Fears for cyclists in West End redesign

Published: 26 April 2013
By Chris Haycock

Westminster Council and The Crown Estate are set to begin a £8.3 million scheme that will create wider pavements for pedestrians on Lower Regent Street and Haymarket in the West End. Pall Mall and Picadilly have already been altered to help cope with the increase in shoppers using the streets once Crossrail opens in 2018. The Evening Standard has said that there are concerns that the removal of the bus lanes, as well as the narrowing of the roads will be dangerous to cyclists, bringing them closer to passing vehicles. There are also concerns that the major redesign will increase the amount of congestion on London's roads. This is in contradition to Mayor Boris Johnson's new policy that was proposed to create segregated routes for cyclists to increase safety. Writer of the Cyclists in the City blog, has raised his concerns, saying, "On Haymarket, the bus lanes are going. You’ll be expected to cycle down the right-hand side of three lanes of traffic, then swerve into the middle of four lanes at the junction [with Cockspur Street] into a tiny bike path that leads into a concrete traffic island. These plans are dangerous for cycling and bad news for bus passengers and taxis." Consultations will be taking place with local businesses and officials to discuss the proposals, even though Westminster has already given the green light for the redesign. Commenting on the plans, Westminster Council's cabinet member for transport, Ed Argar, said that the redesign would help the West End cope with the influx of more than 200 million extra passengers per year, adding, "We have made clear our support for the Mayor’s vision for cycling, and set out ambitions to im-prove cycle routes and work to join up the cycle grid. It is vital we design public spaces to cater for pedestrians as well as cyclists and other road users."