Buckingham cycle superhighway plan

The UK’s Royal Parks, London mayor Boris Johnson and Transport for London (TfL) have reached an agreement on the final section of East-West Cycle Superhighway, with a separate lane at Buckingham Palace.

As part of the deal, plans have been unveiled for the last remaining central London section of the mayor’s Superhighway project.

A trial two-way segregated track will be introduced at Spur Road, in front of the Queen Victoria Memorial at the palace, with bollards that can be removed on ceremonial occasions.

The trial would take place over a year and the plans would finish the route across central London from Tower Hill, through Parliament Square to Hyde Park Corner and Lancaster Gate.

"The new East-West superhighway will be a treasured part of our new network."

Public consultation on the plan will end on 4 October and if the trial is given the go-ahead, the track could be introduced in mid-2016.

The plans also provide a safer route for cyclists through one of central London’s gyratories, which is also one of the mayor’s 33 ‘Better Junctions’ where major improvements for cyclists have been promised.

Mayor Johnson said: "This is the final jigsaw piece in what will be one of the world’s great cycling routes. The new East-West superhighway will be a treasured part of our new network, running through the heart of the capital and past the front door of some of our most loved landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace."

The plan also includes major benefits for pedestrians and visitors to the Changing of the Guard ceremony, with better pedestrian crossings and almost 900m² of new footway to accommodate inversing crowds.

With the separation of the existing cyclist and pedestrian tracks on Constitution Hill, cycle-pedestrian conflicts will be reduced.

The project will also include the removal of traffic lanes on Spur Road but would have little or no impact on traffic on this short stretch.

TfL surface transport managing director Leon Daniels said: "Work on transforming London into a cycling city is now well and truly underway with engineers working day and night across the capital to deliver these improvements.

"Once completed, the new East West Cycle Superhighway will become one of the world’s most iconic cycling routes with this proposed section in front of Buckingham Palace no doubt becoming a postcard icon of the future.

"We look forward to hearing people’s thoughts on these proposals and, if approved, will work to deliver them as quickly as possible."

The East-West Superhighway will run for 18 miles from Barking to Acton using the existing Cycle Superhighway 3 from Barking to Tower Hill.

It will also cover the new segregated lanes on Upper and Lower Thames Streets, the Victoria Embankment, Parliament Square, Birdcage Walk, Spur Road, Constitution Hill, South Carriage Drive, West Carriage Drive, Lancaster Gate, Westbourne Terrace and the A40 Westway.

Image: An illustration of Buckingham Palace cycle highway plan. Photo: courtesy of Greater London Authority.