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London just approved a new plan for 'cycle superhighways' - here's what they'll look like

Dennis Green   

London just approved a new plan for 'cycle superhighways' - here's what they'll look like

London Bike Lanes

Transport for London

Dedicated turn signals will allow bicyclists to cross intersections safely.

London Mayor Boris Johnson just got final approval Wednesday for his ambitious plan to reshuffle the city's roads into a more cycling-friendly format. The plan includes the creation of "cycling superhighways" through the British capital.

Traffic lanes will be converted, new curbs installed, and parking spaces moved to put Johnson's plan for the bike lanes with dedicated traffic signals in place. "Quietways" will also be installed, which are less segregated bike lanes on streets with less traffic.

There will be two main highway lanes - one north-south, and another traveling east-west - and the project is expected to cost $240 million, according to Britain's ITV.

London Bike Lanes

Transport for London

Dedicated bike lanes will protect bicyclists from the rush of city traffic.

These improvements, all part of London's massive $6 billion Road Modernization Plan, will reshape and modernize some of London's busiest intersections and roads, creating a very different flow of traffic in the British capital.

London's City Hall has reportedly also admitted this may cause traffic disruptions for motorists, though this worry hasn't borne out in other cities with dedicated bike lanes. Some taxi and business groups opposed the plan because of this, however, as well as the plan to ban vehicle turns at some intersections where turning is currently legal, according to the Guardian.

For a look at how drastically the roads will change, check out Transport for London's map of the changes below.

central london grid map

Transport for London

Johnson is famous for his championing of bike riding in London and was a main proponent of London's bike share program, which have been named "Boris bikes" in his honor. Cycling has doubled in London in recent years, but that rise is correlated with a rise in deaths from bicycle collisions with larger motor vehicles, according to NPR.

London Bike Lanes

Transport for London

Traffic lanes will be replaced by bike lanes throughout the British capital.

london bike lane

Transport for London

A rendering of the bike lane on Tower Hill.

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