Stop the cycling ban on the riverbank between Lambeth and Westminster Bridge

Vauxhall MP Kate Hoey has decided to enforce a cycling ban along the riverbank between Lambeth and Westminster Bridge, putting cyclist at significantly increased risk as the alternative routes are much more dangerous.

This is a really sad development especially in times when London finally tries to position itself as a cyclist friendly city. There are several reasons why it would be very desirable to re-institute the riverside as a cycling area.

Some of them are:

1) Along the road alternative, the cycle path is interrupted by bus stops. Cycling along this section exposes cyclists to busses pulling in front of them overlooking cyclists when leaving the bus stop area. Furthermore the cycling path along the road is extremely slippery as drainage of surface water appears to be slow leading to build up of residue, making cylcing along it dangeorus.

2) There are two roundabouts along the road before the riverside becomes a cycling area again after the Millennium wheel. Roundabouts pose particular threats to cyclists: Cars overlook cyclists when exiting the roundabout or when cyclists need to change lanes to get to the correct exit, making it several times more likely to be run over than on a normal traffic light crossing.

MOST IMPORTANTLY:

3) There is enough space for pedestrians AND cyclists. The area that has been recently declared a no-cycling area is not busy enough to not allow safe use by both cyclists and pedestrians. This is also the case for the riverbank along teh southbank stretching from after the Millennium wheel to the OXO tower. This is different around the Millennium wheel which admittedly gets very busy during the day and where cyclists should dismount.

The solution to make the use for both cyclists and pedestrians safe could easily be to ASSIGN A CYCLING PATH ALONG THE RIVERSIDE.