Council bans cyclists and pedestrians from using Temple Mills Lane

As from Thursday cyclists and pedestrians will be banned from going along Temple Mills Lane E10. But not of course cars. The ban is likely to last 18 months (but don't be surprised if it is then extended).

Why? Work on the Olympics site.

How many cyclists and pedestrians use Temple Mills Lane every day? Nobody knows and nobody cares. From Thursday they’ll just have to go the long way round, along the deeply unfriendly A112 and Ruckholt Road.

Even though the road will have a new 20 mph speed limit, it has been deemed ‘too dangerous’ for cyclists, with all those lorries. Expecting lorry drivers to exercise due care and attention is obviously unacceptable, so cyclists are banned. And all that lovely pavement for walkers is needed so that the road can be widened in order to remain accessible to motorists.

Rule one in London transport planning: it is always more important to inconvenience pedestrians and cyclists than motorists, particularly when the interests of drivers conflict with those of cyclists and walkers.

If the logic of the Temple Mills Lane closure was applied to central London, then all cycling would be banned there, strictly for safety reasons.