The London Assembly member representing the East End has welcomed the decision by Transport for London to make a Mile End junction safer for cyclists.

John Biggs, Labour assembly member for City and East London, has welcomed the announcement by TfL last week that work to improve the junction between Mile End Road and Burdett Road is expected to begin this autumn.

It is among 50 junctions across London to be improved within the next 18 months.

Proposals for improvements include widening junctions for cyclists, creating more segregated cycle lanes, and installing ‘early start’ traffic signals to allow cyclists to move through the junction ahead of other traffic.

Mr Biggs said “I’m pleased TfL are investing in cyclists’ safety, these improvements will make the junctions safer for cyclists, who can be vulnerable on the roads.

“I particularly welcome the promise of early action at Burdett Road, where I have been urging safety improvements for years.

“There is the related serious issue with pedestrian safety, particularly with growing numbers of pedestrians visiting new developments in the area.

“I’ll be taking a keen interest in the proposals and challenging TfL to make sure they get them right.”

The announcement follows changes to Bow Roundabout, including an early start traffic light for cyclists, which had to be re-positioned after it was reported to cause confusion about where to stop.

Mr Biggs said: “I hope we’ve learnt from Bow Roundabout, where of course the job is still only half-done. There are many other risky junctions in the East End.”

The 50 junctions are the first phase of 100 priority junctions across the capital being re-designed. It comes after hundreds of accident blackspots were reviewed by Transport for London.