Plans have been unveiled for a “bike bus” that would transport cyclists under the Thames through the Silvertown Tunnel.
Transport for London has suggested the idea after saying it could not afford to build a walking and cycling bridge between Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf.
The “bespoke” shuttle bus could run every 10 minutes and would only carry cyclists and their bikes, which would either be loaded onto the bus or a trailer pulled behind the bus.
Pedestrians would not be able to use the bike bus but would be able to board conventional buses, which would use a bus lane in the tunnel and be zero-emission. At least 20 buses an hour will run at peak times, including a new SL4 Superloop service, linking Grove Park and Canary Wharf, and an extended 129 route.
TfL said the bike bus was under consideration because it would be “unsafe” to allow cyclists to ride through the £2bn tunnel, which will link the Royal Docks and Canary Wharf with north Greenwich when it opens in 2025. Cyclists are also banned from the nearby Blackwall tunnel.
An eight-week consultation on the proposal was launched today/Monday. The tunnel has sparked huge opposition from campaigners and neighbouring councils, who claim it will encourage car use, result in more HGVs entering inner London and worsen air pollution.
But Mayor Sadiq Khan remains committed to the new tunnel, which he says will ease chronic congestion at the Blackwall tunnel.
The bike bus would be able to carry all types of bike, including large adapted trikes used by people with mobility issues.
TfL said the shuttle bus was the best option as services could be tailored to “uncertain demand” to ensure value for money.
Cyclists looking to cross the river in east London currently have the option of using the cable car – which is free in the morning for cyclists – or walk their bike through the Greenwich or Woolwich foot tunnels, though both suffer frequent lift closures, meaning bikes have to be carried up and down many steps.
Other options include the Woolwich ferry or riding through the Rotherhithe tunnel, which many cyclists do not recommend due to traffic levels and pollution.
Will Norman, the mayor’s walking and cycling commissioner, said: “These plans will mean that cyclists will benefit from easier travel between the Greenwich Peninsula and Silvertown, enabling more people to make the switch to active travel and helping to build a better, greener London.”
TfL ditched the proposed Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf walking and cycling bridge in 2019 after estimated costs rose to £463m.
A high-speed ferry service was considered but subsequently dropped due to being unaffordable. TfL says it is keeping the ferry option “under review”, in case funds become available, and it will form part of the consultation.
Other issues to be considered in the consultation include pick-up and drop off points, ideally to link with existing cycleways, and the number of buses per hour.
David Rowe, director of investment and delivery planning at TfL, said: “These cross-river cycling proposals are a key part of our commitment to ensuring that the Silvertown Tunnel supports growth in cross-river cycling use.
“Work on the Silvertown Tunnel continues to progress, and we are working hard to ensure that this essential new infrastructure delivers transformative benefits to cross-river travel in east London with minimal impact to local communities.”
Contractors have begun digging the second of the two tunnels. When open in 2025, drivers using the tunnel – and the Blackwall Tunnel – will have to pay a toll, which has yet to be determined. HGVs will reportedly have to pay £7.50.
The consultation will also help to determine whether the service should be free.
A TfL spokesman said no decision had yet been taken on whether to charge cyclists to use the bike bus. “That forms part of the consultation to help understand whether a charge would impact customers’ decision to use the service or not,” he said.
To view the consultation, visit https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/silvertown-cycling-service
