Project Information

Cleveland Street Cycleway

Route: Cleveland Street, between Maple Street and Mortimer Street. 

Westminster City Council have published their “You Said, We Did” report addressing the main points raised during the Cleveland Street Cycleway Public Consultation and outlining the Council’s response to these. To view the report, please follow this link. 

Look Back at - You said, we did - Cleveland Street Cycleway Consultation (commonplace.is) 

Introduction

The Cleveland Street Cycleway consultation is led by Westminster City Council in partnership with Camden Council. 

In December 2021, Westminster City Council’s Cabinet Member for City Management and Air Quality approved the route of the Cleveland Street Cycleway between Maple Street and Mortimer Street. This section forms part of wider proposals to provide cycleways between the West End and Pimlico. 

Westminster City Council and Camden Council want to make it safer and more pleasant to cycle and walk in (and between) both boroughs. This is part of a joint strategy to promote journeys by public transport, foot and cycle, to improve air quality and for London to become a carbon neutral city. 

Safe, direct and accessible walking and cycling routes in the West End are important in achieving this. 

Westminster City Council originally consulted on the route in 2016 as ‘Quietway 88’. Since then, proposals have changed substantially to meet up to date cycling standards. As the proposed route runs along the borough boundary between Camden and Westminster, the proposal is presented in partnership with Camden Council. In January – March 2023 we asked for your views on the updated proposals during this initial design stage to refine and improve them further. 

Proposals

Detailed below is a description of the proposed changes to Cleveland Street to introduce the approved cycleway. 

Proposals for Cleveland Street Cycleway: 

• Reduction in northbound lane width to create a contraflow cycle lane going south along Cleveland Street between Maple Street and Mortimer Street. Traffic would continue to travel northbound while the new cycle lane would be southbound. Where possible there would be a physical separation between the cycle lane and general traffic lane. This reduction in road width would have no impact on northbound vehicle movements. 
• Changes to the alignment and priority at the Cleveland Street junction with Maple Street, as well as a new zebra crossing to improve safety and comfort for those walking and cycling. 
• A new segregated link to Cycleway 27 on Clipstone Street to connect to onward westbound cycling, plus eastbound connections to the wider cycle network to enable protected cycling (physical separation between cycle lane and general traffic lane) into Camden and as far as Islington and Elephant and Castle. 
• Extended advanced stop lines for cyclists at the junction of Cleveland Street/Howland Street to help cyclists get in front of general traffic, in conjunction with early release for cyclists at the traffic lights (cyclists are proposed to get a green light 5 seconds before general traffic). 
• A new zebra crossing on Maple Street at the junction with Cleveland Street to make crossing the road safer for pedestrians. 
• Widening the existing zebra crossing at the junction of Riding House Street with parallel crossing for cyclists to improve accessibility and safely connect cyclists onto Riding House Street and to the nearby school. 
• Introduction of two-way cycling on Riding House Street and Nassau Street to create better local cycling connections through the area - being consulted on separately (via https://www.westminster.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/walking-and-cycling/two-way-cycling-connections) 
• Changes to traffic signals to allow southbound cyclists to continue on Newman Street. 
• New continuous pavement (this improves the crossing for pedestrians as per example on Horseferry Road) across the junction with Tottenham Street to slow down traffic and improve pedestrian safety. 
• Segregated cycle pocket (a safe space to wait before turning) at the junction at Maple Street and Clipstone Street to protect southbound cyclists waiting at the traffic lights. 
• Single yellow lines would be replaced by double yellow lines along Cleveland Street to provide enough road width for the contraflow cycle lane. A proposed “no loading” restriction along Cleveland Street would make cycling safer and more continuous. 

Next Steps

Review the feedback received from the Cleveland Street Cycleway questionnaire (early 2023) 

Submit updated proposals to cabinet members at both Westminster City Council and Camden Council (early 2023) 

Subject to approval: hold a Traffic Management Order Consultation (spring 2023) 

Subject to cabinet members’ approval: delivery commences (late summer 2023) 

Frequently Asked Questions

The proposed Cleveland Street Cycleway route runs along Cleveland Street between Maple Street and Mortimer Street, and includes advanced stop lines for cyclists (where people cycling can wait ahead of the traffic at traffic lights), contraflow cycle lanes (where people cycling can cycle in both directions on one way streets), and changes to traffic signals. Currently, cyclists travelling south from Warren Steet cannot proceed towards Oxford Street via Newman Street as the section of Cleveland Street between Maple Street and Mortimer Street is one-way northbound. The proposal would make this easier (cyclists will be able to cycle the length of this route) and safer. We will also be providing improved pedestrian crossing facilities and additional cycle parking facilities.