortunately, the scheme can no longer be funded as part of this programme and will therefore not be delivered within the timescale originally hoped.

Carl Pittam, Sustrans’ London Director, explains; ”Major construction projects are liable to changes in timetable and in this case the Westbourne Park Bridge scheme is the innocent victim of circumstances beyond anyone’s control.

“We have been working hard with colleagues at Westminster City Council to salvage the situation and we all remain committed to delivering this project – which would benefit the thousands of Londoners who want to walk and cycle around the area. However we are committed to a tight timeline for the UK-wide Connect2 project and this unforeseen delay to Crossrail, on which the bridge depends, has meant that the development of the bridge, and its accompanying walking and cycling routes is also delayed.”

Cycling along Studio Walk

The Royal Parks are seeking funding for an 18-month trial to allow cycling along Kensington Gardens' Studio Walk, which runs in front of Kensington Palace.

This path would extend the east-west route across the park, which currently goes no further west than the Broad Walk. Cyclists' ultimate aspiration is to have a route through to Kensington Church street and then up Holland Street and through Holland Park. Allowing cycling along Studio Walk would be the next step towards this aspiration.

Studio Walk, where cycling is not currently permitted.

Atkins Intelligent Space have now produced a Cycling Assessment Report, following consultation with the Royal Parks Senior Management team, Crown Estates, Royal Household, Historic Royal Palaces and the Police (Diplomatic Security section). The report concluded that pedestrians and cyclists could both use the path without getting in each other's way.

Action on Canals

The path alongside Lisson Grove Estate is currently owned by CityWest Homes and due to be adopted by Westminster City Council. The path will only be adopted by WCC once it has been upgraded to public highway standard at the expense of the current owners.

The path currently has anti-cycling barriers along it, which some cyclists see as a challenge to their balancing powers. In addition, traffic signals have recently been installed at the junction of Lisson Grove and Frampton Street to ensure a safer journey through the streets for walkers and cyclists following the canal where it passes through a tunnel.

The high-level path at Lisson Green may be improved.

There is also to be a Cycle Route Inspection Meeting (CRIM) on the canal. Top of our list will be doing something about the one-way streets that prevent eastbound cyclists from following the canal where it cannot realistically be cycled, namely Delamere Terrace and Blomfield Road.

One-way Delamere Terrace is currently an obstacle for eastbound cyclists.

» More on cycling Westminster's canals

Work Starts on Bayswater Road Crossing

After many delays, work has started on a new cycle crossing of Bayswater Road, to replace the current zebra crossing near the junction with Stanhope Place..

The new crossing will connect Stanhope Place with a path to the North Carriage Drive in Hyde Park.. The crossing forms an important link in London Cycle Network routes 0 (Hyde Park - Marylebone - Bloomsbury) and 5 (Chelsea Bridge - Hyde Park - Kilburn) and will enable cyclists on north-south journeys to avoid Marble Arch.  In addition to the new crossing, two-way cycling will be allowed in Stanhope Place and cyclists will be allowed to turn right from Stanhope Place into Seymour Street.

A plan of the new crossing.

A crossing of Bayswater Road was first proposed in the autumn of 2005. Following a council member's objection to the original design for a toucan crossing, engineers prepared new plans for parallel pedestrian and cycle crossings.

The project was further delayed when Thames Water dug up the road. As is customary, the council then waited a few weeks in case TW needed to dig the road up again.

An unfortunate consequence of this delay is that the budget for this project could not be carried over from 2008-9 into the current year. Because it will have to be funded from the 2009-10 budget, the council will have less money to spend on other projects.

More Dr Bike sessions than ever before

There were an unprecedented number of Dr Bike sessions in Westminster this summer. The councils of Kensington & Chelsea, Westminster and Camden worked alongside the Royal Parks, British Waterways, the Metropolitan Police, the CTC and the LCC groups in the three boroughs to provide these sessions. About 500 people had their bikes checked and were given cycling information.

Dr Bike Venues included Hyde Park Corner (above) and Kensington Gardens (below).

New Canalside Path Opens

A new path has opened alongside part of the Grand Union Canal in Westminster, relieving pressure on a narrow section of the towing path.

The new path runs from Delamere Terrace westwards to the Harrow Road bridge through a small open space between the canal and St Mary Magdalene's church. It bypasses a narrow section of the towing path that was unable to accommodate growing numbers of users.

The winding course of the path through the trees not only adds interest to the route but helps to reduce excessive speed, as do strips of granite setts laid across the path.

A major problem is that eastbound cyclists, on reaching the end of the path, cannot legally continue their journey along Delamere Terrace (pictured right), which is one-way in the opposite direction. So the new path has increased the urgency of finding a solution for eastbound cycling along Delamere Terrace, whether in the carriageway or along the wide, high-level footway beside the canal.

The route along the canal is likely to become one of the Mayor of London's Greenways, running through and between the capital's open spaces. Sustrans expect to evaluate its potential during the course of this summer.

News from Elsewhere - New Oxford Street

Cyclists entering or leaving Westminster across the boundary with Camden currently have to contend with New Oxford Street.

As the photo shows, the street is currently arranged with two eastbound traffic lanes and one westbound bus lane. These are too narrow to allow a cyclist to overtake a bus or vice versa.

Camden has just published a Cycle Route Implementation and Stakeholders Plan (CRISP). This proposes dividing New Oxford Street into single eastbound and westbound lane lanes of equal width for exclusive use by buses, taxis and cyclists. The resulting width of 4.5 metres would enable buses to overtake cycles and vice versa. The plan also recommends repairing the terrible road surface.

These proposals do not come cheap: the cost of the new lanes is estimated at £70,955. This is probably because islands will have to be moved to the centre of the road, along with the traffic signals that stand on them: it is not just a case of painting a few lines. 

The West End: £4.1m to improve cycling conditions

A CRISP (Cycle Route Implementation Stakeholder Plan) is currently being prepared for the Marylebone, Mayfair and Soho areas. The first draft of this report recommended 92 improvements at an estimated total cost of £4.1m. Among many other things, the CRISP addresses the problem that eastbound cyclists from Hyde Park cannot currently proceed further east than Hanover Square.

Cyclists are currently inconvenienced by one-way streets, such as Harewood Place.

Hyde Park: Royal Parks consider options

The Royal Parks are currently considering ways of improving the safety along Rotten Row, which is very heavily used by cyclists at peak times.

The segregated oath alongside Rotten Row

Options for the path alongside the horse track include:

• Removing the white line so as to create a shared-use path. This is expected to reduce cyclists' speed.
• Installing granite rumble strips across the path at the approaches to junctions with side paths.
• Widening the path onto the horse track (not a cheap option!)

Options for the junction with the West Carriage Drive include:

• Interrupting the cycle tracks along each side of the West Carriage Drive with shared-use areas
• Widening the road table where cyclists cross the West Carriage Drive
• Soft landscaping at the end of Rotten Row to eliminate the blind corner.

Options for Victoria Gate include:

• A more direct route for cyclists entering the park to reach the cycle track on the east side of the West Carriage Drive.
• A more direct route for westbound cyclists from the North Carriage Drive to the Bayswater Road.
• A road table to enable pedestrians to cross between the North Carriage Drive and Kensington Gardens.

Please let us know if you have any views on any of these.

New Crossings at Marble Arch

Cyclists are beginning to use new toucan crossings at Marble Arch. These have been installed across junctions on the south side of the gyratory system and connect the central reservation of Park Lane with Hyde Park and with the island where the arch stands. There is no crossing to the north of the arch, but signals stop the traffic just long enough to reach Great Cumberland Place from the arch and vice versa.

If you are thinking of crossing here, there are a number of points to note:

1. If you are coming south from Great Cumberland Place, you need to be in the right-hand lane in order to reach the arch.
2. If you are heading north towards Great Cumberland Place, the only time you could possibly start to cross the road from the arch is when traffic starts turning left out of Great Cumberland Place.
3. The Royal Parks have not yet allowed cycling along the paths connecting Marble Arch with the cycle routes around Hyde Park, but they are planning to do so.

Marble Arch is actually made of marble. It was designed by John Nash in 1828 and originally stood outside Buckingham Palace. It was moved to its present site in 1851, supposedly because it was too narrow for carriages to pass through.

Admiralty Arch: light at the end of the tunnel?

As many cyclists found, the cycle lanes through Admiralty Arch were often blocked by motorists who continued to queue two abreast through the arch.

The Royal Parks attempted to solve this problem by marking a hatched area each side of the general traffic lane, encouraging motorists to pass through in single file and leave the cycle lane clear. Unfortunately traffic still formed a double queue at the approach to the arch and continued to pass through the arch two abreast. So the cycle lanes still remained blocked.
The Royal Parks made a further attempt to keep the cycle lanes clear, using cones and a 'keep right' sign. As the photo shows, this was successful, at least some of the time. The next challenge is to find a way of making this arrangement permanent without spoiling the appearance of this important monument, erected by grateful citizens in memory of Queen Victoria.

Marlborough Road crossing opens

A new crossing has completed a missing link in a vital cycle route across the Royal Parks.

The crossing of Marlborough Road connects the two halves of the Horse Ride, the service road to the north of the Mall. This in turn forms part of the route between the Albert Memorial and Trafalgar Square via Hyde Park Corner.

It's been a long wait for the crossing...


but finally cyclists can cross

If you are using this crossing, remember to:

• press the push button, otherwise the green signal may not appear
• watch out for vehicles turning left from the Mall past the red signal

Work Starts on Rotten Row Relief Route

The Royal Parks are modifying the junction of Hyde Park's South Carriage Drive and West Carriage Drive. This is part of a project to create an alternative to the heavily used path alongside Rotten Row.

The works at Coalbrookdale Gate (see picture) will enable cyclists using the road in front of the Albert Memorial to continue straight ahead along the South Carriage Drive. Until now, this manoeuvre has not been possible because of a barrier down the middle of West Carriage Drive, designed to prevent vehicles from turning right at the junction. There are already wide mandatory cycle lanes along much of the length of the South Carriage Drive.

With the increase in cycling in recent years, the segregated-use path alongside Rotten Row is used beyond its ideal capacity. Many cyclists now avoid it in peak times for fear of colliding with other cyclists.

The works form part of London Cycle Network Plus Route 44, which runs between Kensington and the City via Hyde Park Corner, Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square. The area behind the Canada Gate at Buckingham Palace is currently being rearranged as part of the same project.

Regent’s Park: cycling on Broad Walk set to continue

Last summer, the Royal Parks allowed cycling along the Broad Walk in Regent’s Park on a trial basis. As part of the trial, they conducted a survey of park users, both pedestrians and cyclists, about cycling in the park. The Royal Parks have interpreted the results as favouring cycling along the Broad Walk and possibly one or two other paths. The whole length of the Broad Walk from Chester Road to the Outer Circle will be designated for unsegregated use by cyclists and pedestrians for a further 18-month trial. Granite setts will be laid across the junctions with side paths to discourage cyclists from wandering off the designated route. The scheme is currently being costed and completion is expected within 4-5 months. Because cycling will not be allowed through the Avenue Gardens, the southern extension of the Broad Walk, the Royal Parks are considering allowing cycling along the path leading in a south-westerly direction from Chester Road towards York Gate across Marylebone Green. This would connect conveniently with Route 50 of London Cycle Network Plus, which runs southwards towards the Mall. Elsewhere in Regent’s Park, the Royal Parks are planning to make a number of improvements around the Outer Circle to assist cyclists. These include modifying the junctions at Clarence Gate and Macclesfield Bridge. They are also planning to impose a 20mph limit around the Inner Circle. They are watching developments outside the Park before planning anything similar for the Outer Circle. The Royal Parks’ consultants have still to report their recommendations for modifying the mandatory cycle lanes past the wide pedestrian islands around the Outer Circle, which cyclists consider potentially unsafe.

Admiralty Arch Cycle Lane

The Royal Parks have now painted cycle lanes through Admiralty Arch in each direction.

The lanes are the first of a number of improvements being made to the cycle route between Hyde Park Corner and Trafalgar Square. Future improvements planned for later in 2008 include:

• A signal phase for cyclists crossing Marlborough Road
• Re-arranging the areas near Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park Corner to reduce conflict between cyclists and pedestrians.

The effect of the lanes on traffic through the arch has not been quite what was expected. Engineers originally expected motor traffic to pass through the arch in single file and were concerned that traffic queues could lengthen as a result. In practice, motor traffic is still passing through in two lines. Most vehicles are leaving the cycle lane fairly free, apart from wider vehicles such as 4WDs. The Royal Parks intend to keep the lanes under review and make further changes as necessary.