Fury at plans for 'simply absurd' new cycle lane cutting through one of London's busiest roundabouts in Sadiq Khan's latest attack on motorists

'Absurd' plans to instal caller rhythm lanes astatine 1 of London's busiest roundabouts person caused fury amid fears they volition summation congestion, contamination and accidents.

Transport for London (TfL) wants to change the Holland Park Roundabout adjacent to Westfield buying centre to bring successful adapted rhythm routes, signals and crossings.

The junction - known for its 60ft Thames Water Tower successful the centre - is utilized by those travelling betwixt Shepherd's Bush and upmarket Notting Hill successful West London. 

It is besides the determination wherever BBC prima Jeremy Vine complained helium was astir hit by a treble decker autobus and shouted 'what the f***' successful a near-miss successful March past year. 

But campaigners accidental plans for the roundabout located adjacent Shepherd's Bush presumption are flawed and volition pb to longer travel times and an accrued hazard of accidents.

London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, who chairs TfL, has insisted the strategy should spell up contempt the backlash amid what critics assertion is his ongoing 'war connected motorists', including the Ulez portion hold and propulsion for Low Traffic Neighbourhoods. 

TfL wants a caller two-way protected rhythm lane from the eastbound of Shepherd's Bush Green and on the southbound of the roundabout, connecting to Holland Park Avenue.

Planners are besides proposing abstracted low-level rhythm signals astatine junctions, caller rhythm crossings and amended connections to different section rhythm routes successful West London.

A precedence autobus lane volition beryllium installed southbound of the green, portion the existing pedestrian crossing extracurricular the presumption crossed Uxbridge Road volition beryllium widened and realigned.

But a operation of 44 section businesses and 10 residents' associations representing thousands of locals are campaigning against the plans and held a protestation yesterday.

They reason determination is nary request for a caller rhythm lane moving done the mediate of the junction erstwhile determination is already parallel infrastructure for cyclists connected either side.

The radical besides assertion TfL's plans volition region lanes utilized by each traffic, including buses and exigency vehicles, alternatively than improving the harmless existing infrastructure.

TfL said it wants to get much radical walking oregon cycling successful the area, and hopes to amended information - citing however 59 people, including 14 cyclists and pedestrians, were wounded successful 54 collisions successful the 3 years to May 2023, six seriously.

But the protesters person formed uncertainty connected these figures, saying 2 members of its squad went done each mishap collated by TfL lone to find astir each of them did not impact a cyclist, oregon were not connected the roundabout oregon were not successful the notation play given.

They had a gathering with cycling tsar Will Norman, the cycling commissioner for Sir Sadiq, and claimed TfL officials were 'embarrassed' by the information errors pointed out.

TfL has besides defended its collisions data, saying that it looks astatine accidents crossed the strategy area. This is understood to beryllium modular signifier to guarantee that changes to roads are effectual successful reducing the fig of radical killed oregon earnestly injured. 

But the campaigners person made their ain recommendations to TfL astir upgrading the cycling infrastructure that already exists to the northbound and south.

They assertion TfL's plans volition propulsion postulation from main roads onto residential broadside streets, expanding the hazard of accidents for cyclists and pedestrians connected those quieter routes.

Increased congestion has besides been cited arsenic a worry, fixed TfL is proposing to adhd 4 caller sets of signals to the roundabout and to region lanes.

The campaigners besides pointed to postulation modelling, commissioned by the Holland Park Avenue Traders Association, which showed queues roseate connected Holland Park Avenue by 795 per cent successful the greeting highest and by 159 per cent successful the evening peak.

The equivalent increases connected Holland Road are 225 per cent successful the greeting and 296 per cent successful the evening.

Increased contamination is besides a interest if postulation is moving astatine a slower gait done the junction, portion determination are besides fears that congestion volition importantly summation travel times for radical who commute by autobus oregon car.

A imaginable interaction connected transportation and different vehicles, arsenic good arsenic slower effect times for exigency vehicles connected the route, is besides listed arsenic a fear. There are further concerns of congestion damaging the commercialized of section businesses, resulting successful store closures.

And the campaigners fearfulness that if cyclists are tempted to sprout reddish lights connected the roundabout, oregon if the lights fail, vehicles volition not beryllium capable to spot them decently owed to the tightness of the corners - truthful resulting successful much accidents.

A petition against the strategy received much than 3,500 signatures, which the campaigners pointed retired was 68 per cent much than responded to TfL's consultation.

Carolyn Arnold, seat of the Clarendon Cross Residents' Association, said her radical was 'deeply acrophobic astir the interaction of postulation displacement'.

She added that this 'threatens to compromise the information of cyclists and pedestrians—many of whom are schoolchildren, families, and residents connected their mode to section shops, friends, and places of worship'.

Ms Arnold continued: 'We urge upgrading the 2 existing rhythm routes astir the extracurricular of the roundabout, which could present TfL's cycling objectives overmuch much quickly, astatine little outgo and without jamming up the roads.'

John Cowdry, seat of the Holland Park Residents' Association said: 'TfL's assertion of 54 accidents astatine the Holland Park Roundabout implicit the past 3 years belies that determination was successful information conscionable 1 - thankfully lone flimsy - mishap involving a cyclist connected the roundabout.

'It is disappointing that TfL seems to person presented information successful a mode that paints a representation that is not accurate, seemingly to effort to warrant an unnecessary and costly scheme.'

Local retailer Kevin Farrow, of Lipp Interiors, condemned the 'simply absurd' proposals and said it would 'lead to much congestion, not less'.

He continued: 'We presently person harmless existing cycling infrastructure connected the roundabout which tin beryllium easy enhanced with amended signage. This strategy seems highly bizarre.

'As a section retailer I consciousness this would conscionable adhd further unit to my business, astatine a clip that is already proving precise challenging.'

TfL is nevertheless moving guardant with the project, which it pointed retired is 1 conception of a longer cycleway – known arsenic Cycleway 34 - that volition alteration much radical to question by motorcycle successful the section area.

And Simon Munk, caput of campaigns and assemblage improvement astatine the London Cycling Campaign, told MailOnline: 'Every clip a caller cycling strategy comes on successful London, determination are those who suggest it volition beryllium unspeakable for businesses, residents, buses.

'Yet this precise seldom turns retired to beryllium the case. No strategy that changes roads is ever perfect, but determination is wide and widely-accepted grounds connected the request for changes for information and health.

'We request to larn to respect grounds and perceive to communities better, but not fto those who volition ever reason cycling - arsenic immoderate of those protesting bash - dilatory oregon halt advancement to marque London, Holland Park included, safer and healthier.'

Meanwhile TfL has pointed to however 79 per cent of the respondents to its nationalist consultation expected the proposals would mean much radical would take to question by cycling.

Some 63 per cent expected that much radical would take to walk, portion 60 per cent expected the proposals to person nary effect connected concern journeys.

TfL besides said it agreed to reappraisal imaginable improvements aft speaking with locals who highlighted the imaginable of the existing rhythm infrastructure astir the perimeter of the roundabout.

Helen Cansick, TfL's caput of steadfast streets concern planning, told MailOnline: 'The Holland Park Roundabout is 1 of the astir unsafe connected our roadworthy network.

'We're determined to marque roads successful London safer and the changes astatine the roundabout person been cautiously designed to tackle roadworthy information portion enabling everyone to question done the country efficiently.

'The consultation we undertook past twelvemonth demonstrated that the bulk of respondents thought our projected changes would enactment much walking and cycling successful the area.

'We ever instrumentality congestion, including immoderate interaction connected autobus travel times and aerial quality, into cautious information erstwhile designing schemes.'

She added that TfL's postulation modelling had shown 'any postulation impacts are expected to beryllium minimal, arsenic we person ensured that determination is capable abstraction for centrifugal postulation and buses to proceed to question efficaciously done the area'.

Ms Cansick besides said that TfL valued feedback from section residents and businesses and continued to 'engage with the section assemblage arsenic we determination forwards with these important information measures'.

The adjacent steps for TfL see continuing to enactment connected the plan portion liaising with the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, which is the section authorization for the scheme.

The contented besides came up astatine Mayor's Question Time successful October past year, erstwhile Sir Sadiq insisted TfL should not suggest an alternate strategy contempt the nationalist backlash.

He said successful an answer: 'This determination is connected my Safer Junctions database and determination is an urgent request to amended information for cyclists astatine this location.

'The precocious postulation volumes mean this roundabout is unsafe and intimidating for the ample numbers of radical who already rhythm here. The existent layout acts arsenic a large obstruction to galore who would similar to cycle.'

Sir Sadiq added: 'TfL's assessments showed that the existing toucan crossings and subways are not due for the measurement of radical moving connected ft and by motorcycle done the junction.

'Many radical cycling take to stay connected the carriageway and TfL's planned strategy volition amended the information for these people.'