Eltham to Greenwich Park cycle lane proposed
A consultation has commenced on plans for a cycle lane connecting Eltham and Greenwich.
Lanes would run along Eltham Hill heading west from Eltham High Street. A short section of segregation already exists here.
Lanes would pass Mecca Bingo before turning north at the Yorkshire Grey roundabout where road alterations are planned, then heads along Eltham Green Road running parallel to new homes at Kidbrooke Village.
Eltham Hill is a wide road for much of this stretch where space can be gained by removing the central reservation:
The first of three camera enforced modal filters is set to be installed at the north of the A2.
The lane then follows Rochester Way all the way to Westbrooke Road then onto Kidbrooke Grove before reaching Blackheath and then Greenwich Park.
Through the park and cyclists can meet Cycle Highway 4 heading to central London.
Greenwich Council state: “At the moment, we’ve only got funding from TfL to design the route. We hope that, supported by consultation feedback on our ideas, we’ll get funding to progress with more design work and be able to build the route in Summer 2021.”
It appears they are again putting all funding at the door of TfL, despite millions more due to come into council coffers ringfenced to transport projects as a result of CCTV enforcement for moving traffic offences and bringing parking enforcement in house. This is likely to raise £50 million in the next four years. £37 million of that is due to an expansion of CCTV cameras alone, and does not take into account an uplift from 20 cameras installed last September nor parking enforcement in house. Previously a private company retained all revenue.
Unlike other projects this is being consulted before implementation. According to Greenwich: “We’re proposing to implement the route using an Experimental Traffic Order. Once a scheme is put into place, considering the feedback we receive during this consultation, a six-month public consultation period on the scheme would begin.”
You can view plans here.
EDIT: I’m going to stop comments that are clearly wrong as fed up of the same mistakes. “Khan, TfL broke” yadda yadda. It’s not even confirmed funding. In addition, TfL only got funding for buses, tubes etc on the condition from Grant Shapps and the DfT they would be installed as public correspondence clearly states. Here is what the DfT and Shapps stated must be done to receive funds:
TfL may support schemes in principle but very unlikely they’d have funded many if not for the pandemic and funding agreements with the DfT. TfL being in funding difficulties is the *very* reason these are happening as they’d be no stipulation without the DfT funding agreement.
Looks good and should avoid most of the pitfalls of other schemes given it uses backstreets or wide roads where lanes can be placed without causing tight squeezes. I expect the same old suspects will still moan but this will change behaviour.
What it does do is cut off the two routes from north of the A2 to Eltham Road and beyond. It just increases traffic and delays on the main roads and inconveniences residents living in that area, Also it will block access via Kidbrooke Gardens to Blackheath.
I should add does anyone know what cycle traffic there is along the proposed route. If it is a good route cyclists will already be using it but I doubt anyone has carried out a count.
When it comes to traffic counts, RBG doesn’t give a stuff when it comes to cyclists; they didn’t do a count before the High Street cycle lane went in and they haven’t done one since, so they don’t have a clue whether it has increase usage or not. However, I did do one and I tell you it has made no difference.
I remember Eltham Green Road from schooldays as a particularly winding, narrow road. I’m not sure how safe it would be for cyclists.
Residents living near the modal filters will find them a PITA, unless I’m missing something.
It adds seconds to journeys most of the time. I’ve lived around numerous and it’s really no bother. They’ve existed for years in so many places it surprises me people think they’re new. Aside from explicit LTNs, most estate are in effect designed around the principle of no through traffic in many areas. Taking Abbey Wood as an example, it’s a case of driving slightly longer to reach the main road through the estate. The flipside is quieter streets, space to play (this was great growing up) and all round it works well. The result is where they exist after some months people almost always want them to remain. But so many are terrified of change.
Part of Eltham Green Road to Shawbrooke Rd is already a key cycle route as part of London Cycle Network Route 25a and 64, so it makes a lot of sense to include this road. I use it to get to work and if they improve the junction with Eltham Rd at Yorkshire Grey it will make it much safer and hopefully encourage the less confident would be cycle users to ride it.
I’ve started cycling from Bexley to Central London in the last 2 months. I grew up in the area and know it well. On the last 2 journeys, I’ve nearly been run down by cars shooting off the South Circular on the inside lane, by the pub\MacDonald’s. I’ve been left screaming “No ,no, no!” to stop them pulling right out (and on to me!) . It is deadly! They can’t see past trucks etc. in the right hand lane, and constantly take a chance to “nip out”. It’s DEADLY..!!
The cycle paths are a joke; blocked by railings and chopped into small sections between pedestrian crossings. There is NO CLEAR ENTRY POINT and NO COLOUR, which would make it clear to drivers, that there is an extra lane\type of traffic to pay attention to.
They are all desperate to get to home or work, and don’t want to spend time caring about cyclists.
If the cycle lane were SOLID, PREDICTIBLE and BRIGHT BLUE, like it is around the rest of London, then cyclists would be far safer; and there would be FAR MORE BICYCLE TRAFFIC as a result.