Transport for London’s latest consultation on the East-West cycle superhighway show a big hole in the route - and it's been reported that officials at the Royal Parks are refusing to allow safe space for cycling outside Buckingham Palace. Under the current plans, the cycle superhighway vanishes by the Queen Victoria Memorial next to Buckingham Palace. Cyclists will be expected to use the existing shared-use area – mixing with thousands of pedestrians at one of London's most popular tourist destinations. If cyclists choose to use the carriageway instead, they will have to mix with six lanes of motor traffic on the unacceptably dangerous Spur Rd gyratory.

London Cycling Campaign is urging the Royal Parks to give permission for the East-West cycle superhighway to continue, on dedicated, segregated cycle track, in front of the Queen Victoria Memorial. Otherwise there will be high risk of collision between all road users in the area of the Memorial, including the millions of tourists who visit Green Park each year.

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Rosie Downes, Campaigns Manager at London Cycling Campaign said: “This is the Mayor’s flagship East-West cycle superhighway. It's had support from thousands, and hundreds of thousands of others have been looking forward to their promised high quality, segregated route from East to West London. To now suggest that this flagship cycle superhighway should have a 300 metre gap in it directly outside the iconic location of Buckingham Palace is frankly embarrassing. When you factor in the fact that cyclists will be expected to either share space with thousands of tourists, or share road space with six lanes of motor traffic, it becomes downright dangerous.

We sincerely hope Royal Parks will give permission for the East-West cycle superhighway to continue, on dedicated, segregated cycle track, in front of the Queen Victoria Memorial. Otherwise there will be high risk of collision between all road users in the area of the Memorial, including the millions of tourists who visit Green Park each year."

Since the Evening Standard covered the story, the Royal Parks have tweeted that no final decisions have been made:

LCC is urging people to write to Royal Parks to urge them to change their mind via bit.ly/royalballsup

Further information about the plans can be found on the Transport for London website. The consultation closes on 29th March.