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London Cycling Campaign urges Sadiq Khan to push through Regents Park Cycle Superhighway

Campaigners are still wondering whether four gates of the park will be closed to cars as originally promised

The London Cycling Campaign (LCC) has urged Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to use his powers to close gates to Regents Park as part of the plans for Cycle Superhighway 11 (CS11) from Swiss Cottage to the West End.

Nearly two years have passed since the results of a consultation on the route – including the closure of four of the eight gates to the park during the daytime – was announced in August 2016, with 60 per cent of respondents in favour of the plans in whole or part, and 37 per cent opposed.

> Cycle Superhighway 11 gets the green light – but TfL are oddly equivocal

The support for the proposals followed a campaign against them followed opposition from the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association as well as some residents of north west London.

But 20 months on, LCC and other campaign groups such as Stop Killing Cyclists, which on Valentine’s Day this year held a ‘Close The Gates’ vigil and die-in at Regents Park, are wondering when final details of the route will be made public, and whether they will reflect the original proposals drawn up under Boris Johnson’s mayoralty.

Also among those to express concerns has been Andrew Gilligan, who was appointed London’s cycling commissioner by Johnson, and who said in January that the proposed CS11 “is dead,” a claim that was strongly refuted by City Hall.

> Is CS11 dead? Gilligan blames nimbies, Sadiq blames Gilligan

Transport for London (TfL) has now announced that work will finally begin on the route at Swiss Cottage, but LCC has repeated its call for clarification on the Regents Park section of the route.

It points out that key stakeholders – Westminster Council, Crown Estate Paving Commission, Royal Parks and Camden Council – have all told it that they are not blocking the proposals, but TfL is yet to confirm what will happen when the route reaches the park.

LCC Infrastructure Campaigner Simon Munk commented: “It is great to see that work on CS11 will start at Swiss Cottage but a final decision about the Regents Park gates has stalled for long enough.

“We call on the Mayor and his Cycling & Walking Commissioner to use their authority to clear the path for CS11 through the park, and show their determination to meet the welcome targets for extending London’s cycling network that they have set.”

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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5 comments

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sowerbob | 6 years ago
3 likes

The delay is quite ridiculous, I come through Swiss Cottage Gyratory every morning which is interesting to say the least. I have been looking forward to the changes with some anticipation as it would materially improve the safety and enjoyment of my ride. Sadiq Khan seems to want to do nothing and to do it slowly. Cycle infrastructure development has stalled when a lot of the newer schemes eg north of Russell Square are full. 

I am shocked that with cyclists being so much of the overall traffic flow, particularly at peak times, that SK doesn't realise the easy win to congestion is to give more space to dedicated cycle lanes and restrict car use further. What has happened to the the TCR/Gower Street and Westway schemes amongst many many more. I appreciate the BJ took some time to get started but eventually he got some quite fundamental changes made, SK please do the same.   

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burtthebike | 6 years ago
3 likes

Perhaps this could be Heidi Alexander's first achievement as Deputy Mayor for Transport?  Just to show that she isn't really anti-cycling.

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davel | 6 years ago
7 likes

Khan the Ditherer, doing what he does best: nowt.

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MarsFlyer | 6 years ago
7 likes

This really needs to happen - as an experienced London cyclist, even I got spooked whilst cycling around the park one evening, when what had been a lovely environment turned into a mass of speeding cars at 5pm. Also there really is no need for cars to use the park roads as the parallel roads are fine.

It's excellent to see the end of another "one-way gyratory" a 60's traffic planning technique that doesn't work for any of the road users - dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists, stressful for car drivers.

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Username replied to MarsFlyer | 6 years ago
4 likes

MarsFlyer wrote:

 

It's excellent to see the end of another "one-way gyratory" a 60's traffic planning technique that doesn't work for any of the road users - dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists, stressful for car drivers.

 

I cycled through that awful junction yesterday. If ever anyone wants to understand "why do London cyclists wear Lycra and ride so quickly?" they are welcome to accompany me on a sprint for your life from the lights at College Crescent to the relative haven of Avenue Road down the middle of five lanes of fast moving metal. 

Change can't come some enough.

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