glenn forger
Guest
The figure of 25% had been flung about, connected with murky dealings from bus companies. They reckon 25% Wadjoo reckon?
How are they defining segregated?
In the first release of his report in the Executive Summary (the bit most people read), Professor Begg made the quite outlandish claim that the growth of congestion in London was down to two factors, one of which was ‘the reduction in road capacity in central London by 25% through the introduction of cycle superhighways without taking action to curtail traffic in central London.’
This amazing claim made its way into the Guardian newspaper in an article written by Dave Hill who has made his mark as a sharp critic of cycle ‘superhighways’ and of cycle campaigners. The claim initiated a stir on twitter as people realised that such a claim was utterly absurd. For some reason, Professor Begg didn’t spot the patent improbability of the assertion that 25% of central London road space had been handed over to cycleways.
the reduction in road capacity in central London by 25% through the introduction of cycle superhighways
To be fair to him, the westernmost (Embankment) and easternmost (Upper Thames Stree) bits have reduced from 4 motorised lanes to 2 (by 50%), which might overall make a 25% reduction.Even then it is going to struggle to reach 25% exactly, because the bit of cycle Superhighway through the Blackfriars underpass uses a service road, so doesn't take any of the previous space.
No, those lanes are for non-motorised vehicles too.Upper and Lower Thames Street, and Tower Hill are three lanes for motor vehicles. Two lanes West and one lane East.
The Blackfriars underpass section is genius - who knew that the City of London school had its own private tunnel?
Seeing as the claim seems to have originated with Dave Hill, that's not altogether unlikely.Begg hasn't spotted that cycle routes are a way to curtail traffic. Although the Embankment is currently a 3-mile car-park that is likely to change as people change their habits.
And the 25% claim is, to coin a phrase, total bollocks. It's just about plausible if you only look at those roads (basically the Embankment) along which new lanes have been built, but not otherwise.
I would imagine congestion charge zoneAlso depends how you define "central" London. My guess would be "inside the Circle Line" but it's just a guess.