Published: Wednesday 9 September 2020
Work will begin on a new experimental cycle lane in Kensington High Street at the end of the month (September 2020).
After discussions with businesses and resident associations, designs have been agreed by the Council and Transport for London. The new cycle lanes will be protected from traffic by “wands”, on both sides of the road, and will link to cycle routes in Westminster and Hammersmith.
Work will be undertaken in two phases. The first phase will begin from 28 September 2020 and be completed by the Council. The second phase, expected to take place by the winter, will upgrade the junctions to complete the route and be undertaken by Transport for London.
The was initially announced in the summer as a response to the Government’s calls for local councils to create safer walking and cycling routes in cities and towns. The Council will monitor the route from day one and keep the scheme design under close review.
Cllr Johnny Thalassites, Lead member for Transport, said:
“More people are choosing active travel to get around after the coronavirus pandemic and this experimental route will give residents, commuters and visitors another option for travelling safely through Kensington and Chelsea.
“It’s been fantastic to see how the local economy has adapted to welcome customers back safely. Kensington High Street is home to great parks, museums, shops, bars and restaurants and I hope this new cycle route encourages more people to stop off and enjoy the borough.”
Bus stops will stay in place along the road and the Council will not need to close any roads or ban any turning movements.
New all-day loading bays will be introduced on side streets so that high street businesses can continue to receive deliveries. The Council is liaising with commercial waste collectors and will be in touch with businesses on Kensington High Street in the coming days with specific advice on waste collections.
The Council has already introduced a number of measures to protect lives and livelihoods following the national lockdown. Plans for a 20mph limit across the borough are well advanced, as are designs for cycle routes on Queen’s Gate and Chelsea Bridge Road. We launched seven new traffic-free school streets, and marketgoers in Portobello Road have been enjoying traffic-free streets there on market days. We have also supported businesses to make the most of outdoor space to serve customers safely, including in re-purposed parking bays.
Residents and business owners can contact the Active Travel team with questions about the new route.