The increased number of cyclists on London’s roads has brought with it a renewed ambition to make London a cycling friendly city. Over the past number of months, plans include the creation of a series of ‘mini Hollands‘, sky cycle routes and segregated cycle superhighways, there were even murmurs of creating a women’s ‘pootle’ lane to encourage more females to get on their bikes. It is safe to say, the overall solution has been an ongoing debate.
As regular commuters we are delighted to see that the problem of cycling space in the city is being addressed head on, and the latest proposal might just be the best yet.
The River Cycleway Consortium is proposing a £600m ‘floating cycleway’ that would take thousands of cyclists off the streets and put them on the Thames serving an eight mile cycling route from Battersea to Canary Wharf.
The first mock up released by the organisation shows the path winding its way up the south bank in front of City Hall and past HMS Belfast. According to the River Cycleway Consortium the project which would allow access to commuters, leisure cyclists and pedestrians would take just two years to complete.
To cover the upkeep of the floating cycleway, users would be charged £1.50 per journey, while the path’s lights and refreshment kiosks would be powered using solar, tide and wind energy.
In its proposal, River Cycleway Consortium said the path would complement the ‘Crossrail for bikes’ plan unveiled by Mayor Boris Johnson last month. The Crossrail would see the construction of two new urban cycleways, an 18 mile east-west route from Barking to Acton, and a three-mile north-south route from Elephant & Castle to King’s Cross at a cost of £47million.
Also worth a read:
5 Surprising Things it’s Legal To Do When Cycling
