Work on a new cycleway connecting Aldgate with Blackfriars is set to proceed after being paused while further guidance on floating bus stops was published. The scheme was halted last September following concerns raised about the risks these stops pose to the visually impaired.
Background and Pause
The City of London Corporation, which proposed the plans, agreed to wait until additional guidance was produced by the Department for Transport (DfT) on the use of floating bus stops. Since its publication in January, the scheme has been reviewed against that guidance. Corporation officers concluded that it "aligns with best practice and meets required standards, with additional mitigation measures incorporated to address user needs, especially for disabled people."
In a report prepared for a Streets and Walkways Sub-Committee meeting on Wednesday, May 13, officers noted that original approval to progress the scheme was granted in October 2024. The cycleway would run from Aldgate to Blackfriars and includes bi-directional protected cycle lanes on Queen Victoria Street between Puddle Dock and Friday Street.
Consultation and Concerns
A public consultation indicated overall support, though concerns were flagged by some groups regarding the proposed floating bus stops. Others, such as Wheels for Wellbeing, raised in a briefing last June that some people rely on being able to cycle and that a balance is required to ensure routes work for everyone. Corporation officers reviewed the proposed floating bus stops against the guidance published by Active Travel England (ATE) on behalf of the DfT. They considered the designs "meet the recommended design process."
The officers' recommendation was to restart the scheme and proceed to detailed design, funded by Transport for London (TfL). They wrote that if this was not approved, the project would be cancelled, as floating bus stops are deemed necessary to completing the cycleway.
Committee Debate
At the sub-committee meeting, Alderwoman Alison Gowman raised concerns about what she described as a "partial review," adding she was unsure how the floating bus stops would comply with the updated guidance. She noted that ATE is still to publish further documentation in 2027, making her concerned the Corporation may design a scheme that will soon be out of date. An officer confirmed that the design guidance due from ATE next year will not relate to the structure of floating bus stops but will concern signage instead.
Alderwoman Gowman later asked whether the redesign could exclude floating bus stops entirely from the scheme. Bruce McVean, Assistant Director, Policy and Projects, said various options were assessed in preparation of the report. He added: "We don't think we can build a meaningful cycleway without bus stop bypasses that meets national and London standards…so I don't think it would be an effective use of money to build one that doesn't. So I think it's a choice of either going ahead with a cycleway with bus stop bypasses…and if the decision is to go ahead without them then effectively we would end the project at this stage."
Members voted in favor of the recommendation three to five, meaning the project will progress to the design stage.
Reactions
After the meeting, Sarah Gayton, Street Access Campaign Coordinator at NFBUK (National Federation of the Blind of the UK), said: "This decision is devastating for blind people. Some that use these stops now will no longer be able to travel into and around the City of London by bus anymore. The City of London will become inaccessible to blind people for generations to come. The City of London are clearly discriminating against blind people, and they think that is lawful. It is not and it is shocking."
A City of London Corporation spokesperson said: "We are taking the issue of accessibility, for both physically disabled cyclists and the visually impaired, extremely seriously and will ensure the City's streets are safe and usable for everyone, as is the priority in all of our schemes. The Aldgate to Blackfriars cycleway has been subject to a full Equalities Impact Assessment, with input from a diverse range of charities representing both aforementioned groups. The proposals are also in line with the Department for Transport's statutory guidance on bus stop bypasses. We will continue to engage constructively with accessibility groups as the designs develop."
