Transport for London (TfL) has completed work to transform the roads around Hammersmith gyratory, reducing danger to vulnerable road users at one of London’s most intimidating junctions. The changes will help to build on the huge increases in cycling seen in the capital since the start of the coronavirus pandemic and will it much easier and safer to walk and cycle in the area. Enabling more people to walk, cycle and use public transport is critical to a successful and sustainable economy in London, which is vital for the success of the wider economy. The new Cycleway will open up safe and attractive cycling across west London to Gunnersbury, Chiswick, East Acton, North Acton and Ravenscourt Park. 

The important changes were developed in partnership with Hammersmith & Fulham Council and include:    

• A protected two-way cycle track on the north side of Hammersmith gyratory      
• Cyclist-specific signals at junctions to separate cyclists and motor vehicles     

• Improvements for pedestrian safety at all junctions with side roads, including raised level crossings and more footway space    
• New pedestrian crossing signals with ‘countdowns’ at the crossings of King Street, Beadon Road, Shepherd’s Bush Road, Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith Road and Butterwick     
• A new parallel crossing at the Butterwick junction to allow westbound cyclists to join the two-way cycle track    

Transforming roads such as the Hammersmith gyratory is essential to giving people walking and cycling the confidence to travel safely, as part of TfL’s Vision Zero goal of eliminating death and serious injury on the road network. There were 30 collisions on the gyratory in the three-year period to December 2020, of which five involved someone cycling. Before work started on the Hammersmith Gyratory, recent cycle counts from 12 October 2021 also counted 2,844 people cycling between 0700-1900, which shows that thousands of people stand to benefit from this new infrastructure every day. 

TfL has also completed work on a further section of Cycleway 4. Once complete, the route will connect neighbourhoods in southeast London to central London via a fully protected cycle route between Tower Bridge Road and Greenwich. The latest completed section on Creek Road in Deptford includes a two-way protected cycle track between on Creek Road between Deptford Church Street and Norman Road, adding 1.6km of London’s network of protected cycle routes. A new pedestrian crossing has also been built on the western arm of the Deptford Church Street junction.      

Will Norman, the Mayor’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, said: “I’m delighted that work on the new and transformed Hammersmith gyratory has been completed. This delivers much needed protected cycle lanes and pedestrian crossings – making walking and cycling safer and easier at this busy junction. It’s also great news that the new section of Cycleway 4 is now open in Deptford – as we continue to roll out our cycle network across London. 

“Enabling more Londoners to walk and cycle continues to be at the heart of the Mayor’s vision to build a safer, healthier, cleaner and more sustainable London for everyone. These crucial improvements across the city will help us to continue to build upon the boom in cycling we’ve recently seen, helping all cyclists keep safe on the roads.” 

Julie Lewington, Head of Projects & Programmes at TfL, said: “Walking and cycling are absolutely essential to a more sustainable future for London and we know that there has been huge demand for cycling since the start of the pandemic. We’re determined to ensure that all Londoners have access to safe cycling routes and the changes at Hammersmith gyratory will make a big difference to people walking and cycling through this key artery in west London. We’ll continue to work with the capital’s boroughs to make the case for more investment in schemes like these which enable more people to walk and cycle.”   

TfL is asking people to have their say on whether a number of cycling schemes installed as experimental measures during the pandemic should be made permanent. Consultations into these schemes will last for six months, after which TfL will make a decision about their future. So far, consultations have been opened into the A21 Lewisham to Catford, Mansell Street and Lambeth Bridge to Chelsea Bridge, and people can have their say through the TfL consultation website at https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/hub-page/healthy-streets. TfL will be engaging on Chiswick High Road over the summer, with a six-month consultation to follow in the autumn. 

TfL’s pioneering cycle hire scheme, Santander Cycles, has continued to break records which reflect the huge increases in cycling across London. It recorded the highest ever number of hires in the month of May with more than 1.2 million hires made. This was the ninth record month of the scheme in a row, with 2021 also seeing the most hires ever made in a single year.