Cycling in London: improving the urban environment for all road users

As part of the Road Modernisation Plan, Transport for London (TfL) is implementing designs to transform cycling in London but is this enough to reduce fatalities on the capital’s roads?

With more than 26 million journeys starting on the capital’s roads every day, TfL’s £4bn Road Modernisation Plan aims to improve London’s roads and transform cycling and improve safety.

In order to keep London moving and to meet future demand, TfL is currently implementing designs to improve the cycling experience in London. The plan includes changes at 33 of London’s busiest junctions to improve facilities for cyclists and pedestrians by removing gyratories, improving public spaces or creating more direct cycle routes. The programme also includes the East-West and North-South Cycle Superhighways, currently under construction to provide new cycle tracks through the heart of London and convenient cycle facilities. Together these will form a grid of cycle routes across the Capital.

Improvements to the Queen’s Circus roundabout in Wandsworth give an example as to how TfL is implementing designs to make cycling safer. Here, cyclists are provided with their own dedicated lanes on the outside of the roundabout. The introduction of traffic signals will also keep turning motorists and circulating cyclists separate. There will also be new signalised crossing facilities for pedestrians.

Campaigners however, are calling for more safety measures for cyclists with suggestions that 10 percent of TfL’s budget should be invested into cycling infrastructure.

With the number of cyclists increasing on London’s roads, the question remains, are authorities and transport operators doing enough to improve safety for cyclists on city roads.

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