London Assembly members have expressed disappointment after hearing that six new cycle routes press released by Sadiq Khan earlier this week are unlikely to be completed before 2023.
On Tuesday the Mayor announced that design work on routes between Lea Bridge to Dalston, Ilford to Barking Riverside, Hackney to the Isle of Dogs, Rotherhithe to Peckham, Tottenham Hale to Camden and Wembley to Willesden Junction had been given the go-ahead.
In the press release announcing the schemes, Mr Khan said “I’ve committed to invest record amounts in making cycling easier and safer for Londoners, and I’m delighted that work is now beginning on designing the next generation of high-quality cycle routes across the capital.
“Encouraging more Londoners to cycle as part of their everyday routine is vital – providing huge benefits to people’s health, cutting congestion and air pollution for every Londoner, and improving quality of life in local neighbourhoods.”
However at a meeting of the Assembly’s transport committee on Thursday morning, officials admitted that the proposed routes were unlikely to be delivered until 2023.
Will Norman, the Mayor’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, also confirmed to AMs that the estimated £142m cost of the new routes would not be funded through new money and would instead be covered by money allocated from within existing budgets.
Commenting after the meeting, committee chair Keith Prince AM, said: “It is disappointing that the six new routes announced by the Mayor are unlikely to be built under this Mayoralty.
“This is despite his pledge that he would triple the current provision of cycle superhighways.”
Mr Prince also added that Mr Khan’s claim of “record funding” for cycling schemes “rings hollow when the Mayor is procrastinating over the building of new segregated cycling routes, despite popular public support for them.”
