Matt Winfield, Sustrans Director, London, Will Norman, London's Cycling and Walking Commissioner, and borough leaders from Southwark, Newham and Redbridge open Quietway 14
Quietway 22, one of three new Quietways opened, has new ramps onto the Greenway to make it easier for people walking and cycling to access, and new 24 hour lighting and CCTV.
We were pleased to join Will Norman, London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, Transport for London (TfL), and borough leaders from Southwark, Newham and Redbridge today to launch three new Quietway cycle routes in London. The routes have added a further 15km to the expanding Quietways network in the capital.
Cycling in London increases as routes expand
“ To help solve the capital’s pressing problems, many more of London’s neighbourhoods must be transformed to work better for people walking and cycling. London boroughs, who own most of the streets in the capital, must not shy away from making bold choices to make that possible. ”
Quietway 22 from Newham Way to Stratford High Street, Quietway 14 in Southwark, and Quietway 6 from Wanstead Flats to Barkingside are all now open, making it easier for people to get around the capital under their own steam. The route openings come as new figures from TfL show cycling levels in central London between April and June 2018 grew by 8% year-on-year. More than 150km of Quietways have now been constructed, including the Central London Grid.
Sustrans are the delivery agent for Quietways, working with TfL and London boroughs to help create 400km of new cycle routes to help build a London-wide high-quality cycle network and improve air quality for all road users.
Expanding London’s Quietway network is vital to help get more Londoners cycling and reduce car use.
Quietway 22 - Opening connections to Stratford High Street with 24 hour lighting scheme
Quietway 22 is a new 6.5km route connecting Stratford High Street to Cycle Superhighway 3 at Newham Way via West Ham and Plaistow Park. The route includes new lighting and CCTV, enabling greater use of the path. Three new pedestrian and cycle friendly ramps onto the existing Greenway route between Stratford and Beckton open up this family-friendly traffic-free route to people living nearby who were previously unable to access it.
Quietway 6 - More routes for East London - from Wanstead Flats to Barkingside
In East London, Quietway 6 is a new 6.5km route connecting Wanstead Flats and Barkingside via a new bridge for walkers and cyclists, designed by Sustrans, in Valentine’s Park and a new two-way cycle track on Forest Drive.
Quietway 14 - Connecting South-East London
The new Quietway 14 route provides a safe cycling route connecting Blackfriars Road and Bermondsey and is part of a growing network of routes in South-East London.
Quietway 14 currently connects to Cycle Superhighway 6 at Blackfriars Road and Cycle Superhighway 7 at Southwark Bridge Road, as well as running close to Quietway 1 (Waterloo to Greenwich) and the forthcoming Quietway 7 (Elephant & Castle to Crystal Palace). It will eventually extend further east to Rotherhithe and Canada Water, connecting with Cycle Superhighway 4, and then join the Thames Path route, along with the newly opened bridge on National Cycle Network Route 1 to Thamesmead.
A huge increase in people using Quietways
Quietway routes have seen massive growth in the numbers of people using them. Between 2014 and 2017, where Quietways have been built, there has been a:
- 71% increase in people cycling at Great Suffolk Street (Quietway 1)
- 64% increase in people cycling at Trinity Street (Quietway 1)
- 188% increase in people cycling at Law Street (Quietway 1)
- 94% increase in people cycling at Chatham Place (Quietway 2)
- 61% increase in people cycling at Coppermill Lane (Quietway 2)
- 32% increase in people cycling at Middleton Road (Quietway 2)
Making London's junctions safer and opening up cycling for all
“ I’m delighted these three new Quietway routes are being officially opened today as part of our growing network across the capital. ”
To date, Quietways have made cycling safer at 86 junctions across London. The first route, Quietway 1 Waterloo to Greenwich, saw a 54% increase in cycling after opening to the public in 2016 and the proportion of women cycling along the route rose from 29% to 35%.
Building on success
The new Quietway routes follow the introduction of six other cycle routes that have opened to the public recently:
- Cycle Superhighway 6 - Elephant & Castle to Kings Cross
- Quietway 2 East - Bloomsbury to Walthamstow via Angel, Haggerston, London Fields and Clapton
- Quietway 2 West - Notting Hill to East Acton via Wormwood Scrubs
- Quietway 5 - Oval to Clapham Common
- Quietway 15 - Belgravia to Earl’s Court
- Quietway 3 - Gladstone Park to Kilburn Station
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said:
“I’m delighted these three new Quietway routes are being officially opened today as part of our growing network across the capital. Given the damaging impact toxic air has on our city, it is vital that we do all we can to enable more Londoners to cycle and reduce journeys by car.
“The latest figures show that Quietways are leading to a big increase in cycling with 24,000 bike journeys on Quietway 2 within its first week of opening. It is great to see that Londoners of all ages and abilities are embracing the opportunity to ride safely on backstreets and now many more people will be able to benefit.”
Matt Winfield, London Director, Sustrans said:
“It’s fantastic to see another three routes added to the growing Quietways network, making cycling and walking easier, safer and more enjoyable for everyone. As the delivery agent for Quietways, we’re proud that the evidence shows they’re working.
"More and more of us are getting about under our own steam, improving our health and reducing congestion on our roads. But to help solve the capital’s pressing problems, many more of London’s neighbourhoods must be transformed to work better for people walking and cycling. London boroughs, who own most of the streets in the capital, must not shy away from making bold choices to make that possible.”