'Militant' mayor reveals London 'Cycle Superhighway' routes

London Mayor Boris Johnson today unveiled proposed routes for the first two of London’s twelve “Cycle Superhighways” — the corridors for cyclists that are a key part of his policy to stimulate a cycling revolution in the capital.

The two pilot routes, which will be up and running in May 2010, are from South Wimbledon to Bank via the A24 and A3, and Barking to Tower Hill via the A13 and Cable Street.  The Mayor and TfL are consulting closely with the eight boroughs that the routes will run through.

The aim of the Cycle Superhighways is to provide safe, direct and continuous routes into central London from the outer boroughs, making life easier for cyclists and encouraging those who travel into work by other modes of transport to commute by bike, helping to cut congestion, relieve overcrowding and curb carbon dioxide emissions.

Another ten routes, spanning across London and greatly improving the capital’s cycling infrastructure, are being developed ahead of 2012, with each route covering between 10 and 15 kilometres.

“I’m not kidding when I say that I’m militant about cycling, and these Superhighways are central to the cycling revolution I;m determined to bring about,” Johnson said. “No longer will pedal power have to dance and dodge around petrol power — on these routes the bicycle will dominate and that will be clear to all others using them. That should transform the experience of cycling — boosting safety and confidence of everyone using the routes and reinforcing my view that the bike is the best way to travel in this wonderful city of ours.”

The Mayor has made the coming months London’s “summer of cycling,” which he hopes will kick-start a major boom in the number of residents choosing pedal power.

The two pilot routes will link residential areas like Tooting, Clapham, Poplar and Canning Town to central London, and will run on a combination of the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN) and roads owned and managed by the London boroughs.

Each route will be given its own identity with consistent and easy to follow road markings and signs. Safety issues will be addressed through specific measures such as the provision of advance stop boxes and providing continuous lanes through junctions as appropriate.

In addition, obstructions will be minimised and improvements made to road surfaces to ensure a smoother ride.