For all things bikes

London Cycling Campaign (LCC) has declared its frustration against the current £550m Blackfriars development by the Mayor's Transport for London (TfL), as it has "shamefully neglected the safety of cyclists."

They claim that cyclist make up one third of road users in rush hour and soon there will be thousands of pedestrians using the central London station on a daily basis. However, TfL's design still prioritises motorists.

That's why LCC has come out with a new design for the junction: "a redesign by cyclist, for cyclist," as they put it.

The alternative proposal is based on a double-T layout using established continental principles - protected bike lanes and cyclist-specific traffic lights.

As a main safety feature, the layout implies that cyclists and motor vehicles always turn in separate streams.

A by-product of the LCC's double-T design would be the creation of an open and accessible pedestrian space outside the Unilever building of around 750m2. An area that could accommodate cafés, parkland, sculptures, or other people-friendly spaces, according to LCC.

Urban planner Richard Lewis, who led LCC's design team, said, "Our layout is based on continental principles, which eliminate junction conflicts that put cyclists at risk."

"Our city deserves to be a global leader in sustainable transport and liveable public spaces, not an also-ran," said LCC chief executive Ashok Sinha.

LCC has estimated that their new cycling-safe design would add only 1% to the cost of the three-year Blackfriars development, a fair price to pay if with it lives can be saved and serious injuries prevented.

Two cyclists have been killed on Blackfriars bridge in recent years and several serious crashes have been reported already this year, according to the campaigners.

The unrest against the Mayor's scheme materialised in a peaceful protest on 12 October. 2,500 people cycled and walked across Blackfriars bridge that evening supported by politicians from Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party.

It has been the third time this year that a demonstration takes place at this location.

For further details on the alternative design, the LCC website shows graphics and street-level animations.

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