Transport for London (TfL) has completed major improvement works on the roads around Hammersmith gyratory, unlocking a 5 kilometre cycleway from Kew Bridge to Hammersmith.
The changes aim to make it easier and safer to walk and cycle around the Hammersmith gyratory, one of London’s most intimidating junctions. This will hopefully encourage more people to walk, cycle and potentially even to use public transport in the area.
Julie Lewington, Head of Projects & Programmes at TfL, said:Walking and cycling are absolutely essential to a more sustainable future for London and we know that there has been huge demand for cycling since the start of the pandemic. We're determined to ensure that all Londoners have access to safe cycling routes and the changes at Hammersmith gyratory will make a big difference to people walking and cycling through this key artery in west London. We'll continue to work with the capital's boroughs to make the case for more investment in schemes like these which enable more people to walk and cycle.
TfL has implemented several key changes to construct the cycleway in partnership with Hammersmith & Fulham Council:
- A protected two-way cycle track on the north side of Hammersmith gyratory
- Cyclist signals at junctions to separate cyclists and motor vehicles
- Improvements for pedestrian safety at all junctions with side roads
- New pedestrian crossing signals with countdowns at the crossings of King Street, Beadon Road, Shepherd’s Bush Road, Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith Road and Butterwick
- A new parallel crossing at the Butterwick junction to allow westbound cyclists to join the two-way cycle track
Improvements to cycling infrastructure are essential to realising TfL’s Vision Zero goal of eliminating death and serious injury on London roads.
Recent cycle counts from 12 October 2021 counted 2,844 people cycling between 0700–1900 on the Hammersmith gyratory, showing that thousands of people will benefit from the new infrastructure each day.
Ridership on TfL’s Santander Cycles hire scheme also continues to grow, reflecting the huge increase in cycling across London. The scheme recorded the highest ever number of hires in May 2022 with more than 1.2 million rides.
