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.
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.