Transport for London has announced a “multi-million pound” programme to improve safety for cyclists at 50 junctions.
The of number of cyclists killed or seriously injured has increased over the past two years, prompting a London Assembly investigation into cycle safety.
TfL says its improvement programme will begin this autumn and take up to 18 months complete. It has also committed to having “detailed designs” for improvements to a further 50 junctions by the end of 2013.
In all TFL has surveyed 500 locations to help it identify priority sites for improvement.
Leon Daniels, Managing Director of Surface Transport at TfL, said: “Cycling in London has rapidly increased in recent years, with many more thousands of people taking to two wheels than ever before.
“Our junction review programme has allowed us to relook at key junctions on our road network and identify a range of innovative improvements which, when delivered, will greatly benefit all road users across London.”
Cycle safety was a major issue during this year’s Mayoral elections with Mayor Boris Johnson coming under pressure to improve conditions for cyclists.
During the election Mr Johnson signed up to the London Cycle Campaign’s ‘Love London, Go Dutch’ campaign which called for action “to make our streets more liveable for everyone by making them as safe and inviting for cycling as they are in Holland.”
Today the Mayor, who is also Chair of TfL, said: “I am one hundred per cent committed to making London’s roads safer for cyclists and other vulnerable road users. Our review of junctions is making a major contribution to that aim and I want particularly to thank the many stakeholder organisations that have provided detailed input to this review already.”
London Assembly Member Darren Johnson welcomed the Mayor’s “small steps towards safer streets” but said bigger changes were needed.
Assembly Member Johnson added: “London’s roads have become less safe for cyclists in recent years and I feel that the Mayors’ policy of smoothing traffic flow is partly to blame. I therefore hope that none of the improvements at these junctions, suggested by safety campaigners, will be rejected on the grounds that the Mayor is worried that they would create traffic jams.”
