Khan says work on Euston Road cycle lane another example of “bold action” taken to improve safety

With construction already started on the installation of a temporary cycle lane on one of the capital’s busiest roads, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has called the project a “bold action” which demonstrates the lengths being taken to make cycling “easier and safer“ across the city.

The project is part of Sadiq Khan and TfL's Streetspace for London plans to rapidly transform streets to accommodate claims of a possible ten-fold increase in cycling and five-fold increase in walking.

The major new protected temporary cycle lane along Euston Road, which could be in place for 18-months and made permanent, will link up with TfL's new temporary cycle lane on Hampstead Road, and Cycleway 6 on Midland Road/Judd Street.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: "It is essential that we don't replace one health crisis with another fuelled by toxic air pollution, which is why I'm determined that our city's recovery from coronavirus is clean, green and sustainable. My world-leading Streetspace for London plans will help sustain the record boost in cycling over the past few months. I'm delighted that more than £24m has already been awarded to local boroughs to rapidly transform streets across our city, and that construction of the Euston Road cycle lane will begin this week. "With more than 500 Streetspace schemes already approved and hundreds more still to come, we will enable millions more journeys to be made by walking and cycling."

But the news of such works on Euston Road has not gone down well with everyone, especially some of the capital’s taxi drivers who have had to endure the increased levels of congestion in the city over the past few years.

The decision has been openly criticised by members of the public, with one replying to his announcement on Twitter: “Stop destroying London. You have no mandate. Stop acting as though you have won the postponed Mayoral elections. Will never vote for you again.”

Another wrote: “For what % of Londoners? What about the massive majority that can’t or don’t want to cycle no matter how much of OUR money you waste on it...??”

Euston Road has suffered from major traffic issues for some time. The decision to allocate a large section of the ring road which runs along the top perimeter of the Congestion Charge zone is definitely a bold move, but the effect on traffic flow can only be judged once works are complete.

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