Westminster Council is struggling to design a proper cycle route through Fitzrovia and Marylebone, as the latest proposal put out for public consultation reveals.
The council is seeking comments on its plan for a “Marylebone to West-End Cycleway Route Alignment“.
This new route aims to connect to the existing Cycleway 27 (C27) to provide “a safe, attractive, and convenient route for cyclists”, says Westminster Council.
Currently cyclists travelling west along C27 — which runs through Hackney, Islington and Camden — have the relative safety of protected cycle tracks and low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) for most of their journey.
But when C27 enters Westminster it takes a sign-posted circuitous route with little in the way of protective infrastructure or any LTNs as it passes along the busy Devonshire Street, Paddington Street and Crawford Street where cyclists have to mix with drivers along a carriageway lined with parked cars.
Westminster Council wants to provide a new route running parallel to and between C27 and Oxford Street to better serve cyclists travelling through the southern part of Fitzrovia and Marylebone, but without building any proper infrastructure or removing car parking.
The council has identified five route options but has put forward the “Manchester Square Route” as its preferred choice.
Heading west from Fitzrovia this route would run along Foley Street, Langham Street, then twists its way via a series of turns through Marylebone along Duchess Street, Queen Anne Street, around Manchester Square, then along Upper Berkeley Street, before crossing Edgware Road to Connaught Street.
Very little detail is given in the consultation documents but the current one-way streets along the route would be made two-way for cycling and the council claims that motor traffic flows are low enough so that “no cycling-specific infrastructure is required” and therefore none will be built.
“The proposed Manchester Square route has been identified as the suggested alignment due to its ability to offer a pleasant, direct, and safe cycling experience with minimal impact on other road users,” says Westminster Council.
However the lack of protective cycling infrastructure or any low traffic neighbourhoods to filter out through-motor-traffic or the removal of parked cars means it will unlikely to enable a significant increase in cycling.
“Unfortunately the consultation appears to shepherd people towards approving a route which they say requires ‘no cycling-specific infrastructure’ which would basically mean putting up some signposts and not much else,” says journalist Jon Stone who is a documenter of London cycle routes.
“[E]ast-west across Marylebone and the West End is a huge gap in London’s cycle network with huge commuter cycle flows already and the council should be told to build a proper segregated route,” says Stone.
Westminster Council’s previous Conservative administration did attempt to deliver a route that offered protective infrastructure but shelved the plans after resistance from drivers over the removal of on-street parking, and other design problems.
“A design was developed for New Cavendish Street and George Street called ‘Quietway 7’ in 2016,” explains Westminster Council in the consultation documents.
“This proposed a contraflow cycling facility (enabling cycling in both directions on a one-way street) to create a two-way cycle route along George Street and New Cavendish Street. The proposals went to public consultation but did not progress owing to impacts on parking provision and on the loading and servicing of businesses caused by the contraflow infrastructure.
“In addition, it would be difficult to deliver a high quality cycling facility on the section of the route on Marylebone High Street without negatively impacting on the public realm and pedestrian crossings there,” said the council. (The consultation report from 2016 is here (pdf) and a subsequent cabinet member decision is here (pdf.)
Westminster Council’s new Labour leadership does recognise that providing a high quality cycle route is important for enabling more people to cycle, in addition to those already cycling through the area.
“Transport for London’s (TfL) demand analysis suggests there are more people that would join the existing people cycling if this route were to be delivered to a high quality,” states Westminster.
“Connections to other north-south routes and onward routes at either end will also help with this growth. The Council aims to cater for that demand and enable people to make healthy and sustainable travel choices.”
But the preferred option in this public consultation is unlikely to deliver on that aspiration. Labour in Westminster appear to be continuing where the Conservatives left off, and making just as little progress.
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