As you may know, Transport for London are building a new Thames tunnel at Silvertown.  Early proposals included a separate bore for cyclists and pedestrians but that long since fell by the wayside.  What TFL are now proposing is a ‘Cross River Cycling Service’.  What this boils down to is a bus shuttle service through the tunnel.  Recently TFL consulted on some aspects of their proposals, for example whether it should run a scheduled service with a bus every 10 minutes or an on-demand service and whether users should pay or whether the service should be free. 

I replied in my capacity as Redbridge Cycling Campaign Group Coordinator.  It was online survey comprised of closed questions and a box at the end into which I could enter text.  I could not find a way to get a printout of all my answers but here is the free text I entered. 

‘I am filling in this survey with a heavy heart.  The proposals for the Silvertown tunnel represent a missed opportunity to connect the South and North banks of the Thames – unless you are the driver of a motorized vehicle.  At present there is no provision for cyclists to cycle across the river east of Tower Bridge.  A cycle crossing at Silvertown would have been a start. 

A ten-minute shuttle service might be of some value to leisure cyclists but will not serve the needs of commuters.  Commuters really need the means to cycle under the river.  Of course car drivers have this provision – no-one would expect the only way for car drivers to cross the river to be via a ferry.  Yet if the Mayor is to meet his climate targets and improve air quality he must oversee a shift from car to cycle commuting. 

I have stressed the importance the accessibility of the service.  Many of the users will be leisure cyclists and this will include those pulling buggies, using tag-along trailers or riding tandems (like my wife and I).  Without good step free access and ease of boarding this group of users will be put off.

What next?  Sadly I expect that plans are too far advanced to see a cycle route integrated into the tunnel which means it is a question of making the best of a bad job.  So

• The more frequent the service the better
• The Mayor should use his good offices to prevail on those who manage the Greenwich and Woolwich foot tunnels to allow cyclists to ride through these tunnels so establishing two useful river crossings for cyclists.  I am aware of the safety concerns that are routinely raised but I am not persuaded that they cannot be overcome.  And it should also be borne in mind that cyclists using these tunnels increase ‘passive surveillance’ of pedestrians and so make them less vulnerable to muggings and similar street crimes. 

The Wanstead Festival on Sunday 17 September 2023 will feature more cycling-related events than ever before!

Alongside the stalls and activities familiar to festival-goers, local cycling groups will be at the festival and will lead rides on the day, starting at the festival itself.

At Redbridge Cycling Campaign, we have two short taster rides – in the morning, from Wanstead High Street to Wanstead Park, a distance of four miles there and back. The afternoon ride will go from Wanstead to Ray Park in the Roding Valley, a distance of eight miles. Joyriders, the women’s cycling group, will also be at the festival, leading a ride from 10.30 to 13.30.

The rides will be slow, led by an expert ride leader and marshalled by cyclists who know just how to manage groups at junctions and keep everyone safe.

Inexperienced cyclists and accompanied children are welcome. If you’ve ever seen marshalled groups of cyclists riding along, and thought it looks fun but scary, or cursed them for being slow on the road but secretly wanted to find out more, this is a great chance to come along.

More details of our two rides are on our rides page.

Redbridge Cycling Campaign support LCC’s protest ride to demand action on Battersea Bridge.

Four weeks ago, a woman was killed while cycling across the bridge. It is a notorious accident blackspot with a horrendous record of deaths and serious accidents. We want the authorities responsible – Transport for London, the Mayor, Wandsworth Council and Kensington and Chelsea Council – to improve safety on the bridge and access roads.

The ride, starting at 6 pm by the “In Town” sculpture at the southern end of the bridge, will be short and sombre. Details can be found on LCC’s website.

Supporters from Redbridge Cycling Campaign will cycle to Battersea to join the ride, starting at 4.30 pm at the Tea Hut in Wanstead Park. This is not an insured ride so will be at your own risk.

Whether you choose to make your own way to Battersea or to join us, we hope to see you there.

Julia led the conversation about active travel at Mums for Lungs‘ climate picnic at the new childen’s play area in Wanstead Park on 25 June 2023 as part of the WREN conservation group‘s wildlife weekend.

On one of the warmest afternoons of the summer so far, a small group gathered to exchange views and advice on active travel in London.

The group mirrored those who join our rides, ranging from experienced cyclists to people wanting to get back into cycling after a long break. Concerns raised were those we hear over and over – the need to find quiet routes, negotiate tricky junctions and cope with the small number of aggessive motorists.

We hope the participants gained confidence to cycle more, knowing they are not alone. We are especially keen to see you on a marshalled ride. Over the year, we have rides for cyclists of all abilities. Details are posted about a month in advance on our rides page.

At Redbridge Cycling Campaign, we have been busy campaigning for better cycling infrastructure in the borough.

For the first time, we raised a freedom of information request to get to the bottom of why Redbridge Council installed speed cushions in St Marys Road, Wanstead, rather than humps. Find out what we discovered here.

Also in our campaigns update, the latest on the Aldersbrook Road cycle lanes and the Ilford to Barking Cycleway, now under construction.

We have now been given sight of two proposed quiet routes between Gants Hill and Ilford and Barkingside. It looks like both schemes will feature speed humps and tables with sinusoidal profiles. 

This is welcome progress.