CS2 plans, there's something missing

After a quick look, the new plans for CS2 generally look good and are a very significant improvement on the current situation. A majority of the route appears to be 2m wide segregated lanes which will be safe, convenient and likely to appeal to cyclists of all ages and abilities.

You can view the details & respond here: consultations.tfl.gov.uk/cycling/cs2-upgrade

However on inspection of the plans there appear to be two huge omissions.

White Horse Lane to Bancroft Road - NOTHING

At this point the cycle lanes just merge in to the bus lane. This is simply not good enough & a huge let down on the scheme. The plans are here: https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/cycling/8b1b95ac

Google street view shows a large area of grass on one side of the road.

TfL need to buy that land and widen the road by a couple of metres so the segregated cycle lane can be carried through. In parallel they should work to offset the loss of green space either using their own land, in partnership with the local authority or by buying land. Doing nothing is not an option.

Bow Roundabout - NOTHING

It appears the reason the most dangerous and intimidating part of this route is missing is because they have not been able to finalise proposals. TfL have stated:

"We are working in partnership with the London Boroughs of Tower Hamlets and Newham and other key stakeholders to deliver the Vision for Bow: to transform the Bow roundabout junction into a place which all road users will find accessible, safe and connected. We will consult on our proposals this winter."

The current situation is not safe for cyclists and there are no pedestrian facilities at all. A proposal which doesn't tackle the roundabout in the middle of CS2 is not enough. 

I was talking to an able bodied young lady at the London Velodrome (seeing off the night ride to Brighton for Challenge Cancer). She lives on one side of the roundabout and her local shops are on the other side. She said it felt intimidating and unsafe every time she had to dash across the road in between the traffic, especially when carrying shopping. If an able bodied adult feels that way, how can this be acceptable in a residential area with children, the elderly and disabled people?

We must demand the proposals include significant improvements to the roundabout for cycling and walking. At the very least means pedestrian lights & phases. These could be concurrent with cycling phases as the cyclists won't be going down the slip roads on to the A14. Some of the traffic islands might need to be enlarged to safely accommodate pedestrians.

What do you think?

Let us know your comments.