Infrastructure
for environment and the public realm, says: “We want cycling to be for the many, not the few – the natural choice for getting from A to B – with people from all over Southwark, of all ages, abilities and backgrounds able to cycle an attractive, quiet route that does not involve sharing the road with large vehicles or fast moving traffic. “We have already delivered a number of projects, many in partnership with Transport for London and the local community, to create better streets for walking and cycling.” The council is also investing in schemes to help provide people with the skill and knowledge needed to allow them to get around on bike or on foot. And it is looking at ways to diversify and get more women, along with older and disabled people, to start cycling. Over in Rotherhithe, a massive project to increase the number of cyclists and walkers – and ease journeys for crammed commuters – recently received a boost from London mayor Sadiq Khan. The idea of a bridge from Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf has been on the backburner for almost a decade, after first being mooted by Sustrans, a charity that aims to promote sustainable transport for all. Its idea for the Rotherhithe southwarkmagazine.com
Bridge was halted because of the economic downturn but was picked up again in recent years. The aim was to provide a key link between Rotherhithe, with its increasing number of residents, and the evergrowing Canary Wharf, while easing pressure for commuters on the often packed Jubilee line. Khan says he would “accelerate” plans for the bridge, which could see it open by 2020 as part of a commitment to “greener, public transport-focused crossings”. Matt Winfield, deputy director of Sustrans, says that although it initially developed the idea, Sustrans is now keen to work alongside TfL and the mayor in order to make it happen. “It’s a project too big for us to deliver, so it’s now up to TfL and the mayor,” he says While strides are being made in Southwark to ensure a healthier and greener mode of transport becomes the norm, long awaited improvements to London Bridge station are also now finally visible. On the August bank holiday, the first section of a huge new concourse opened, giving passengers a glimpse of things to come at Britain’s oldest surviving train station. It is built underneath the existing railway as part of
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