CROYDON COMMENTARY: Road closures to motor vehicles during the coronavirus lockdown in an area around South Norwood have found approval with at least one cyclist as they travel to work. ROB CALLENDER, right, explains
I work a second job part-time in South Norwood and have recently returned to work, having to cycle when I’d usually travel by Overground.
In normal times I’d never have thought cycling would be a viable option on this journey but actually, having found a mostly flat route via the Waterlink Way, it actually only takes around 10 minutes longer than the usual train option, which involves changing train – assuming the trains are all on time!
Lancaster Road and Warminster Road are actually fairly considered choice to “filter”, and make them safer for pedestrians and bicycle riders. They are part of the London Cycle Network routes 77 (Kent House [National Cycle Route 21/Waterlink Way] to Broad Green/A23) and 29 (East Croydon to Crystal Palace).
There are various cycle route signs along the route, although none at the Lancaster Road-Goat House Bridge junction.
Cycling around some parts of Croydon is suddenly a lot safer
Dalmally Road will have been chosen at the Blackhorse Lane end because it is London Cycle Network 29, and also that junction is where National Cycle Route 212 joins. Where a residential street is already an official cycle route, it makes sense that these are prime candidates for making safer.
Ultimately, most of the people who normally use public transport are unable to do so at the moment – and have been advised not to.
Even a small number of these switching to cars will cause gridlock anyway – funnelling these along residential streets instead of the main roads is not sustainable or safe.
It’s sensible to make some of these closed to through traffic. Hopefully, car drivers will soon realise the roads will be closed for a while and find alternative routes or, indeed, alternative methods of transport.
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