Cycling UK is seeking legal advice to challenge what it believes is the “unreasonable” removal of cycle lanes in Kensington and Shoreham.
The cycling charity said drastic action is needed following news that the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea will remove the Kensington High Street cycle lane following a purported rise in congestion.
Cycling UK also said it was alarmed by West Sussex Council’s plan to remove an emergency cycle lane along Upper Shoreham Road in Shoreham. The lane was introduced during lockdown and was recently featured in a short film, produced by the Department for Transport, showing the benefits cycle lanes can bring to local communities.
The charity said a concerning pattern of removing cycle lanes and traffic calming measures had emerged despite a lack of adequate evaluation or effective trials.
Duncan Dollimore, Cycling UK’s head of campaigns, said: “Cycling UK is alarmed that decisions some councils have made in recent weeks – ripping out cycle lanes – have been knee jerk responses to objections from a vocal minority rather than upon consideration of the evidence and benefits of the schemes.”
Cycling UK added that figures from its recently commissioned YouGov poll showed that more than half of those surveyed (56%) supported a wider roll-out of government schemes to encourage more cycling and walking.
Dollimore continued: “Separated cycle lanes can carry more people in less space and reduce congestion. They are good for local businesses, with people cycling and walking into town centres staying there longer and spending more money; and the evidence shows that if you build them, people will use them.
“But changing engrained travel habits doesn’t always happen overnight, so when councils introduce temporary cycle lanes, they need to leave them in place for long enough to carry out an effective trial. ‘Who shouts loudest’ should not be the basis of their evaluation – and before any drastic action is taken to scrap new bike lanes.”
Cycling UK said it will consider the possibility of legal action upon receipt of legal advice .
