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London’s first segregated ‘cycle superhighway’ officially opens

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson officially opened part of London’s cycle superhighway today, which, when complete, will be a segregated cycling track across central London from Tower Hill, through Parliament Square to Hyde Park Corner and Lancaster Gate.

Cycle superhighway 5 is 1.4 kilometres long and provides a “safe cycle-friendly route” through Vauxhall gyratory and across Vauxhall Bridge”, according to a Transport for London (TfL) spokesman.

Mr Johnson said: “The superhighways are part of a package of cycling measures that have seen a 60% increase in cycling since I have been mayor.

“The number of cyclists on the roads has massively increased - in some parts of London in the mornings you have almost 20% of commuters on bicycles.

“That’s a great thing and we intend to keep going that way. It is great for the city and it is great for the environment.”

“Last year was the lowest year on record for cycling injuries and I hope people really do get on their bikes. They will enjoy it, they will love it.

“I talked to people who are using this highway - a mum and her daughter - who said it was absolutely wonderful for them. She had never been able to persuade her daughter to get over the bridge before and she thinks it is fantastic.”

Garrett Emmerson, the chief operating officer of service transport at TfL, said: “This is one of the first substantial chunks of this new generation of segregated two-way cycle superhighways and it’s a big project which has opened early and under budget.

“It is being used very heavily already. We have had nearly a 30% increase in cyclists on this stretch and that has just been the three weeks that it has been fully open.”

It links with the existing Cycle Superhighway 8 at Millbank and provides a connection with Cycle Superhighway 7 at Oval, whereimprovements for cyclists at the junction are now nearing completion. The new route also links into existing cycle routes through Kennington Oval and along Meadow Road by the Kia Oval.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ellen Forster .