Cycle Superhighway 2: Boris Johnson announces £25m upgrade to notorious Bow-Whitechapel cycle route

 
Upgrade: plans for the £25m Bow-Whitechapel CS2

Enhanced safety measures along London’s most notorious bike route will be installed by 2016, the mayor announced today.

Details of the £25m upgrade to the Bow-to-Whitechapel route were revealed as Boris Johnson also sought to win over more businesses to his cycling policy.

The improvements to the Whitechapel-to-Bow “cycle superhighway 2” will start next year and will result in full and semi segregation.

Separation will be achieved using kerbs or high-visibility “wands”, or flexible poles.

Since it was opened in 2011 there have been six cyclist deaths on CS2 which was described by leading QC Martin Porter as a permanent “accident waiting to happen”.

The mayor has been criticised for the route because most of it is no more than blue painted strips offering no physical or legal protection from vehicles.

The upgrade comes as controversy continues to surround the flagship £48m east-to-west cycle superhighway.

London First, the Chamber of Commerce, the City of London Corporation have all raised concerns, with critics claiming that the radical changes to the capital’s streets were being railroaded before the mayor leaves office.

Professional services firm Deloitte, publishers Euromoney, the Crown Estates and estate agent Jones Lang La Salle were among those to back the superhighways.

Mr Johnson now looks certain to extend the six-week consultation on the east-to-west superhighway in a bid to see off the threat of a judicial review.

He said: “I understand that some London businesses object to these schemes and I will do everything I can to address my critics’ concerns. These changes will create a more liveable city for everyone, even if they never get on a bike, and I am determined to see them through.”

Colin Buttery, The Royal Parks Director of Parks and Deputy Chief Executive, said: “The TfL Cycling Superhighway consultation is ongoing, therefore no final decisions have been made. We continue to liaise with TfL on their plans and how they may impact park users and events across London.”

Improvements: the upgrade is expected to be completed by 2016

Meanwhile transport chiefs have pledged that all major sports will be able to take place as usual along the Victoria Embankment despite the changes.

It follows concerns that there would be insufficient space to stage the BUPA 10k, British 10k, Royal Parks 10k and half marathon, London triathlon, and cycling’s Tour of Britain.

Leon Daniels, managing director of surface transport at TfL said: “Major sporting events in the capital will not be affected by the east-west Superhighway.”

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