The link to respond to the consultation is here

A plan at last for segregated cycle lanes on Deptford Church Street (DCS), shown here by Lewisham Council .

If you’re short on time to read what’s below, you can find our group consultation response here.

We’ve already seen kids cycling to school on Jamaica Road (the Southwark section of Cycleway 4), with your support that could be coming to DCS?

The link to respond to the consultation is here

The proposals include a map detailing the scheme being brought forward. Whilst there are some compromises, the scheme proposed is a very good scheme overall which should be supported allowing for integration into existing routes (C4, C10 and Waterlink Way), but also allowing for possible future improvements.

There are some elements missing from the drawing, including the type of segregation to be used at certain points, which we’ve highlighted with red dots in the picture below.

We have been told by Lewisham Council that protection will be provided on these sections, but the type to be used is still to be confirmed.

So in Question 1, please tell them clearly you support this the scheme but want some additional features to be confirmed.

N.B. The survey only has one question followed by some standard equalities questions so should only take 5 minutes to complete.

In terms of key issues here are some things we think you could mention in your response to Question 1.

1. Say you’re fully supportive of protected cycle lanes along DCS.
2. Where not shown in the pictures, we think the segregated lanes should use either bolt down kerbs or wand orcas (locations shown by red dots in pic above above) a bit like these.

3. Encourage Lewisham to get started ASAP. And that you are looking forward to seeing designs for the next phase of cycle lanes through Deptford Broadway junction and onward down Brookmill Road. Connecting Lewisham Town Centre to Central London with protected cycle lanes.
4. Describe how the scheme will make your cycle journeys in, to and from Deptford much safer and more direct.
5. If you have kids mention that the segregated lanes will allow you to ride through Deptford safely with children.
6. Remark that the proposed plans should make DCS a much calmer and more attractive place for walking to Deptford market.
7. Say you would like to see filtering of Creekside to eliminate rat-running traffic through that residential area.

You’ll need to provide the first part of your postcode (e.g. SE13, SE8) as well.

We also think it’s important to mention your personal story. If you think it’ll enable you to access Cycleway 4 more, which means a fully protected cycle route into large swathes of central London, TELL THEM IN YOUR RESPONSE.

We think it’ll mean more pictures like this (see below), as the route will connect Deptford Broadway, and help provide a safe route to Trinity Laban Conservatoire, multiple schools, residential housing estates and Lewisham College.

Our overall objectives are to push Lewisham Council and Transport for London to build protected lanes from Deptford all the way south to Downham via Brookmill Road, Lewisham Gateway and the A21 (Molesworth Street, Lewisham High Street, Rushey Green, Catford Town Centre and Bromley Road. If you support this, TELL THEM IN YOUR RESPONSE.

The deadline to respond is midday on Tuesday 2 January 2024.

We also believe Creekside and Berthon Street should be closed to through motor traffic. At Berthon Street, pocket park or similar public realm could be provided here.

Doing this would reduce any left hook risks across the proposed cycleway, reduce through traffic on Creekside and also allow for a better public realm scheme outside the Bird’s Nest Pub, also provide more green time for pedestrians and cycle traffic. Buses would also potentially benefit from faster journey times.

Lewisham Cyclists note that while the Deptford Church Street is managed by Lewisham Council, while Berthon Street itself is managed by Royal Borough of Greenwich. We believe both councils should work together to deliver wider benefits for residents from sides of the borough border, but that these elements shouldn’t delay the delivery of a protected lane on DCS to start with.

Lewisham Cyclists have been campaigning for protected cycle lanes on Deptford Church Street for upwards of 7 years, whilst Tideway works have been taking place. It’s also also 7 years since Lewisham council last built protected cycle lanes (Cycleway 4 was built by TfL), a short 250 metre two way track on Edward Street as part of Cycleway 10. Now we have finally have a plan to connect Cycleway 4 (green line on map below & Cycleway 10 (purple line) to NCN21 Waterlink way (red line).

And finally, this is a small section of road in the north of the borough (orange arrow on map below), which forms part of our wider vision for a North-South Lewisham Spine Cycleway, shown in blue on map below.

If you support our ideas, please mention them in your response. If you think we’ve missed anything, then get in contact.

What is it?

Transport for London (TfL) are consulting on a new junction layout in Catford Town Centre, which in addition to removing the gyratory by re-routing it through the Laurence house car park, also includes a new protected 2 way cycle track on parts of Catford Road and Sangley Road, as well as 1 way protected cycle lanes on parts of A21 Rushey Green which connects Catford to Lewisham (pictured below).

The deadline for the consultation is Monday 5 June 2023 . You can Lewisham Cyclists’ full response to the consultation here . It’s quite long and detailed but covers a lot of the good bits and a lot of the issues with the scheme. In summary, we think it’s a big step forwards, but also missing a number of key issues which we talk about below. You may want to raise them in your own response. Scroll down for more.

It’s really important to get as many responses as possible to the council. The TfL consultation is here. You can respond by logging on the portal (you’ll need to register) or email your comments to haveyoursay@tfl.gov.uk

TfL are also holding a number of engagement events, details here and below.

25 May 2023. Public drop-in event, St George’s Church

16:00 – 19:30 St George’s Church, Vancouver Road, London SE23 2AG

03 June 2023. Public drop-in event, Catford Library

11:00 – 15:00 Catford Library, Catford Centre, Winslade Way, London SE6 4JU

Proposed consultation responses

The first few questions in the survey relate to your reasons for visiting Catford Town Centre and how you travel there. If you’re reading this, you’ve probably walked, cycled or used public transport there at some point if not driven through it. This is how we suggest you respond to the key questions that follow:

• Question 3. We would rank “easier access for cyclists” as top priority, followed by reducing road danger.
• Question 5. We think the facilities for cyclists would make it slightly better, and road safety slightly better too.
• Question 6. There’s a free text box to talk further about suggestions and comments. If you’re short on time, we’d ask you mention the following:
  • Provide fully protected cycle lanes on A21 Bromley Road & A21 Rushey Green in both directions for the full extents of the proposed scheme, with a term view to providing protected cycle lanes along A21 from Lewisham to Downham.
  • Provide a full CYCLOPS (Cycle Optimised Protected Signals) junction on all arms where A205 and A21 meet.
  • Extend 2 way cycle track on Catford Road westwards to connect to Halfords site, by bringing forward plans for the cantilevered cycle bridge as part of the first phase of future development, incorporated into this scheme.
  • Extend 2 way cycle track on Sangley Road eastwards to connect to Plassy Road using bus stop bypasses, by using land from Catford island and/or reallocating carriageway space where needed.
  • Install 20mph speed limit throughout the scheme extents
  • All proposed signalised crossings should be shared toucan crossings to allow cyclists to access town centre development.

If you support our response you can also say.

“I support the response from Lewisham Cyclists as found here https://tinyurl.com/Catford-Gyratory“

Our Summary

We welcome the overall principle of removing the gyratory which is hostile to cyclists, but have strong reservations about aspects of the new design. This is a once in a generation project and there are many examples of bike lanes stopping prematurely leaving people on bicycles stranded without segregated space. We believe these gaps need to be eradicated enabling people on bicycles to move throughout the junction’s footprint safely. Considering a number of newer junction designs have superseded this type, we do think a lot of questions remain unanswered.

Our other main concern is that the planned cantilevered bridge to provide safe space for cycling opposite the two stations should be provided as a first phase of the project and not designated as a second phase subject to further funding, which is the proposal.

A proposed refurbishment of the current underpass we feel is likely to be inadequate as a potential replacement for the cantilevered bridge and to us seems to relegate cyclists to a very poor experience. We’ve heard an estimate of the cost of works between £55 million and £60million and are convinced the new bridge should be funded from that budget. We also believe the A21 should have fully protected cycle lanes for it’s whole length between Lewisham and Downham.