Hammersmith Broadway Cycle Lane

As we finish marvelling at the Olympians and their success, the focus turns away from Tokyo and closer to home. We’re a sporting nation, buoyed by our success at the Euros, the Olympics and the Paralympics this summer. But here at London Estates, we’re left wondering if as a nation we’re doing everything that can be done in order to stay fit and healthy as well as inspire the next generation of sporting success.

A hot topic in Hammersmith at the moment is the removal of the Covid temporary cycle lane on Hammersmith Broadway – and it has met with mixed reaction. Let’s take a look at what it means for us locally, as well as the wider debate in terms of how we move as a nation and a capital city into a greener, healthier future.

Well, traffic is always going to be at the top of this list. We’re already struggling for traffic space in London as it is. The sheer number of people living here means that we have commuters, deliveries, the school run and many others competing for precious space on our roads. Losing some of that space to a cycle lane was a great idea in COVID times when motorised traffic was reduced massively. But now that most of the restrictions are removed and the world is starting to get back to something like what we remember from before, there just isn’t enough room to set aside.

In addition, closing the temporary lane is a sign that we’re open for business again. As cities around the world open up, we want the rest of the country and the rest of the planet to know that Hammersmith and London are ready for the influx of people. One of the balancing acts that governments have had to manage over the last 18 months or so is keeping people safe while not letting businesses go to the wall. We’re back in a place where people are making decisions on where to live, where to invest and where to open a business. Congestion will only put people off. And we can little afford that.

Here at London Estates, we can see the dilemma of how we move people around the area in a more environmentally friendly manner in the near future. We can’t just keep on building more homes without upgrading the infrastructure – or doing something completely different. And that ‘something’ could very well be persuading more people to cycle. It is a relatively cheap way of moving around and does wonders for both the environment and personal health. Public transport is close to becoming overwhelmed and the road system has nowhere to go. There just isn’t enough space to widen roads or build new highways. So, we’re left with making the most of the infrastructure we already have. A cycle lane can get many multiples of the existing number of people around without having to build anything new. Minimal investment, maximum impact. Sounds like a no brainer to many.

Think back to the Olympics. We saw Jason Kenny and Laura Kenny become the most successful male and female Team GB Olympians of all time. Both at the velodrome. We’ve kind of taken Olympic cycling success for granted over the last few games. If we’re to produce future champions, then we need to become a cycling nation – and not just at a velodrome or in the countryside.

Cycling can be a dangerous venture in the city. And we have a duty to look after people, no matter what form of transport they choose. And that can mean making some difficult decisions. It’s not simply a case of driver vs. cyclist as we’re often told. It’s more thinking about what kind of future we want for London, the global city.

What Do You Think?

Here at London Estates, we’re always interested in what you think on the hottest topics that affect our lives in Hammersmith and the surrounding area. So, with that in mind, what do you think of the cycle lane? Would you keep it? Remove it? And whichever is your opinion, why do you believe that? We’d love to hear from you.