Tuesday 11 September 2018

Help Install Segregated Cycle Lanes on the Uxbridge Road

Now's your chance to have your say on the council's early draft of its plans to transform West Ealing. There are two options for the Uxbridge Road. The first is segregated, stepped cycle lanes, which would provide safe space for cyclists. The other is a central median, which would force cyclists to share a narrower road with motor vehicles. Please support the stepped cycle lane option – here’s a link to do it. You can add comments in your own words.

Full details of the consultation are here.

What makes segregated lanes so good?
  • Segregated cycle tracks open up cycling to people who currently feel intimidated by busy traffic, enabling a lot more people to make their journeys by bike. This has huge health benefits – both for the individual, and the NHS
  • Cycle lanes are one of the best ways to reduce congestion in London, carrying up to five times as many people per hour as a main road. [details]
  • Stepped cycle tracks are safer than on-road cycle lanes as they give cyclists their own space, and help ensure motor vehicles stay out of the cycle lane. [details]
  • They can help boost profits in local shops. Although motorists will buy more in a single trip, cyclists visit the shops more frequently and overall spend more money. [details] 
  • And it seems installing high quality cycle lanes can even boost your house price! [details]

Why is the central median so bad?
  • This central median will narrow the road, forcing cyclists to share the carriageway with motor vehicles, which will not encourage more people to take up cycling.
  • Cyclists can get blocked by congested motor traffic.
  • A median island can increase the danger to pedestrians [details p.21]
  • The lack of cycle lanes puts pedestrians closer to polluting motor vehicles.
  • Slower cyclists will slow all the vehicles behind them, creating potential conflict with motorists.
After the death last year of cyclist Claudia Manera at the Lido Junction, it is good to see the council putting forward proposals to improve safety for cyclists, but it's imperative they choose the right option. The project is part of Transport for London's Liveable Neighbourhoods scheme.