Barclays Cycle Superhighways launched

As part of the Mayor of London’s cycling flagship schemes, two new cycle superhighway routes have been launched this summer making it easier for Londoners to commute to work by bicycle.

With the help of Transport for London and Barclays, the first two Barclays Cycle Superhighways are opened today and is aimed at encouraging Londoners to take a bike to commute. The two pilot routes run from Merton to the City via the A24 and A3, and Barking to Tower Gateway via A13 and Cable Street.

About 5,000 cycle journeys alone are made on these two routes and with the launch of these superhighways, it is hoped that this will increase to about 27,000 cycle journeys a day by 2013.

The two cycle superhighways are marked in blue of 1.5 metres wide and also include along the route…

37 cycle safety mirrors (Trixi) at various junctions that gives drivers of large vehicles better visibility of cyclists especially when turning left.
84 new advanced stop lines at least 5 metres deep allowing space for cyclists to stop at lights ahead of traffic
New segregate cycle lanes at various junctions including the Stockwell Gyratory and improvements to be made at Elephant and Castle by pass, Southwark Bridge, Cable Street and the A13.
Re-aligning traffic and bus lanes to create more space for cyclists along busy sections of road.

Transport for London has provided funding for the eight boroughs who serve these two routes to use for 5,000 cycle parking spaces (in addition to the 300 have already been provided by Transport for London), over 17,000 hours of cycle training and more than 3,000 hours of cycle maintenance sessions.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said:

You have got to have a powerful and visible statement on the roads that asserts to every Londoner, whether on two wheels or four, that the Capital is a cycling city.

The road space is there for everyone and I am confident that our superhighways will help switch legions of Londoners on to the pleasures of a pedal-powered commute.

Alongside Barclays Cycle Hire, these radial routes are set to transform our great city into one where cycling is the first choice for many thousands of Londoners.

As well as being good for your health and wallet, encouraging more people to commute to work by bike will in turn help us improve air quality, cut carbon emissions and reduce congestion on the transport network.

Cathy Turner, Barclays Human Resources Director said

We are delighted that the first two Barclays Cycle Superhighways are now up and running and we look forward to seeing thousands of Londoners use them every day.

Together with Barclays Cycle Hire, Londoners and visitors to the Capital will now have more transport options that are both environmentally friendly and a healthy means of getting around the Capital, and we are confident that they will have a lasting positive impact on London and the lives of Londoners.

David Brown, the Managing Director of Surface Transport at TfL, said:

While the most visible aspect of this flagship cycling scheme is the introduction of blue cycle lanes, TfL has made significant improvements to the infrastructure for cyclists along both routes to make it safer and easier to commute by bike.

Through cycle superhighways funding, we will deliver around 5,000 new cycle parking spaces, over 17,000 hours of cycle training and 3,000 hours of cycle maintenance in partnership with local boroughs and businesses along the routes, thereby improving access to cycling for all.

Transport for London will be assessing the two pilot routes before introducing ten more. In total, there will be 12 cycle superhighways. The next two routes will be launch in 2011 and run from Bow to Aldgate and Wandsworth to Westminster.