It was Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, who raised the hopes of cyclists in and around London when it was announced that he was to help implement a decade long £913 million investment in cycling in the capital.  The plan was to link a network of cycle superhighways to give safer, faster and more direct journeys into the city indicating that they could be the best and quickest way to get to work for many people.  The proposals included plans to improve road surfaces on existing cycle routes and to improve dangerous junctions for cyclists.  Transport for London (TfL) were to work out routes and with a view to providing the level of safety enjoyed by many cyclists in countries in the Netherlands.  This was good news for people who cycle to work, with TfL and the Mayor planning a revolution in London commuting.  The clearly marked blue routes were hoped not only to ease congestion and relieve over crowding on public transport ( by providing a safe alternative means of travel) but to provide a good experience for those cycling to work.

The blue routes were sponsored by Barclays. These cycling highways were to be segregated from traffic wherever possible, supplemented by shared bike and bus lanes separated from other traffic.

As London’s cycling population boomed, problems with the blue superhighways started to become apparent.  Trouble spots arose where the blue paint did not separate the cyclists from other vehicles. In fact quite often the blue paths led cyclists directly into confrontation with other vehicles as drivers regularly crossed the lines.  In November 2013 the superhighways hit the news headlines when 6 cyclists died when using them in that month alone. So much for improved safety.

There followed campaigns to remove the blue cycle highways with allegations that they provided a false sense of security to cyclists, when in fact they provided no substitute for physically separating bike lanes from other traffic.  Most of the deaths on the highways had been due to trucks or buses.  The blue superhighways were said to confuse road users as to who has right of way as the blue highway has no legal status.

Since the campaigns the Mayor has made it clear that no lorries should be allowed into London unless they are fitted with safety equipment to protect cyclists and driven by drivers who are trained in cycle awareness.

Many campaigners feel that the superhighways were introduced without enough thought and planning and that cycle routes should be considered at the planning stage of all new road infrastructure. Perhaps there needs to be a change in culture and attitudes towards cycling to allow a proper cycling culture to break through and make London a city fit for cycling.

The way forward would appear to be greater investment into cycling superhighways.

Plans for an elevated cycling superhighway in London have recently been proposed by Sir Norman Foster.  The plans involve a 135 mile network of elevated cycle pathways called the “sky cycle”.  The plan comes with an enormous price tag although it is intended to use corridors above suburban railways with a view to reducing costs.

However, in the meantime, Steven Hammond the Transport Minister has recently announced the introduction of new low level traffic lights for cyclists to be installed on the London cycle superhighway 7.  TfL has lined up other locations.  The low level cycle signals follow the example of other European countries where they are common place.

Hopefully increasing safety for city cyclists will not be limited to London but extended to the rest of the country.  A recent example is the superhighway from Bradford to Leeds.  There are plans for an ambitious new £29 million superhighway linking the two cities which has been dubbed the “highway to health”.

In any event, superhighways would appear to be the way forward in city cycling if they can be implemented effectively and safely.