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Major proposals to transform Lambeth Bridge and Waterloo and make them safer for all have been published by Transport for London.
The plans are designed to improve conditions for walking, cycling and public transport through the intimidating junctions. They come after Waterloo roundabout and Lambeth Bridge northern roundabout were identified as among the 73 junctions in the Capital with the worst safety record for pedestrians and cyclists.
The proposed changes include segregated cycle lanes, cycle-specific traffic lights, wider paths, the removal or transformation of the junctions and vastly improved public spaces. They would also open up new areas of London for safer cycling and link into the current and planned cycle network. The proposals for Lambeth Bridge would join onto Cycle Superhighway 8, a number of Quietways and join onto the improvement work currently underway around Westminster Bridge. Waterloo’s proposals would link in with the wider cycle network including nearby Quietway 1 and the proposed Quietway 5.
Concerns over safety are frequently cited as one of the key reasons people do not cycle and overhauling these two notorious junctions will help the Mayor reach his aim for all deaths and serious injuries from road collisions to be eliminated from London’s streets by 2041. The improvements are also an example of the Mayor’s bold Healthy Streets Approach to make London’s streets healthier, safer and more welcoming.
Last week, the Mayor announced his intention to increase the proportion of people walking, cycling and taking public transport to 80 per cent of journeys by 2041, as part of his draft Transport Strategy. Sadiq Khan’s strategy sets out a long-term ambition to transform the Capital’s transport network and deliver a fairer, greener, healthier and more prosperous city for all Londoners.
London’s walking and cycling commissioner Will Norman said:“Our plans for Lambeth Bridge and Waterloo will make a real difference to these intimidating junctions. They will be completely transformed to make the areas safer and more pleasant to travel through, and will link cyclists up to our wider cycle network. It’s a great example of our work to improve London’s most dangerous junctions and create people-friendly streets across the city.”
