‘I’m not out for a day trip’: cycling superhighway criticised

Part of the planned route for CS1. Photograph: Transport for London

A cycling ‘superhighway’ cutting through Stoke Newington, Dalston and Old Street has been criticised for not being direct or quick enough.

The 11km route, called CS1, runs on side streets from Tottenham to Liverpool Street, and is part of the Mayor of London’s plans for a “cycling revolution” in the capital.

But Green Party London Assembly member Jenny Jones claims the scheme sends cyclists on circuitous back routes which lack the directness and speed of cycling on a main road.

She said: “As a cyclist I’m not out for a day trip, I want to get places and back again in the quickest route possible. If it takes cyclists longer, even if it’s safer, it is only going to attract a certain percentage.”

Plans for CS1 show that most of the route runs along quiet roads, meaning significant engineering interventions will not be necessary.

“The Mayor needs to fix the main roads and junctions which he controls on the parallel route,” added Ms Jones. “It’s not good enough not making the main roads safe.”

Transport for London (TfL) says the scheme includes safer crossings for pedestrians and cyclists, new paving and segregated cycle lanes on busy roads.

There are also only eight sets of traffic lights along the route, compared to 54 along the main road.

The Mayor of London’s Cycling Commissioner, Andrew Gilligan, added: This route will be quicker to deliver, more pleasant to use and more convenient for cyclists than anything we could do on the main road – including full segregation.’

A six-week consultation on CS1 runs until 29 March. If approved, work would begin in the summer and be completed by early 2016.

For more information see tfl.gov.uk