Online cycling lobbyists are enraged by the council’s decision to scrap cycle superhighway CS4 due to its effect on “air quality.”
Over the weekend the council has received some social media attention due to the results of the Consultation meeting that occurred on The 19th of November. The Council claim to oppose Cycle Superhighway, CS4, because they believe that it will affect: “air quality.”
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, unveiled plans to build a cycle superhighway between London Bridge and Greenwich. The mayor plans to invest £770 million into making cycling easier, and safer across London. However, in the recent turn of events the CS4 highway has been opposed by the council because of its inevitable “contribution” to noise pollution. The council isn’t the only opposition to the superhighway.
Local residents and workers strongly dislike the idea of a highway not only because its environmental effect, but also because of the danger the highways surprisingly cause to cyclists and pedestrians. A recent video of a cycle crash on the CS3 highway, which was an example for the CS4, shows the dangers of over congestion and speedy riders, on these superhighways. In the video there is a pile up and crash because of one rider slightly swaying into another rider.
Despite the council’s opposition and video evidence of the dangers of the high way, online cycling lobbyists, and campaigners are not thrilled by the council’s decision. Their argument is that the highway is needed not only for England’s environment, but also for the public’s health as a whole. With the segregated facilities the highways provide from the road, cyclists will be allegedly safer. Roger Stocker, a cycling campaigner and bike ‘vlogger’, highlighted the fact that if you sit outside any high street in London Bridge, its “noisy and unpleasant,” but if you “substitute bikes for cars – huge difference.”
The cycle superhighways are supposed to provide a more environmentally helpful solution to our economic crisis – especially in comparison to countries such as the Netherlands. In the 1970s the Netherlands introduced a major step towards cycle friendly roads and has eclipsed London with its own cycle superhighways. Leading to a major difference in their air pollution, and the UK’s. The Netherlands having a low to nearly low level, whereas the UK has a medium to medium high level, especially in areas such as London.
Cycle campaigners emphasise England’s need to encourage physical activity as well, saying: “we have to make walking and cycling much more attractive, safer, and accessible.” Further encouraging England’s need for these superhighways.
The highway would have gone from London Bridge to Greenwich, going through Bermondsey and Rotherhithe, which are busy commuting areas. Southwark Council argues that as well as the effect of noise pollution, the commute for drivers would be drastically “obstructed” by the highway and in turn would double the noise and air pollution.
For now the local residents back the council while cycling commuters oppose their decision, the final decision has not been made, but in January the final plan for what will happen to London Bridges, CS4, will come out. Until then the opposing sides have a small scale twitter battle to debate on.
