Thames cycleway looks set to solve London cyclist vs. traffic war

Motorists and cyclists regularly battle for space on London’s congested roads, and in a city where everyone is usually in a rush to get to work, to home, to a meeting, to lunch, it makes sense that now a company is proposing a new ‘floating cycleway’ which would hover above the iconic river and take thousands of cyclists off of the roads.

In a project proposed by the River Cycleway Consortium, the ‘Thames Deckway’ would serve as a nearly 8-mile long cycling route leading from Canary Wharf all the way to Battersea. Without any traffic lights or congestion to hold them up, cyclists could cycle the entire length in around half an hour.

Designed primarily for commuters, the deckway will also be used by leisure cyclists and pedestrians for a quick route along the scenic River Thames. If plans are approved and go ahead, London could see the cycleway in place within the next two years.

Users are to be charged a very reasonable £1.50 to use the cycleway, in order to cover upkeep and maintenance costs. The path’s lights and refreshment kiosks would be powered entirely using solar, tide and wind – sustainable sources of energy.

With this new proposal, River Cycleway Consortium are challenging London’s city planners to think outside the box in order to reduce the traffic-related issues within the capital. Motorists and cyclists waging a war on the roads is one thing but congestion and pollution are also issues which could be addressed using some innovative thinking and plans.

Just last month, London’s mayor, Boris Johnson, revealed a ‘crossrail for bikes’ plan which saw two new urban cycleways linking to other routes at the cost of £47 million. An 18-mile east to west route covering barking to Acton, and then another three-mile long Elephant and Castle to King’s Cross route would link together. Scheduled to open in March 2016, these cycleways mean the incident rates between motorists and cyclists should decline dramatically on London’s busy roads.