TfL Starts Upgrade on Major Cycle Route

Transport for London (TfL) has begun construction work on a major new 4.7 km upgraded cycle route in South West London making cycling safer and easier for thousands of people travelling between Wandsworth Town Centre and Chelsea Bridge and beyond.

The route is the next stage of TfL’s trial upgrades along the existing Cycle Superhighway 8 (CS8) route and will connect to a section delivered last year between Chelsea Bridge and Lambeth Bridge in central London. The changes are being delivered as part of TfL’s emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is giving people throughout the capital more space for walking and cycling safely.

There is currently no protected cycling infrastructure along this busy corridor, which creates a hostile and intimidating environment for cyclists and leaves them vulnerable to collisions with motor traffic. The new infrastructure will give cyclists more protected space on the road and help give people confidence to cycle safety as well as provide more space on public transport for those who need it.

Work between Queen’s Circus and Wandsworth Town Centre started on 22 February and will include:

• Widening of cycle lanes on Battersea Park Road and light segregation in some sections to improve safety for people cycling, as well as extending advanced stop lines at junctions. Battersea Park Road will also be a 20mph zone to improve general traffic safety
• Building new widened cycle lanes on York Road with light segregation in some sections, a new section of bus lane, which will operate 24 hours a day, as well as a new right turn ban onto York Place to limit delays and improve junction safety. York Road will also have a 20mph speed limit
• Adding cycle signage on Macduff Road for easier wayfinding for cyclists and better driver awareness of cyclists at junctions

Work to make cycling safer on Chelsea Bridge including the widening of the existing southbound cycle lane with segregation from general traffic is planned to begin in March, subject to borough approval.

Making sure the changes work for people living, working and travelling in the area is vital. While the trial changes are being delivered immediately as part of TfL’s pandemic response, people are being invited to submit their initial feedback on the changes via TfL’s website. TfL will continue to talk to local people and other stakeholders once the changes are in place and all feedback received before then will also be taken into consideration. TfL will use this feedback to help it decide whether it is necessary to make any changes to the trial scheme once it is in place, and whether it should stay in place permanently.

The work to upgrade the CS8 route south of the river will help to support essential cycle journeys from early March onwards and will also reduce pressure on National Rail services from Wandsworth Town into central London and on 30 bus routes along this corridor, as more people start to travel again when lockdown restrictions ease.

TfL analysis shows that the area is on a key strategic cycling corridor and is in the top five per cent for current and future cycling demand in London. Upgrading cycle infrastructure along CS8 will help to maximise the role played by London’s existing cycle network in supporting those who need to travel, including other cycle routes in and around Wandsworth.

Will Norman, London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, said: “Londoners have shown a record-breaking demand for cycling over the past few months and I’m delighted that our bold new measures build on that momentum and ensure we’re doing all we can to avoid a damaging car-based recovery.

“Enabling more people to walk and cycle is key to a green recovery for our city, and the Mayor’s world-leading improvements to London’s streets are enabling millions of journeys to be made by walking and cycling.”

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