Boris Johnson to urgently review Bow roundabout after double cyclist tragedy
Boris Johnson has agreed to conduct an urgent safety review of Bow roundabout following the death of two cyclists there in three weeks.
The mayor of London has promised a review into all four cycle superhighways in the capital, which would include the East End junction.
A week ago on Friday a 34-year-old Ukrainian woman was killed at the roundabout after colliding with a tipper truck.
Less than a month earlier, 58-year-old cyclist Brian Dorling was killed in the same area after being struck by a lorry.
Protest group the London Cycling Campaign says it warned the mayor and TfL about the “woefully inadequate design” of the junction – which is part of one of Mr Johnson’s flagship Cycle Superhighway routes – last year.
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Labour London Assembly member John Biggs had an emergency meeting with the mayor on Thursday.
Mr Biggs, who has campaigned about the roundabout for two years, said: “It is important that they look into this as a matter of urgency. All parties need to work together to find a solution and do all we can to avoid any more tragedies on our roads.”
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Lutfur Rahman, mayor of Tower Hamlets, is now also calling on Mr Johnson to take “immediate action”.
The council had also brought up safety issues at the spot before the deaths, he said.
Mr Rahman added: “In discussions with Transport for London our safer alternatives at Bow Roundabout were rejected on the grounds of traffic capacity.”
Kulveer Ranger, director of environment, said there would be a “commitment from TfL to review all major schemes planned on TfL roads as well as to review all the junctions on the existing cycle superhighways.”
He added: “That work will include an assessment of Bow roundabout, which TfL have been asked to report back to the mayor on as a matter of urgency.”
On Friday a candle-lit vigil organised by London cycling groups was held close to where the cyclists were killed.
