Wednesday 25 February 2009

Lee Valley VeloPark plan published




















Doesn't it look nice? It's so GREEN. The M11 Link Road (as we surly locals prefer to call the sanitised "A12") and the East Cross Route and the A106 Eastway just sort of fade away into the green haze to the mid-left side of the plan.

The VeloPark has parking for 190 cars. The plan indicates no cycle parking. I suppose there will be some but presumably the architects didn't want to spoil their tasteful picture with minor secondary features.

It looks as if it will be accessible by multiple fast road options. Whereas anyone who chooses to cycle there from the London Borough of Waltham Forest will have the option of a subway in what is currently Temple Mills Road or an off-road cycle lane alongside an upgraded Quartermile Lane, leading to... perhaps another subway. How cyclists will get across those junctions is far from clear.

Anyway we all know how much cyclists like subways and how beautifully clean and well-maintained local councils keep them.

Any notion of a traffic-free dedicated cycling/walking bridge leading directly from the Lea Valley across the M11 Link Road to the VeloPark has plainly been ruled out.

I wonder how many local cyclists or local cycling organisations were consulted in designing cycle access to the VeloPark?