Public Meeting with TfL regarding CS2 Upgrades -Thursday 28th May 7PM

MEOTRA have arranged a public meeting with Transport for London regarding the works to upgrade the CS2 cycle route that passes along Mile End Road.

The meeting is next Thursday, the 28th May, at 7PM in the Epiphanus church, Lichfield Rd. Three TfL staff are attending including Glenn Tobin, Public Liaison Officer: Cycle Superhighway Route 2 upgrade (CS2)  and Aaron Rosser, TfL's Cycle Superhighways project manager.

MEOTRA obviously welcomes moves to increase the safety of cyclists on London's roads (over 1,200 bikes commute along Mile End Rd daily), but we are greatly concerned about the affect of the scheme on the local area. In particular:

1. MEOTRA believe TfL have greatly underestimated the number of vehicles wishing to turn right from Mile End Road into Burdett Road and vice versa. 
2. Grove Road has seen a significant increase in traffic volumes as vehicles turn into it from both Burdett and Mile End roads and then perform U-turns to circumvent the restrictions. These vehicles thus pass through the junction twice instead of once leading to unnecessary congestion.
3. Vehicles are now using quiet residential roads such as Clinton road to effect U-turns.
4. TfL's suggestion that traffic drive all the way up to the roundabout at Victoria Park to U-turn is ridiculous - the roundabout is not designed for HGVs to drive around. Indeed an articulated lorry stopped under the Grove road railway bridge, reversed over a pelican crossing and then reverse turned into Clinton Road.
5. The phasing of lights is atrocious: Boris' "Keep London Moving" policy which favours arterial traffic has been taken too far with both pedestrians and local traffic being held on red for extraordinary lengths of time (this recording shows pedestrians being held for over seven minutes at Mile End Junction). 
6. Commuters using Mile End station and crossing Mile End Road have to run the gauntlet, as the station crossing stays red for pedestrians even though traffic is backed up all the from the main junction. Someone is going to get seriously hurt unless this is remedied. 

This meeting is open to all members of the public, not just MEOTRA residents. Doors open 7PM for a 7.15PM start. The location link below shows where the church is (near the The Lord Tredegar in Lichfield Road). Please come and air your concerns. This is probably our last chance for us to influence those implementing the CS2 scheme.