Cyclists and drivers are often presented as being at odds. But bizarrely, the newly opened cycle lane along Rotherhithe’s Lower Road could be bringing these two rival factions together.
Unfortunately, that’s not because everyone is bathing in the glory of its clever design. Instead, drivers and cyclists are increasingly saying Cycleway 4 could be a danger to road users.
Construction of Cycleway 4 – an unbroken cycle route between London Bridge and Greenwich – began in July 2019. Since then, the route has gradually been built in phases, with the final stretch along Lower Road officially unveiled by Southwark Council and Transport for London (TfL) in March. It’s all part of City Hall’s drive to get Londoners on their bikes and out of their cars, a policy pioneered by former mayor Boris Johnson and taken up by Sadiq Khan.
But Cycleway 4’s official opening ceremony in early March, attended by Southwark councillors and TfL bosses, put a glossy sheen on a heavily criticised project.
We first wrote about the problems drivers and cyclists were facing along the route in November 2022. Local business FA Albin & Sons, a highly-respected funeral directors, warned that the removal of a southbound motor traffic lane to accommodate the new cycle route was creating gridlock.
“Blind spots” and an abrupt end to the southward cycle lane meant cyclists also risked hurtling into oncoming traffic, company owner Simon Dyer warned. Further down the road, we exclusively revealed that Southwark Council had fined drivers £125,000 in just four months for driving infractions outside Surrey Quays station. Drivers claimed the fines were unfair. They said the roadworks at the junction of Redriff and Lower Road, also part of Cycleway 4’s construction, were forcing drivers illegally to stop in a yellow box junction.
Without a proper investigation into the cycle route’s design, it would be presumptive to say it had made the road unsafe. But there is evidence it could be imperilling cyclists. We recently reported that a cyclist was injured on the junction with Ann Moss Way and people at the scene told our reporter the new layout was likely to blame.
After the story was published, another cyclist emailed our news desk saying they had also been in a collision on Lower Road, leaving him with two fractured elbows. Once again, he blamed the new design.
That’s not to say all cyclists are worried about Cycleway 4. The London Cycling Campaign said it was “so happy” to see it open having campaigned for the route for decades. But something is clearly afoot. Local politicians have urged Southwark Council and TfL urgently to investigate whether it can be improved.
With evidence mounting that Cycleway 4 is far from perfect, we back those calls for a review..
Why did we need these cycle lanes when there is already the thames path cycle route to Greenwich, Its just a cash cow punishing motorists, Ive written to Southwark council’s councillors and all three of them have refused to answer me, Its a disgrace and needs to be put right.