A segregated cycle route between Tower Bridge Road and Rotherhithe was formally opened this week.
The stretch of Cycleway 4 along Tooley Street and Jamaica Road was officially opened for use on Tuesday.
As part of the works, the Rotherhithe roundabout has been redesigned and new pedestrian crossings along Jamaica Road have also been created.
TfL has also revealed that it will temporarily extend the route over London Bridge, with work to begin “soon.”
“I’m really pleased that the first section of Cycleway 4 from Tower Bridge to Rotherhithe is now complete,” said Will Norman, London’s Walking and Cycling commissioner.
“By providing the first fully protected route from southeast London to central London at a time when many Londoners are beginning to cycle in the city or returning to it, we will enable many more journeys by bike.
“This is more critical than ever to prevent a spike in car use as public transport capacity remains reduced.”
New docking stations for Santander bikes have been opened to help facilitate the cycle route. They are located at Tower Wharf, George Row and the Rotherhithe roundabout.
Two other docking points, outside Canada Water and Bermondsey stations, will follow later this year.
“We have completed a huge amount of work this summer, to make many of our streets safe for social distancing, better suited to help support local businesses and safer for cycling and walking,” said Cllr Catherine Rose, Southwark’s newly appointed transport boss.
“This new stretch of segregated Cycleway is a much needed addition, that will give confidence to those who want to cycle more, especially local people living in Bermondsey and Rotherhithe; many of whom joined us in campaigning for Santander Cycles in the area as well.”
I welcome the new cycle facilities, on the whole. But as a cyclist living off Salter Rd, if I am cycling Eastwards from Tower Bridge, I do not want to cross at the Southwark Park Road lights to use the part of the cycleway that runs past the Southwark Park gates, and I use the bus lane instead towards the tunnel, then turn left onto Brunel Rd. The reason is that the new Pelican/Toucan lights just before the Rotherhithe Tunnel roundabout are unresponsive to cyclists. Even if you press the button, the wait is frustrating. When the traffic is crawling, it could easily be stopped far faster, without causing any delay to vehicular traffic.