Cycle Superhighway 4 from Tower Bridge to Greenwich

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1 Cycle Superhighway 4 from Tower Bridge to Greenwich About Sustrans Sustrans is the charity making it easier for people to walk and cycle. We are engineers and educators, experts and advocates. We connect people and places, create liveable neighbourhoods, transform the school run and deliver a happier, healthier commute. Sustrans works in partnership, bringing people together to find the right solutions. We make the case for walking and cycling by using robust evidence and showing what can be done. We are grounded in communities and believe that grassroots support combined with political leadership drives real change, fast. Summary Sustrans strongly supports proposals for Cycle Superhighway Route 4 from Tower Bridge to Greenwich (CS4). We congratulate Transport for London and the boroughs of Southwark, Lewisham and Royal Greenwich for a high-quality and safe scheme that will benefit Londoners health, air quality and environment by opening up cycling for many more Londoners and help to shift everyday travel towards sustainable and active modes. This is particularly vital on a corridor that has a poor collision record and such high potential for increased cycling. We particularly support the proposals for Cycle Superhighway Route 4 that would introduce: four kilometres of protected cycle track onto London s roads, with associated bus stop bypasses and signals, which will protect people cycling from road danger and enable many more to cycle. cycle and pedestrian priority across side roads, creating a safer and more welcoming environment for people travelling on foot or by cycle. Sustrans considers that the scope of the project should be extended: CS4 should continue west to London Bridge and cross the Thames This phase of CS4 should initially extend east to Greenwich Town Centre and on to Woolwich We raise concerns over the timing of delivery and a number of design elements. Namely that: The lack of proposals for Lower Road risks leaving a gap in the route, timely proposals must be brought forward to fill this missing link The use of a two-way or bidirectional cycle track on one side of the road, which is higher risk to cyclists relative to with-flow cycle tracks on either side of the road, as 1

2 drivers are not used to crossing two-way tracks and therefore do not look carefully each way. The designs proposed for Oxetalls Road introduce a significant detour to the route and introduce unnecessary pedestrian-cycle conflict at a Toucan crossing. The introduction of a mini-roundabout is also increases road danger for pedestrians crossing Evelyn Street. For example, those wishing to access Deptford Park. There are no proposals for safe cycling connectivity between CS4 and Grinstead Road. Grinstead Road recorded the third highest cycling casualties in the country in This considered, we believe that these design issues can be addressed and strongly support the proposals to introduce safer cycling along a key arterial route for the benefit of so many Londoners. Section 1 Tooley Street / Tower Bridge Road Partially support Sustrans strongly supports: The cycle track and separate signal phases to cross Tower Bridge Road. The general provision of cycle and pedestrian priority at side roads. We raise concerns regarding: The risk of left hooks on Queen Elizabeth Street. Here the movement of a leftturning driver will dangerously conflict with the across movement of cyclists. The proposals for the junction of Tower Bridge Road and Tooley Street: o o o The pedestrian crossings are too narrow for the volumes of people using them The design does very little to improve cycling provision beyond east-west movements. Separate cycle signals should be introduced to provide safety for all possible movements to and from Tower Bridge Road. We are concerned at the lack of segregated provision on Tower Bridge road. This should be developed to aid people in accessing or leaving CS4. There is a clear need to provide a protected contra-low lane on Tanner Street for eastbound cycles. This is a busy one-way street for general traffic and entering the junction against this flow is dangerous. A parallel crossing (cycles and pedestrians) should be introduced across Tooley street, to the south of The King s Arms Public House to enable cycle connectivity between CS4 and Fair Street / Three Oak Lane. The proposals for the junction mouth at Dockhead should reduce turning speeds by tightening the corner-radii for vehicles crossing the cycle track in both directions. Section 2 Jamaica Road / Bevington Street Partially Support 2

3 Sustrans broadly supports designs for this section. But consider there is a need for: separate cycle signals for safe access to and from St James' Road, straight-across crossings for pedestrians across both St James' Road and Bevington Street, A parallel pedestrian and cycle crossing for access to and from Marine Street and the St James' CE Primary school. Section 3 Jamaica Road / Southwark Park Road Partially Support Sustrans welcomes: the consistent segregated cycle track, providing a safe and direct route to enable and encourage cycling the simplified and widened pedestrian crossing over Jamaica Road to Bermondsey Station the proposed toucan to connect Southwark Park and Cathay Street Pedestrian and cycle priority at side streets We raise concerns over the junction design for Jamaica Road, Southwark Park Road and West Lane. The general cycle connectivity between the proposed CS4, Southwark Park Road and West Lane is poor. It is unclear how cycles should move safely between CS4 the two roads. For instance, the West Lane arm should cater for westbound cyclists, particularly considering that this would be the most direct cycling route to central London from this residential area. Section 4 Rotherhithe Roundabout Strongly support Sustrans strongly supports designs to overhaul what is currently a dangerous and intimidating roundabout. We particularly support: The CS4 alignment, as a bypass of the roundabout, given its directness, level of segregation and the simplicity of design; the extension of the 20mph zone to include the Rotherhithe Roundabout; the proposed connectivity to Brunel Road, with a protected track and parallel zebra crossings. We raise concerns with: the narrowness of the proposed parallel zebras around the roundabout, given the expected volumes of cyclists and pedestrians. the transition for cyclists as they leave the segregated track to join Brunel Road. We are concerned that it leads to a very uncomfortable pinch point where cyclists merge with faster general traffic. The segregated cycle track should be extended along Brunel Road, particularly as Brunel Road is highlighted as a Medium Potential 3

4 Connection in TfL's Strategic Cycling Analysis (p. 51) and a key connection for the proposed Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf river crossing. Section 5 Lower Road Sustrans is concerned that no designs have yet been agreed for Lower Road and that this potentially leaves a significant gap in the scheme. We expect consultation on this section to be complete before the end of Section 6 Evelyn Street / Oxestalls Road We hold serious concerns over: the lack of protected connectivity for cyclists at Grinstead Road, which in 2013 recorded the third highest cycling casualties in the UK; the route alignment at Oxestalls Road and the introduction of a mini-roundabout. This is a major detour on to a shared toucan on a busy crossing near a school. CS4 should continue on a direct alignment through modifications to the existing signalised junction. In addition, there are a number of private residential vehicle access roads along Evelyn Street where priority should be designed for walking and cycling as at other side roads in the scheme. The corner-radii should be reduced on the side street to the Pipe Centre to reduce speeds of turning vehicles and benefiting pedestrians. There are 40mph roundels displayed on Rainsborough Avenue. We assume this is in error and the street will remain 20mph. Section 7 Evelyn Street / Abinger Grove Sustrans supports the continuous cycle track and bus stop bypasses and welcome the Dragoon Road Quietway connection. We consider there is potential for public realm improvements on the shopping precinct between Grove Street and Sayes Court Street. We are aware of Lewisham s proposed Canal Approach Greenway, which CS4 should seek to connect to in this section. We hold concerns over: the mini-roundabout at the junction of Abinger Grove and Evelyn Street, which lacks pedestrian facilities and connectivity for cyclists. There is a clear need for pedestrian facilitates (for example, parallel zebra crossings) on all arms of mini-roundabout given traffic flows. The potential conflict from vehicles turning across the cycle track into Prince Street / Sayes Court Street. This could be closed as part of an area-wide filtering scheme to support shift to Active Travel and complement CS4. Section 8 Evelyn Street / Deptford High Street Support Sustrans welcomes: 4

5 the proposed pedestrian crossing on Evelyn St near Deptford High Street the right turn bans on Deptford High Street/Evelyn Street We consider that there should be: a right-turn ban proposed from Evelyn Street on to Watergate Street urban realm improvement on the increased area of footway at New King Street significantly improved cycle connectivity between CS4 and Deptford High Street. The proposed pedestrian crossing and shared use footway will likely be heavily used as a pedestrian link to a main destination. It is therefore inappropriate as a shared pedestrian and cycle crossing. We are very concerned by the loss of the cycle track at the eastern end of drawing, a gap which is replicated in section 9. Section 9 Creek Road / Deptford Church Street Support As in section 8, we are very concerned by the lack of a cycle track on the western end of the drawing, which is extremely dangerous for contra-flow cyclists. We support: the continuity of the cycle track bypassing the junction of Deptford Church Street the proposed cycle and pedestrian priority across side roads at Creekside / Gonson Street and McMillan Street the proposed widened and simplified pedestrian crossing of Deptford Church Street and protected cycle access to Deptford Church Street (segregation should continue a far as feasible on Deptford Church Street to connect with Quietway 1) the new pedestrian crossing on western arm of Creek Road Deptford Church Street Junction We raise concern at the use of shared footway and a toucan crossing at Creekside, a narrow shared footway in front of a shop entrance and concealed corner. However we recognise the connectivity issue this attempts to solve. Section 10 Creek Road / Norway Street Support Sustrans supports the proposed separate signals for cyclists, pedestrians and general traffic at junction of Creek Road/Glaisher Street. However we believe the design should simplify the pedestrian crossing to become straight-across and that the corner radii of Glaisher Street should be reduced to calm traffic. Sustrans welcomes: the removal of the central island and hatching in order to slow traffic and retain the bus lane on the Creek Road bridge; 5

6 the connectivity to the Thames Path and National Cycle Network Route 4 via Clarence Road and Norway Street. the narrowing of Norman Road, and the simplified pedestrian crossings and widened footway However the designs for this junction should go further to reduce road danger by: providing dedicated signals phases that cater for cyclists and pedestrians on all movements introducing traffic calming and a more delineated route for motor-vehicles on Norway Street, particularly the crossing between the Thames Path and CS4 is on a wide bend in the street. Further narrow Haddo Street entrance and include pedestrian crossings This phase of the scheme should extend the extra few hundred metres into Greenwich Town Centre. Contact Nicholas Sanderson, Senior Policy Officer, Sustrans London@Sustrans.org.uk 70 Cowcross Street, London, EC1M 6EJ Sustrans is the charity making it easier for people to w alk and cycle. We connect people and places, create liveable neighbourhoods, transform the school run and deliver a happier, healthier commute. Join us on our journey. w w w.sustrans.org.uk Sustrans November 2017 Registered Charity No (England and Wales) SC (Scotland) VAT Registration No