Tag: infrastructure

News from the Streets — October 2024

Inspired by Camden Cyclists’ excellent series of the same name, this post is about the progress of the many cycling infras schemes with spades in the ground in Newham. We will post new ones as and when volunteer time allows and there’s something new to report.

Romford Road

As a large project which will take a number of years, the long-awaited Romford Road public realm improvement scheme is broken up into sections. Sections B eastbound (Water Lane to Radlett Close) and D eastbound (Woodgrange Road to Richmond Road) were the first to be consulted on, and are the first to have been substantively finished. Snagging work should now have been completed for both.

Work has now begun on section B westbound. We’d expect work on section D westbound to take a little longer, owing to the recent fire at Forest Gate Police Station. Work continues on sections H and I.

Romford Road looking west, with one with-flow cycle track coming towards the camera. The pavement and old cycle lane on the opposite side are now surrounded by hoarding.

The open cycle track on sections B and D eastbound is already being very well used by people cycling. In particular a lot of cyclists want to turn right into Dyson Road and the West Ham Park area, and so are already cycling around the barriers to use the zebra crossing.

A person cycles across a zebra crossing on Romford Road.

Westfield Avenue/Waterden Road

This excellent scheme, delivered by Newham in partnership with the London Legacy Development Corporation, is to improve the abysmal “stroad” type urban motorways left over from the Olympics. Work continues apace, and the part from Montfichet Road to Roundhouse Lane junction was (as of mid-September) expected to be complete by January. At the same time, we believe work will begin in earnest on the section from Roundhouse Lane junction to Waterden Road.

Looking from a cycle track over a bridge that is 4 lanes wide - the far lane is now taken up by hoarding with pallets of construction materials behind. The nearest lane is marked with central hatching. This leaves two lanes in the middle, one for each direction, separated by a solid white line. A white van passes through with care.

The massive carriageway on the Westfield Avenue bridge (2 lanes + central hatching!) has already been narrowed by the arrival of materials presumably associated with the construction work. This, combined with hatching on the opposite side, reduces the road width to its final configuration of one traffic lane in each direction. This appears to have already led to a significant reduction in vehicle speeds at what was a real danger spot for people driving, and bodes well for improved safety on the whole corridor for all road users.

West Ham Park LTN

The planters have been installed at the point closures on Ham Park Road for this LTN which is going live on Monday 4th November, although the formal “no motor vehicles” signage has yet to be installed. Signage for the other two point closures on Vicarage Road and Tavistock Road will also need to be installed soon. (UPDATE 8 November: This was an error in the traffic order, the implementation date is now 25 November.)

You don’t need to stand on Ham Park Road long to see why this LTN is desperately needed! Even at 2pm on a Saturday when this photo was taken, large bursts of traffic were forcing their way through this narrow residential street from both the east and the west. We were somewhat concerned for the safety of a cat crossing the street (alas, not visible in the photo!) We look forward to this LTN coming into effect soon, for a safer West Ham Park for all cats (and humans.)

Two wooden planters at the side of a two lane street. A 4x4 speeds through the planters in one direction, while a white car prepares to turn through them in the other direction from a side road. A green "Road open to pedestrians, scooters, wheelchairs, cycles" sign is attached to the planter, but there's no formal "No motor vehicles" signage yet.

Greenway diversion

We are still waiting for the delivery of any measures at all to make the appalling Greenway diversion via Abbey Road safer. Our latest understanding is that speed cushions are imminent (a purchase order having supposedly been raised by Thames Water) and the ETMO to close Abbey Road to motor vehicles will be coming in late November (UPDATE: now cancelled because Newham Council chickened out) followed by permanent works to build out the south pavement to become a shared cycle track. We will post when we have more confirmed details. There is still no sign of permanent signage for the diversion, with portable temporary signage still in use and still regularly going missing.

A pavement under a bridge, with 'low bridge' janglers on a gantry. The pavement is narrowed by a storage unit. In the foreground, a "CYCLISTS DISMOUNT" sign stands on an a-stand, obstructing the pavement.

New “cyclists dismount” signage has appeared on the shared pavement under the bridge, which has been narrowed… by Thames Water’s own storage unit. “Cyclists dismount” signs are generally not helpful and should only be used as a last resort—they do little more than tell people cycling they’re unwelcome, and many people ignore them. They are also not inclusive of Disabled cyclists using cycles as mobility aids, who may not be able to easily dismount.

We feel this dismounted section can be avoided by extending the traffic light phase for the pedestrian crossing, sending cyclists on this phase through the section of carriageway under the bridge. This is eminently achievable, but requires Thames Water and Newham to collaborate on traffic light phasing, signage, and road markings that work.

Greenway users have now been exposed to over 6 weeks of unacceptable danger, all of which would have been avoided had Thames Water planned their works properly and not closed the Greenway until the diversion was kid-safe.

We continue to encourage you to complain to Thames Water, quoting ref BB00472913 and cc’ing both us at newham@lcc.org.uk and your councillors.

Beckton

Work around Beckton station is continuing. The priority pedestrian and cycling crossing on the Frobisher Road arm of the roundabout (into the Asda car park) is now available for use. Drivers leaving the roundabout are generally respecting the priority of people walking and cycling here. It remains to be seen how this develops with time as the scheme nears completion and the volume of cyclists increases.

A parallel pedestrian and cycle crossing connecting a pavement and a cycle track. A driver waits patiently for three people to walk across.

The connection with the Beckton Corridor route is closed for resurfacing. The traffic lights across the bus station are largely complete, although they’re not turned on yet. There’s an unusual detail of the cycle part of this crossing being separately marked as if it were a parallel crossing, although the traffic lights suggest a shared toucan crossing. The cycle part also uses non standard pedestrian “stud” markings, rather than the “elephants’ footprints” that are generally used in this country to mark a cycle crossing.

A wide crossing currently controlled by temporary lights. The markings almost look like two pedestrian crossings next to each other.

Royal Docks Corridor

This scheme is now well underway with work visible on site throughout the entire corridor from Canning Town to Connaught Roundabout. Kerblines have begun to appear on North Woolwich Road near Pontoon Dock, and the junctions are progressing nicely.

Extra work is now happening on the previously-opened eastbound cycle track near the Oasis Academy and petrol station at West Silvertown. The planting is generally in, although not looking as verdant as Romford Road just yet. Junctions south of the viaduct are still largely on temporary traffic lights.

Looking through HERAS fencing with an elevated viaduct in the background: a pavement is being reconstructed with kerbing for a protected cycle lane visible adjacent to it.
An eye-level traffic light for cycling, covered in orange plastic. The cycle crossing ahead is adjacent to a pedestrian crossing, and sweeps around a rain garden onto a bridge. The London Cable Car is visible in the background.
A with-flow protected cycle track protected from the carriageway by rain gardens runs towards the camera, following an elevated railway viaduct around. On the opposite side, the cycle track is obstructed by hoarding. On the near side, the rain gardens create a pocket for motorists to wait in after giving way to the cycle track.

Some value engineering is evident on the Silvertown Way viaduct, where the original plans for a fully stepped cycle track have been replaced by a semi-protected painted cycle lane with kerbs at intervals. The kerbed dividers seem sufficiently bulky that it seems unlikely people will be tempted to speed and risk crashing into them, but it remains to be seen whether drivers end up invading these lanes and parking in them.

A painted with-flow cycle lane on a viaduct, protected by rounded kerbs (each containing a single wand) at intervals. We're at a 'T' junction controlled by temporary traffic lights. A bus stop bypass is visible in the distance.

Work on the northern end near Canning Town station and the connection with Cycleway 3 seems largely complete, albeit not including the more direct crossing of Cycleway 3 across Canning Town Roundabout which we suspect may come as part of a later scheme.

Tidal Basin Roundabout

Work appears largely complete at the new Tidal Basin Roundabout, although the new shared pedestrian and cycle crossings are still mostly closed off.

A wide kidney bean-shaped with barricades along the edges, where lanes branch off to go into a tunnel. The Millennium Dome looms ominously in the background.
A nearside view of the same roundabout. A wide pedestrian and cycle path bisects the "bear's pit" of the roundabout, terminating in a shared crossing on the near side. A car speeds along the road at the point of this crossing. On the other side, a 2-way cycle track runs into the tactile paving at the near side of the toucan crossing.

This scheme is primarily to accommodate the enormous volumes of traffic which are likely to use the new Silvertown Tunnel, an urban motorway project which we have consistently opposed. Even with the new greenery, you only need to look at the wide, sweeping traffic lanes to see who the roundabout and tunnel are really designed for: heavy lorries, and large volumes of private cars. People walking and cycling will be expected to wait up to 5 times to cross this massive new incarnation of the roundabout, adding further delay and encouraging risk-taking on journeys to City Hall, Dock Road, and the proposed new housing at Thames Wharf.

It remains to be seen how this operates in practice. We remain deeply sceptical that the Silvertown Tunnel project will achieve its stated aims, and think it will be seen as an historic planning failure like the vestiges of the Ringway scheme from the 1960s. This roundabout, which expects those without a car to dance between traffic islands, is only part of that legacy.

Bow Roundabout

Work on this scheme has begun and will continue for some months. The usual “cycle gate” arrangement for Cycleway 2 at Bow Roundabout continues on temporary traffic lights.

Temporary cycle traffic lights turning amber into a cycle reservoir/cycle gate, which is red. An ominous flyover looms to the right.

We were not consulted on this scheme, which is—yet again—a mitigation for the Silvertown Tunnel, and was forced through by TfL as part of the development consent order. The first we learned it was happening was when the advance warning signs went up, and when Diamond Geezer shared the residents’ letter he had received. We had to raise a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain the designs, which we present below.

Bow Roundabout Silvertown Tunnel mitigation works combinedDownload

The effect will be to add an additional traffic lane on one side of the roundabout, create an additional eastbound lane for traffic leaving the roundabout onto Stratford High Street, create an additional westbound lane for traffic entering the roundabout from High Street, reverse the direction of the connecting lane under the flyover, and cut back the contraflow lane so that uses this connection to join the main westbound carriageway to go around the roundabout.

TfL declined to assess the new layout under their Cycling Level of Service or Judgment Assessment tools, because (cf. the FOI response) “the decision to separate cyclists from traffic at this location has already been established here and the route is a Cycleway.” We find this logic questionable:

  • The creation of additional lanes (and indeed this scheme being hurried through using the DCO before the Tunnel opens) suggests TfL believes traffic volumes will increase here.
  • CS2 eastbound is not physically separated from general traffic here. There is an existing issue where the painted lane is blocked by parked cars, forcing cyclists to merge into motor traffic that’s accelerating off the roundabout.
  • This issue will be compounded in the new layout by increased traffic volumes, the overwhelming majority of which will be through traffic, whose drivers may see the motorway-type design as an invitation to speed…
  • and by the new merge movement just west of Cooks Road, which runs the risk of drivers in the left-hand lane swerving into the cycle lane to avoid a collision with another vehicle merging from the right. While curtailing the contraflow lane is very welcome and will reduce the risk of motorists colliding head-on, we question why a new eastbound lane on High Street for the approx 60 yards before it merges into the first lane was considered necessary.

We will be monitoring this new layout very closely when it goes live, and won’t hesitate to hold TfL to account for any necessary mitigations to ensure the safety of people walking and cycling.

A wide pavement with a van parked on it facing traffic. The carriageway, narrowed by works, features 1 traffic lane and 1 painted cycle lane. A Next lorry and a bus thunder past. The cycle lane doesn't look especially safe or attractive, particularly with Bow Flyover looming over it ominously.
This is where 2 general traffic lanes off the roundabout will become 1—which may make the painted lane feel even more vulnerable than it currently is.

It’s frustrating this was not used as an opportunity to remove the outdated and hostile Bow Roundabout and flyover entirely. Instead (to paraphrase Diamond Geezer, when the now-mothballed Bow Vision was first mooted almost a decade ago) we have yet more sticking plasters across a dysfunctional junction, impeding the progress of road traffic without truly liberating other road users.

Other news from Newham

A pedestrian was killed in an appalling crash on Barking Road on the afternoon of Tuesday 15 October, when a Nissan Juke mounted the pavement at speed. The police are seeking witnesses and video. The person who died was Maryam Nabil Shuwey, from Stratford, who was just 18. Our deepest condolences to her family and friends.

The new Carpenters Estate entrance to Stratford Station has been formally opened, along with its new cycle racks, having been quietly available for use since July. This replaces a Network Rail car park.

The new series of BBC1’s Ambulance was partly filmed at London Ambulance Service’s control room at Dockside earlier this year, and features locations and events many will recognise (including the fire at Forest Gate police station.)

The Romford Road cycle track’s new planting helped inspire a firefighter to rejuvenate Stratford Fire Station’s own garden space. He was interviewed recently on Gardeners’ Question Time on BBC Radio 4. We think the rain garden past the fire station makes it one of the loveliest cycle lanes in Newham.

A person in a red top cycling east on a with-flow stepped cycle track, protected from passing cars. In the foreground, a rain garden with asters, grasses, and other purple flowers is visible and in full bloom.

Other news across London…

While Newham Cyclists focuses on Newham, your cycle knows no bounds and many of our journeys start and finish outside our borough. Here’s some news from our neighbours that may be of interest…

Keeping track of the many ongoing projects in Newham is a lot of work for our committee and volunteers. If you live or work near one of these sites, we’d really appreciate it if you would volunteer to tell us when things make progress. Email newham@lcc.org.uk or join our discussion group if you can help us, or want to get involved in our campaigning.

Update on the Greenway closure – 5th October

Finally there is some movement on the ETO, which will reduce traffic on Abbey Road. But the process will take some weeks. In the meantime we must keep the pressure on in order to achieve safety for all Greenway users.

Many thanks to all those who attend our meeting on Monday 30th September, where we presented the latest plans for Abbey Road from Newham Council. We shared your feedback and questions about the Greenway Diversion with Newham Council and Thames Water.

We were able to meet with Newham Council on Friday 4th October, and we received another update. We present the latest information below.

Update from Newham Council on Abbey Road

In order to make Abbey Road safe for cyclists and pedestrians, Newham Council are progressing 4 projects in parallel:

  1. Traffic calming – signs and speed cushions will be added to Abbey Road ‘in the next 5 days’. Cycle-friendly sinusoidal humps were investigated, but found not to be feasible on the bridge for engineering reasons.
  2. Experimental traffic order (ETO)– this will prohibit motor vehicles from using Abbey Road for the extent of the weight limit. This process takes time—emergency services need to be consulted and any concerns they have need to be addressed. The initial letter was issued on 2nd October, with responses required by 9th October. The earliest possible date that the ETO could be implemented and Abbey Road closed to general traffic is 31st October.
  3. Engineering works to provide cycling infrastructure – whilst the ETO is in place, the southern pavement on Abbey Road would be extended to 4m to provide a two way cycle route, with the northern pavement reserved for pedestrians. A single lane would be available for motor traffic, which would be one-way or two-way with a signalised shuttle. The likely timescale for this work is 3-6 months.
  4. Investigating an alternative diversion via Crows Road – there are discussions taking place, but no firm proposals as yet.

Our thoughts on the above:

  1. We feel that traffic calming on its own is an ineffective solution, but we understand that this is a temporary measure until the ETO is introduced, and many people have asked about ‘do not overtake cyclists’ signs as an interim measure. We raised the issue that speed cushions often nudge cyclists into riding too close to the kerb while encouraging drivers to straddle the cushions, making close passes more likely. We suggested an alternative implementation with half-cushions on the sides and full size cushions in the centre, inspired by the cycle street treatment on Vauxhall Street. We suspect it may be too late for our alternative to be considered, but we shall see.
  2. We have been campaigning for traffic reduction on Abbey Road whilst the Greenway diversion is in place, and we are delighted that the first steps have been taken. The ETO should be introduced as soon as legally possible in order to protect cyclists and pedestrians on Abbey Road.
  3. The proposed widened shared footway would be a safe and acceptable solution, but we are concerned about the optics of installing an expensive cycling scheme that is ripped out again in 18 months. We asked if it would be cheaper to extend the ETO for the full time that the Greenway diversion is in place.
  4. The alternative diversion via Crows Road has potential to be a great – and permanent? – cycle route, but we have no firm proposals to comment on yet.

Communication from Thames Water

Thames Water (TW) have issued a statement about the diversion, which we received on 4th October. This is summarised below.

  1. TW will be advising cyclists to use the Channelsea ramp and toucan crossing to avoid the right turn out of Canning Road.
  2. TW are sharing an alternative diversion route via Bridge Road.
  3. TW are committing to funding traffic calming measures suggested by Newham
  4. TW will change the existing diversion signage to signage attached to existing site furniture.

Our thoughts on the above:

  1. We previously advised TW that we have seen people crossing Abbey Road at the Channelsea ramp crossing. Whilst this avoids the blind corner at Canning Road, it means spending longer on Abbey Road, amongst fast moving traffic. We have also observed that some cyclists who join using the crossing then receive a punishment pass for their trouble, as some drivers perceive them as having ‘jumped the queue’. In addition, several people have raised concerns with us about drivers jumping the red lights at this crossing.
  2. We previously advised TW that the Bridge Road route is a good option for people going to Stratford, Leyton and other destinations to the east, and many people are already using this. However it adds considerable extra journey time (in the order of 10 mins) for those joining Cycleway 2 towards central London, and can almost double journey times for people accessing Pudding Mill Lane, the Olympic Park and Victoria Park. This includes the families with children who have contacted us. We also note that the Bridge Road route has a number of obstructions that make it unfit for large volumes of cyclists (the traffic on the Greenway was last measured as 3,200 cyclists per day prior to the closure, according to Newham Council). We feel that Thames Water should be funding improvements such as widening and barrier removal to the Bridge Road route if they are recommending it as a diversion.
  3. We note that on 20th September, TW wrote to Sir Stephen Timms MP as follows: “In the meantime, we are taking some short-term actions to alleviate the problem:
    • Additional time added on traffic lights under the bridge
    • Additional signage making it clear there should be no overtaking cyclists and the road is joint use (the Manor Road signs are in place and Abbey road will be added next week as specialist signs to fit the lampposts were needed)
    • Signage will be added on Canning Road and the give way line will be reinstated as it is currently faded
    • Improving the lighting under the bridge
    • Next week we will be upgrading the crossing points to include tactile paving and wider ramps.” As of 4th October, none of this work has been completed and we asked TW about this on 26th September and 1st October. They responded with the communication above.
  4. Again, Thames Water said they would add semi-permanently attached signage w/c 23rd September, but there has been no movement on this to date (supposedly due to issues sourcing ‘specialist signage.’)

Our position remains that Thames Water should not have closed the Greenway until the ETO was in place.

All the measures that Thames Water say they are taking now are things that should have been organised and ready before the Greenway was closed to walking and cycling—particularly for an 18-month diversion where the closure was supposedly months in the planning. Even so, they are nowhere near sufficient to make the diversion safe for people walking and cycling, particularly during the school year.

This lack of forward planning by Thames Water has created considerable danger to which users of the Greenway have now been exposed for over 3 weeks, and will continue to experience for at least another 3 weeks due to the nature of the ETO process. We find this wholly unacceptable, and believe it was avoidable.

Manor Road

We have contacted Thames Water and Newham Council about your feedback on Manor Road. In particular you raised the issue of Manor Road pavements, which cyclists are directed onto, but these are not marked as shared use and pedestrians are understandably frustrated when they encounter cyclists. We have asked for this to be remodelled. Also you commented that the spadefuls of tarmac used to provide access to the pavements for cyclists are very narrow. We asked for these to be replaced with standard dropped kerbs.

The pedestrians/cyclists conflict has also worsened because Thames Water have narrowed the shared use pavement on Manor Road by constructing a storage unit on the pavement:

On 3rd October, Thames water told us that “The Manor Road crossing positioning will be altered following feedback from Newham – this has led to a slight delay as new traffic management plans are drawn up.” We look forward to a resolution of this issue.

Further feedback from Greenway users

This is another selection of some of the feedback we have received. We have tried to credit the people who provided it where we can—please let us know if this is your feedback and you would like your name added (or removed.)

We have also been contacted by Joyriders, who run weekly cycle sessions for teenagers who are inpatients at the mental health unit at Newham University Hospital. Their sessions are now “severely impacted” as going to the Olympic Park was one of their main routes, and Abbey Road “isn’t even an option at all!”.

Rode on the pavement as after a car overtook me at speed I decided it wasn’t worth my life to be on the road. — easthammerithome, via Instagram

I’m not able to use the greenway currently while diversion is so bad, & it’s my route to work. Come on @NewhamLondon when will there be some action on the ETO? —@helencbaron via Twitter

Thank you for your work on this. It’s so dangerous. Everytime I’ve used it I’ve been overtaken by a car on the blind hill. —@cattleprod via Twitter

The diversion onto Abbey Road is a death trap. I fear for my life everyday and have been trying hard to find another diversion that is safer. There is nothing. Abbey Road MUST be closed to cars or the Greenway is opened again. Sadly, it will only be a matter of time before there is a serious accident 🙁 —@NewMobile-p1q via Youtube

Was almost hit twice just cycling over the bridge in the rain! This really needs to be addressed urgently before someone is killed. —sophieabreu via Instagram

There’s inconvenience, and there’s real risk of injury or death. Cars get one, bikes get the other. —@Moondoox_ via Youtube

What you can do

We encourage you to complain to Thames Water quoting ref BB00472913, and copy your local councillors in too (find out who they are here.) They finally appear to be waking up to the risk of reputational damage to themselves and their contractors from the poorly-managed closure of the Greenway. We need to keep the pressure on, because we think they can and should be doing more than they are. The more people tell Thames Water how this is affecting their day-to-day lives, the stronger our voice is.

Please continue to share your pictures, videos, and stories with us at  newham@lcc.org.uk or on Instagram and Twitter/X.

If you feel comfortable doing so, you should report any crashes or near misses on the diversion route to the Police within 24 hours. This way they’ll show up in the collision statistics.

Thank you for raising your concerns with elected representatives. Two elected representatives were present at our meeting with Newham Council, and they spoke about the very powerful stories that they had received from local residents. Sir Stephen Timms MP and Uma Kumaran MP have also emailed Newham Council about the correspondence that they had received from constituents.

What needs to happen now

  • Newham Council needs to complete the delivery of the ETO to close the Abbey Road bridge to motor traffic. We expect them to make sure this happens as soon as is legally possible, i.e. by 31st October.
  • Thames Water needs to pay Newham Council’s expenses in making the Abbey Road diversion safe for walking and cycling. Agreeing to fund traffic calming on Abbey Road is better than nothing, but it’s nowhere near enough to make the diversion safe. TW should also contribute to the capital cost of advertising the ETO, installing enforcement cameras, and any longer-term solution such as cycling infrastructure on the bridge or a diversion via Crows Road.
  • Going forward, Thames Water needs to recognise the importance of the Greenway to the community and change their processes so that nothing like this happens in future years. We have been frustrated that Thames Water appears to treat the Greenway as an amenity, i.e. a “nice to have,” rather than as public infrastructure that is as important to people’s daily business as the sewer pipes running underneath it.

Update on the Greenway closure – 22nd September

We are frustrated by the apparent lack of progress on making Abbey Road, the most dangerous part of the Greenway diversion, safe for people walking and cycling. The result is that Thames Water’s closure of the Greenway is continuing to put local residents in danger on their day-to-day journeys.

Heavy car traffic on a 2-lane road with a narrow pavement on the downwards slope of a bridge. A person cycles away from camera on the narrow pavement wearing a high visibility vest.

A massive thank you to everyone who has shared pictures, videos, and stories of the Greenway diversion since we posted our statement last Monday. Please keep them coming to newham@lcc.org.uk or on Instagram and Twitter/X.

We have had a record amount of feedback about the closure. People are upset and angry that their safe route to work, school, or the park has been taken away, and that daily travel for them and their families is now unacceptably dangerous.

We are passing your feedback onto Newham Council and Thames Water to pressure them into taking action without delay.

We encourage you to write to your councillors (find out who they are here) and to complain to Thames Water too (quote ref BB00472913.) The more people tell them how this is affecting their day-to-day lives, the stronger our voice is.

If you feel comfortable doing so, you should report any crashes, or near misses caused by drivers, to the Police within 24 hours. This way they’ll show up in the collision statistics.

We also invite everyone affected by the Greenway closure to our next meeting, where we will be discussing progress and our next steps. It will be at 7:30pm on Monday 30th September, at Forest Lane Lodge, Magpie Close, E7 9DE.

Our YouTube video showing the dangerous situation on the Greenway

Feedback we have received

This is just a selection of some of the feedback we have received. We have tried to credit the people who provided it where we can—please let us know if this is your feedback and you would like your name added (or removed.)

It was chaos this morning and the route is not safe. I had a 4×4 keeping at me over the bridge which then decided to overtake me on the bridge and beep her horn at me. —Kulsum, via Instagram

I was overtaken by a car who nearly crashed into the oncoming car on the bridge with my 6 year old on the back of my bike – we were both terrified —Anne Marie, via Instagram

I used the diversion today – not safe. —@SairaSundar, via Twitter

The crossing at the bottom of the West Ham exit is LETHAL! —Ben, via Instagram

This happened just yesterday morning with a car overtaking me and other cyclists on the blind hill which caused a car and bike coming the other way over the hill to brake sharply to avoid a crash. —Rachel, via email

We went in the pavement, my kids were nearly thrown on the road as there were pedestrians and it was narrow —a local mother with 2 children, via email

Then at the bottom right into i think Leywick Street is simply suicidal. I saw two cyclists nearly got run over. I cycled on the pavement. —@Emilybronte53 via Twitter

this [is] impacting the daily commute of NewhamHospital staff. It’s disappointing the closure was not delayed to help get alternative route safe. This was great route for new cyclists. —@CatrionaRowland via Twitter

Changes made on Manor Road

We are pleased that a small change has been made to the signage on Manor Road. People cycling west are now routed onto the shared pavement under the bridge, rather than to cross the road and ride on a narrow strip of kerbline. While a shared pavement is never a perfect solution, this should prevent near misses like those where people have fallen from their bikes on Manor Road. While this change should have been made before the diversion went live, it’s better late than never.

Lighting is also being improved under the bridge, which is welcome.

We understand some changes are coming in the next week to add tactile paving to the crossing of Manor Road. This is welcome, but should also have been in place prior to the closure.

Abbey Road is still abysmal

Abbey Road remains the worst and most dangerous part of the diversion, and we are frustrated to see no apparent movement on a safe solution for this part. Abbey Road is not part of the strategic road network. It cannot carry buses or heavy freight due to a 7.5t weight limit.

Car and van traffic on the road. Two people cycle past each other in opposite directions on the narrow pavement, including a delivery cyclist on a bright yellow cargo bike.
A 4x4 and saloon car follow two people cycling uphill.
A long queue of cars comes towards camera. A Lexus begins to overtake a gentleman cycling dangerously closely.
A gentleman cycles on the carriageway, putting a lot of effort in to climb the slope. Lots of traffic heads away from the camera. One lady with a basket and a flower motif on her bag cycles towards camera on the pavement.
Some shots from Abbey Road on a Thursday rush hour. We have chosen to cover the faces of people cycling on the pavement. While it’s technically illegal, we don’t blame people for keeping themselves safe from impatient drivers.

Our view remains that an experimental traffic order (ETO) to close the bridge to motor traffic should be made without delay. The drivers who use Abbey Road would be better making a short detour via West Ham Lane, which is a main road and can accommodate large volumes of traffic more effectively and safely. Emergency vehicles, of course, would still be welcome to use Abbey Road.

Our position remains that Thames Water should not have closed the Greenway until the ETO was in place. If, for whatever reason, an ETO is going to take more than a week from today, Thames Water should pause their works, move their equipment out of the way, and re-open the Greenway until Abbey Road can be made safe.

Press & other attention

Ross Lydall wrote an excellent article for the Standard expressing our serious safety concerns about the Greenway closure. He also quotes Zack Polanski AM, who said on Twitter/X: “I’ve found Abbey Road really difficult the last couple of days and I’m a relatively experienced cyclist.”

We have also provided images for the next issue of Newham Voices.

We were very pleased to have the support of two of our local MPs, Sir Stephen Timms and Uma Kumaran, who have written to Newham Council to ask for an update on the application for the ETO.

Sir Stephen also wrote to Thames Water to pass on our concerns. The response he received, and passed on to us, claimed inexplicably that “there are no immediate and straightforward options available.” We don’t agree with this: an ETO is eminently feasible, as was delaying the start of the works until the ETO was in place.

Instead, Thames Water claim they are taking some “short term actions” to alleviate the problem, including… “Additional signage making it clear there should be no overtaking cyclists and the road is joint use.” This will not make any meaningful difference. Signs will not change the fact that Abbey Road is completely unsafe; in our experience, impatient drivers will simply ignore a sign that says “DO NOT OVERTAKE CYCLISTS.”

Thames Water also claim in their response to Sir Stephen that “The safety of everyone is our number one priority when it comes to carrying out any of our operations…” Our position is unchanged: if safety truly was their number one priority, Thames Water would have, as we asked, delayed the start of the structural works until the diversion via Abbey Road was to an acceptable standard. They declined to do this.

What needs to happen now

Newham Council urgently needs to make an ETO to close the Abbey Road bridge to motor traffic. This needs to happen without delay, within a matter of days, not weeks.

Going forward, Thames Water and Newham Council need to fix their processes so that nothing like this is allowed to happen again.