Update 26.08.2024
Council Officers have told us that Britannia Road will remain two way for cyclists. This is good news, but as anyone who has ridden the roads in the Oakdale area of South Woodford (see map) knows, one-way streets bring their own problems. Drivers are tempted to go faster because they know nothing is coming the other way, vehicles try and push past cyclists and drivers seem to have an enhanced sense that the road is theirs – cyclists and pedestrians don’t need one-way streets so if a street is one-wayed it’s for the benefit of drivers. So as the scheme goes forward, we will be talking to council officers about the best way to implement the proposal to make sure that cyclists will feel safe and confident about cycling along Britannia Road in both directions but especially ‘against’ the motor traffic. Because if cyclists don’t feel confident, they won’t use the route and a real opportunity to improve things for cyclists in the Ilford area will go begging.
Redbridge Cycling Campaign 