London Cycling Campaign)
The depressing cycle of inaction on the most dangerous junctions in London continues. Join us in demanding that ends now in our petition: sign here.
In the last week, there have been three bits of bad news and one bit of good on the progress on making London’s worst junctions far safer.
Bad news: collision at Old Street
Last Wednesday (25 July) a young woman cycling was hit by a cement mixer at the notorious Old Street roundabout. The woman has been left fighting for her life, with severe injuries, and we are waiting for further updates on her condition.
This is a roundabout that Boris Johnson said would be transformed, making it safer for cycling, with work starting in 2016 and being completed in 2018. Since then, however, nothing has been done. Despite huge public support at the 2015 consultation, work has been pushed back, and the junction is now not due to be finished until the end of 2019.
TfL, the Mayor, Islington and Camden councils must urgently answer why this vital, life-saving work has been delayed for years. It would appear that one reason overdue work would be down to finding an architect to transform the central roundabout area itself. But drawings of shiny seating areas don’t save lives – so why haven’t the road layout changes been done in advance of the public realm improvements?
Bad news: Westminster delays Swiss Cottage
Another lethal junction – the infamous Swiss Cottage gyratory – was due to be vastly improved under plans for Cycle Superhighway 11 (CS11). Work, in fact, was due to start this Monday (30th July). However, Westminster Council won an injunction at the last minute to delay work on the gyratory until after a Judicial Review in September.
Westminster Council are joining with local “Stop CS11” campaigners to fight the entire scheme from the gyratory all the way to the west end – because residents are worried about traffic displacing from the route.
If Westminster council successfully does win the Judicial Review, then the scheme at Swiss Cottage will likely be delayed for years – risking many more lives in the meantime. There have been three fatalities in the last 15 years to pedestrians, five serious collisions with cyclists, and overall there’s at least ten injuries a year, with one serious.
