December 3rd 2024.
A new cycle lane is being proposed in the City of London, which will run through Bank and connect Aldgate to Blackfriars. The City of London Corporation has presented a plan to build a £4.5 million cycle lane that will transform major junctions in the financial district. This proposal has been welcomed by campaigners who see a clear need for improved cycling infrastructure. However, they also believe that the project should be completed sooner than the estimated date of 2028.
The proposed route will cover St Bodolph Street, Aldgate Square, Leadenhall Street, Cornhill, Bank Junction, and Queen Victoria Street before ending at Blackfriars. This cycle lane is part of the Corporation's Cycleways Programme, which aims to make the Square Mile a safe, attractive, and accessible place for cyclists. The map shows the planned route, which will run parallel to the existing cycle lane from Tower Hill to Victoria Embankment. It will also connect to other cycling routes, such as the TfL Cycple Superhighway 2 and Cycleway 6.
The London Cycling Campaign has expressed support for the plan but believes that more work is needed to fully connect the proposed cycle lane. According to the documents presented in October, only certain sections of Queen Victoria Street and roads around Aldgate require protected cycle lanes due to high traffic volume during peak hours. However, the cycle lane will divert around Aldgate High Street via St Botolph Street as it is not feasible to have protected cycle lanes on Aldgate High Street due to various factors such as bus stops, loading zones, and road width.
The construction of the cycle lane is set to begin in the summer of 2026. In other London news, a popular pub has closed permanently after the landlord took it back, and TfL's lost and found department holds a staggering amount of valuables. You can stay updated on all the latest news from the capital by visiting Metro's London news hub.
Cycling campaigners have welcomed the proposal, but some have expressed concerns over the timeline and design of the cycle lane. Simon Munk, the head of campaigns and community development at the London Cycling Campaign, believes that the project should be completed sooner to cater to a wider range of cyclists and improve connectivity. He also highlighted the importance of well-designed junctions and addressing the issue of overcrowding on similar routes in central London.
The City Corporation and TfL have been urged to speed up the process, considering the potential of this cycle lane to encourage more people to cycle. Munk praised the City Corporation for its ambitious strategy for cycling and acknowledged the need for more and faster progress to meet the increasing demand for cycling in the capital.
The next step for this project is a public consultation, which will be launched in the coming days. Residents, businesses, and other stakeholders will have the opportunity to share their opinions on the proposal. The project has faced delays due to the impact of the pandemic on TfL's finances, and the completion date is now estimated to be 2028, instead of the original target of 2025. However, with funding from TfL and support from the City Corporation, this new cycle lane is expected to greatly improve cycling infrastructure in the City of London.
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