Today saw the unveiling of London’s latest bit of cycle superhighway, a segregated two-lane area for bikes between Kennington Oval and Pimlico.
The 1.4km route, known as the CS5, forms part of Johnson’s £18m scheme to build segregated cycle routes across the capital. Apparently, 750 cyclists an hour are already using the newly opened route. Today, a jammy Johnson told journalists:
We’ve brought a bit of Amsterdam to the unlikely environs of Vauxhall – opening up access to huge swathes of south London for safer cycling. I’ve always believed that more Londoners would cycle if they felt safer, and this new route already proves it.
Unfortunately, while cyclists may be fans of the new route, they don’t seem to be quite so keen on Johnson himself. As the mayor rode down the new highway, he was greeted with a less-than-friendly gesture from a cyclist travelling in the opposite direction:
Judging by his friendly reaction, Boris was either blisfully unaware of the profanity, or decided to turn the other cheek.
Perhaps the cyclist was just demonstrating an unexpected perk of a two-way cycle lane: it’s easier than ever to insult your fellow bipeds to their face.
