Cycle Lanes and Trees

While discussions and debates rage (quietly and gently) about cycle lanes and the proposed Cycle Superhighways which may or may not actually help cyclists get anywhere, and may possibly just dump them in the middle of a car superhighway, yesterday was the anniversary of the first ever cycle lane in London, or indeed, the UK.

75 years (and one day) ago the cycle path was opened alongside the A40 in West London and even then led to some debate about whether it would mean cyclists being forced off the roads.



Compare the Westway in its 1930 incarnation to the busy road that exists today – with no cycle lane remaining.



In Bermondsey it feels a little like someone took the good idea of a cycle-powered Christmas tree from Copenhagen a little bit wrong and a tree built of bicycles has now been erected, designed by Sarah Wigglesworth Architects. It’s made from parts which will be returned to the Re-Cycle project as soon as the tree is taken down, and I think it’s nice to see the basic beauty in bike parts being shown off.

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