pic: Tom Taylor flickr

A redrawing of the centerlines on Dalston Lane has reduced the space for cyclists, while increasing the flow of traffic in the opposite direction according to the London Cycle Campaign.

The narrowing of the Westbound lane has made it harder for cyclists to run alongside vehicles as they approach Kingsland Road

Trevor Parsons, Coordinator for Hackney’s LCC branch told ELL: “Previously there was space for bikes going East and West.”

“Private motor traffic has been prioritized at the expense of cycle convenience and safety.”

A recent report by Loving Dalston argues that the widened pavements could have been better utilized had cycle lanes been built; however Parsons explained that this is not the main concern.

“The kerbline is still the same…it’s the centerline which has shifted to the left” he said, revealing that the extended pavement is actually the result of part of the recent housing development being set further back from the road.

“It’s the centerline which has shifted to the left leaving no space for cyclists.”

The best solution for cyclists would not be: “creating about three-seconds worth of cycle lanes”, nor extending the road into the pavement, but instead “burning off the new line and putting back the old one.”