Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf bridge scrapped
TfL have today scrapped plans for a cycle and pedestrian bridge linking Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf.
Costs spiraled in recent years to £500m with a need to lift for large ships appearing to be a big factor, as does TfL’s well documented financial problems.
One core reason for the crossing was plans for thousands of homes around Canada Water station which already sees severe overcrowding. Scope to extend London Overground is limited and the Jubilee Line has seen plans for additional trains scrapped.
It will also go down badly with environmental issues top of the agenda right now and the Silvertown Tunnel proceeding – which does not accommodate pedestrians or cyclists, except when bikes are placed on a vehicle and then transported across.
This is absolute rubbish. Anybody who’s been through the Greenwich foot tunnel on foot or on a bike in the morning peak knows how badly more cycle capacity is needed. The need becomes even more apparent when you look at the crowding on the DLR, Jubilee Line and Blackwall tunnel in the morning. All this makes the Silvertown tunnel look even more farcical than before at a time where active travel really needs to increase quickly. Makes me sad.
Hopefully they’ll announce a foot/cycle bridge from North Greenwich to Canary Wharf graciously paid for by Knight Dragon 🙂 instead.
I really don’t know how they are going to get all those people on and off the Peninsula when it is fully built.
The Emirates dangle or up the river? These things take years to build, so any relief would not have been immediate.
Oh yeah I completely forgot about how Canary Wharf’s commuter catchment area is going to explode in the coming years. It makes it even more of a terrible turn of events than without considering that.
Thames Clippers have suggested an electric Ferry both here and at other spots east of here (NG – Canary wharf perhaps?). I like the idea but only if it is faff-free (i.e. doesnt take an age to wait and cross) and ecomonical for regular users
Twitter press release https://twitter.com/thamesclippers/status/1142137265990381568?s=19