Safety agents challenge Ealing Council and TfL over decision to remove West Ealing protected cycle lane – EALING.NEWS – The Voice of Ealing 7 towns

Cycle safety campaigners have raised concerns about who was responsible for the decision to remove the protected cycle lane from the West Ealing Liveable Neighborhood scheme.

Make Uxbridge Road Safe! sent an FOI request to Ealing Council and TfL to find out and were told the council claims it is TfL and TfL claims it is the council.

Concerns about the safety of cyclists have been around for many years. In October 2017, Claudia Manera was killed when she was knocked off her bike by a lorry driver near Lido Junction in West Ealing.

Road traffic incidents have still occurred since then, one recently in February 2024 where a pedestrian and a vehicle were involved in a collision near the Lido junction.

Speaking to EALING.NEWS, Andy Hillier, co-founder of Make Uxbridge Road Safe! said: “We are determined to understand when and why plans for a protected cycleway were removed from the West Ealing plans. Before the pandemic, the council told us that upgrading the cycle junction was a high priority of the Liveable Neighborhood scheme following the tragic death of Claudia Manera. We were even given assurances by Julian Bell, the leader of the council at the time.”

Mr Hillier added: “We have now been told by Sustrans, who are running the consultation process, that plans for a protected cycle route have been scrapped at the request of Transport for London due to concerns about bus delays.

“However, TfL’s response to our FoI inquiry makes no reference to concerns about bus delays. Instead, Ealing Council is said to have called for cycle lanes to be removed, saying the council wanted to “progress a minimal option”.

“We have requested a meeting with the council and Sustrans to better understand the decision-making process and to establish how they intend to take the proposals forward given the strong opposition.”

EALING.NEWS has contacted both Ealing Council and TfL.

A TfL spokesperson told EALING.NEWS: “Safety is our top priority and we are determined to make sure people can cycle safely too. Cycle lanes on Broadway have never been part of the West Ealing Liveable Neighbourhood.”

They added: “The option was explored at an early stage by Ealing Council, who run the scheme, however, following a robust feasibility assessment, they decided not to include it in the proposed scheme. Separate cycle facilities are proposed along Leeland Terrace and Singapore Road, providing cyclists along routes parallel to Broadway.”

Speaking to EALING.NEWS, a spokesperson for Ealing Council said: “The council used Transport for London data to look at what the impact of introducing a new separated cycle lane on Broadway would be. The data showed that this could only be achieved by removing the bus lane, which would result in a slower bus journey time.

The spokesman added: “We aim to balance the needs of all road users, including those using public transport, so instead two new separate cycle routes have been proposed on the quieter roads parallel to Broadway as part of the Live West Ealing scheme. “