Transport for London and Lewisham Council have opened a new section of Cycleway on Evelyn Street in Deptford. It says the section is the latest to be completed on Cycleway 4, a major new cycle route that is already enabling thousands of safer and easier cycle journeys across the area each week. 

TfL believes that in order to help make London greener, safer and better for everyone, it’s important to enable more people to make journeys by walking or cycling where possible, and therefore creating enough space for people to walk and cycle safely is vital to a sustainable and healthy transport network, especially as around 60 per cent of households in inner London do not have access to a car, with a high proportion of these from low-income households.   

It says the work has created:   

• 1.4km of two-way protected cycle track, keeping people cycling separated from motor traffic   
• New pedestrian crossings at Gosterwood Street and Grinstead Road, which will make walking journeys easier and safer   
• Upgrades to existing pedestrian crossings at Oxestalls Road and Deptford High Street   
• Wider footways and a new public space at New King Street, making the local neighbourhood a nicer place to walk around and spend time in   

The completed work means that people in local communities and beyond will be able to cycle between central London and Greenwich on a safer and mostly protected cycle route. The remaining section of Cycleway 4 between Greenwich and central London, on Lower Road, is planned to start construction later in 2022 following TfL’s recent funding settlement with Government.  

The route has previously been extended in both the east and the west, using experimental changes and plastic wands. TfL recently announced that the experimental changes extending the route along Tooley Street towards London Bridge will be kept permanently, with the numbers of people cycling on the route increasing by more than 25 per cent. Vehicle numbers have fallen by a third, making the area more pleasant for people visiting. Bus journey times westbound are quicker and more reliable, with no significant impact on journey times eastbound.   

Experimental changes were also brought in between Greenwich and Woolwich, using wands to protect people cycling from motor traffic along a route that includes the Angerstein Roundabout, where a man was tragically killed cycling in 2018. TfL continues to engage with local communities about these changes, with feedback being used alongside monitoring data to support a decision on the scheme’s future. 

Will Norman, London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, said: “In the last two years, we’ve seen more Londoners than ever choosing to walk and cycle around the capital. We are determined to maintain this success and encourage more people to pick up greener and more sustainable transport options by continuing to make London’s roads safer and journeys easier. I’m delighted that this latest section of Cycleway 4 is now completed, enabling an important and safer cycling route for local communities between Greenwich and Central London. The Mayor and I are determined to continue building a cleaner, greener London for everyone and now that we have secured funding, we’ll start the work on the remaining Lower Road section as soon as we can.”

Nick Fairholme, TfL’s Director of Project and Programme Delivery, said: “Walking and cycling are vital to London’s transport network and this new section of Cycleway 4 in Deptford will ensure that even more people have access to the capital’s network of high-quality routes. We’d like to thank people in the area for their patience during construction work and will continue to work with local councils to ensure that everyone can walk and cycle safely.”  

Councillor Louise Krupski, Lewisham Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Action, said: “This new section of Cycleway 4 will make it safer and easier for our residents to access London’s extensive network of cycling routes, encouraging more people in Lewisham to cycle around the borough and across the capital. I look forward to continuing working with Transport for London to improve cycling infrastructure in Lewisham and increase the number of cycle journeys, as part of our work to create a more sustainable transport network and improve air quality.

(Picture – TfL)