Transport minister Chris Grayling has criticised London’s cycling infrastructure, suggesting that too many cycle lanes in the Capital are badly designed.
In an interview with the Evening Standard (6 Dec), Mr Grayling said: “I don’t think all the cycle lanes in London have been designed as well as they should have been.
“There are places where they perhaps cause too much of a problem for road users and they could have been designed in a smarter way.”
He added: “As transport secretary, I can only watch, because it is a matter for the mayor.”
Mr Grayling’s comments came a day after Sadiq Khan announced that Transport for London (TfL) is going to spend £770m on cycling over the next five years – including funding for two new Cycle Superhighways.
Consultations will begin next year on Cycle Superhighway 4 from Tower Bridge to Greenwich and Cycle Superhighway 9 from Olympia towards Hounslow, with each route also tackling a number of traffic-dominated junctions.
In a press release announcing the funding (5 Dec), Sadiq Khan said work will continue to develop a strategic cycle network that identifies potential new Cycle Superhighways and Quietways, as well as new ‘Liveable Neighbourhoods’.
In the Standard interview, Mr Grayling, a non-cyclist, also said that too many cyclists ignore the rules of the road and red traffic lights on their journeys in the Capital.
He added: “Motorists in London have got to be immensely careful of cyclists.
“At the same time, cyclists in London are too often unwilling to obey the road signs. I’ve seen regular examples of people who just bolt through red lights.”
09 December 2016