TfL announces plans to make walking and cycling at Lambeth Bridge safer and easier

05 March 2020
TfL has confirmed its commitment to the project and will continue to engage with the local community ahead of construction work
"Our plans will transform Lambeth Bridge and the currently intimidating junctions at either end of it to make it easier, safer and more secure to walk and cycle"
Will Norman
London's Walking and Cycling Commissioner

TfL has announced the next steps for plans to transform both Lambeth Bridge and its northern and southern roundabouts for walking and cycling, making it easier and safer to cross the river on foot and by bike.

The bridge is a vital link for thousands of journeys in the area and across the capital every day, enabling people to travel around Lambeth, Westminster and beyond.

The bridge currently has a roundabout at both ends, and both these and the bridge itself are an intimidating environment for people walking and cycling.

Construction work will remove both roundabouts, converting them into crossroad junctions, with traffic signals and signalised pedestrian crossings.

At each junction, dedicated space will be given for people cycling and wider footways will create more space for people walking.

Engagement with local community

TfL has made changes to its plans in response to feedback from its public consultation into the scheme.

Retaining the right turn from Millbank onto Lambeth Bridge for northbound vehicles at all times of day, and the left turn from Millbank onto Lambeth Bridge for southbound vehicles, will reduce the possibility of traffic diverting onto local roads.

TfL will be running a series of engagement events with the local community to explain the changes and the next steps for the project. Construction work is planned to begin in early 2022 and is expected to last for around two years.

Nigel Hardy, TfL's Head of Healthy Streets Investment and Delivery, said: 'Enabling more people to walk and cycle is a vital part of our plans to tackle congestion and poor air quality.

'Changes at Lambeth Bridge will create a much-needed new safe cycle crossing over the Thames and make it much easier for people to get around the area by bike.

'We'd like to thank people for their invaluable feedback on our proposals and will continue to engage with people in the area ahead of construction work starting.'

Will Norman, London's Walking and Cycling Commissioner, said: 'Our plans will transform Lambeth Bridge and the currently intimidating junctions at either end of it to make it easier, safer and more secure to walk and cycle.

'The changes will enable many more Londoners to switch to greener ways of getting around our city, helping clean up air toxic air and tackle the climate emergency.

'I'm pleased that the feedback from the public consultation has reduced the possibility of traffic being redistributed down local roads, and encourage everyone who uses the area to continue to have their say and help shape our plans.'

Boom in numbers of people cycling

TfL and the Mayor recently announced that the amount of protected space for cycling in London has tripled since May 2016, several months ahead of schedule. More than 160km of lanes are either completed or under construction.

Construction work currently underway across London includes Cycleway 4, a major new route in southeast London between Tower Bridge and Greenwich, and Cycleway 9, a 15km segregated route between Brentford and Olympia in west London.

The latest TfL figures show that this investment is supporting a boom in the numbers of people cycling, with record numbers of journeys recorded across London.

The total distance cycled in London on an average day in 2018 saw the highest growth recorded since monitoring began in 2015, increasing by almost 5% from the previous year, while the distance cycled each day exceeded 4 million km for the first time.

Notes to editors