Kensington High Street will get its cycle lanes back after a consultation found a majority support for them. However, the new cycle lanes will be advisory only — not the partially segregated cycle lanes that were controversially removed in 2021.
The removed cycle lane
The decision to restore the cycle lanes follows a consultation to put cycle lanes on Fulham Road, and the eastern and western sections of Kensington High Street, and found more than 60 percent support or partly support the restoration of the cycle lanes.
The scheme that Kensington and Chelsea council consulted on was proposed to create space for cyclists, while ensuring that they maintain kerbside access. It involves painted dashed ‘with traffic flow’ white lines without any physical infrastructure.
That’s far from ideal, but better than nothing, and if it leads to increased cycling, will support arguments for a full upgrade to a segregated cycle lane later.
The council says that it had 1,775 responses to the consultation, which ran from 15th May 2023 to 26th June 2023. Around 66 percent of respondents to the consultation supported the measures in full or part for Kensington High Street. On Fulham Road, around 71 percent supported the measures in full or in part.
Looking at the report in detail, the vote in support was fairly weak though, particularly along Kensington High Street which was the site of the controversial cycle lane in 2020. In fact, while a third are opposed to a new cycle lane, just 19 percent of respondents were in favour — with nearly half (47%) only partially in favour.
That does still add up to over 60% in favour, mainly as those who were only partially supportive were mainly expressing a preference for a fully segregated cycle lane to be built from the start, rather than as a potential upgrade later.
So that’s enough though to push ahead with the advisory cycle lanes as a start.
The council’s planning officers have recommended introducing the proposals but making the lanes two metres wherever this is possible, as recommended by a road safety audit. They had proposed a 1.5 metre wide cycle lane, but that was deemed unsuitable as there was a risk that it could result in side-swipe collisions between cyclists and other road users, so they will go for 2 metres wide.
There is a 10 day standstill period, following which the scheme can be implemented.
The full report is here.
Please read the report before commenting. Thanks.
This is presented as ‘cycle lanes reinstated’, but in fact (Appendix B para 8) it excludes them on the cetral part of the street, where they would be most beneficial. Vehicle traffic is given priority there. A victory for the car (and taxi) driver. cyclists are put where they belong, in peril.
All this consultations are made without advertising… only those who are interested in these changes are aware of it…
I drive for a living and all these changes affects my earnings and my family…
In fact, in 2020, when they were segregated, traffic was mad even in lockdowns…
Every data they give is not what in real life is…
The consultation was sent to everyone living in the local area, and was advertised locally as well — if you read the reports you can even see a breakdown of where and when the advertising was carried out.
If they didn’t advertise then the findings of the consultation could be challenged in court, so it’s in their own interests to ensure people do know about it.