East London cyclists call for roads to be made safer after man in 20s killed in lorry crash
East London cyclists are calling for better safety measures along a busy road following the death of a cyclist last month. Karen Flanagan, 61, is a volunteer at Newham [1]Cyclists, and said the junction between Stratford [2]High Street and Carpenters Road is notorious for incidents involving cyclists. She told MyLondon: "As a cyclist, you're worried about left hooks all the way - somebody turning left across you and not looking where they're going....
People in cars just treat the cycle lane like it's not there." READ MORE: Brutal London Underground group attack on man 'kicked and punched in the face'[3] ADVERTISEMENT
READ MORE: EastEnders' Walford name explained as hit BBC One soap turns 40[4] She added: "In 2019, my husband actually witnessed an incident at the junction. He was behind the cyclist [5]that was hit.
They were in front of him and a car just turned left without looking and knocked him."
The cyclist, in his 20s, was killed on January 13 at the junction of Stratford High Street and Carpenters Road -Credit:Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon
A male cyclist in his 20s died at the junction of Stratford High Street and Carpenters Road after being hit by a lorry on January 13, emergency services confirmed to MyLondon.
Cycleways, a scheme managed by Transport for London[6] (TfL), saw segregated cycle lanes, improved junctions and pedestrian crossings being added to Stratford High Street in 2016. Ms Flanagan said: "It's segregated, but not at the junctions. Cyclists are not protected."
She added that the cycle lane on Stratford High Street is busy all day with cyclists. A white bicycle has since been added to the junction by the Critical Mass group to raise awareness of dangerous cycling accidents. ADVERTISEMENT
Dangerous Junctions, an online resource by London Cycling Campaign,[7] has identified the Carpenters Road and Stratford High Street junction as the fourth most dangerous junction for cyclists in Newham borough. The ranking is based on collision data from TfL between 2019 to 2023, which states there have been 10 collision involving cyclists at the junction in that time.
Ms Flanagan said her husband witnessed a cyclist being hit at the same junction where last month's lorry accident occurred -Credit:Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon
The resource also shows three other dangerous junctions for cyclists in the immediate vicinity, with the sixth, third and second place spots all less than one kilometre from the Carpenters Road junction. She said: "When we held a vigil, there were people who came and joined us from the local community. One of them said that they always thought if there was going to be a fatality it would be at the Warton Road junction [further down the road]."
Ms Flanagan said she would like to see separate traffic lights in place for cyclists and traffic along Stratford High Street in an effort to minimise collisions in the area. Newham Cyclists are planning to hold a protest at the junction on February 24 to call on TfL and the council to improve junctions in the area. ADVERTISEMENT
A TfL spokesperson confirmed to MyLondon that Stratford High Street is controlled by Newham Council. Helen Cansick, Head of Healthy Streets Investment at TfL, told MyLondon: "Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of the man tragically killed at the junction of Stratford High Street and Carpenters Road on January 13." She added: "We're working with London boroughs to do everything possible to eradicate death and serious injury from London's roads.
We continue to work urgently with the police on their investigation and have sent our local team to meet colleagues from Newham Council to assess this junction and consider whether any changes need to be made."
A white bike has since been added to the junction by Critical Mass to mark the death last month -Credit:Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon
A Newham Council spokesperson told MyLondon: "We are aware of the cyclist fatality at the High Street and Carpenters Road junction, and we extend our deepest condolences to the cyclist's family and friends.
We are working closely with our partners at TfL to identify and introduce safety improvements at this junction." ADVERTISEMENT They added: "The plans would see a bus priority scheme put in place along the High Street as well as an improved dedicated cycleway along its entire length.
We are also looking at proposals that will prioritise bicycles at this junction allowing cyclists to move forward in advance of turning vehicles." A Met Police spokesperson told MyLondon that there has been no arrest regarding the incident on January 13 at the junction between Stratford High Street and Carpenters Road. They added that enquiries into the circumstances continue.
Anyone with information is asked to call 101 or contact the Met Police through X (formerly Twitter) @MetCC and quote CAD3562/13Jan. Have a story you want to share? Email [email protected][8].
Looking for more from MyLondon? Subscribe to our daily newsletters here[9] for the latest and greatest updates from across London.
References
- ^ Newham (www.mylondon.news)
- ^ Stratford (www.mylondon.news)
- ^ Brutal London Underground group attack on man 'kicked and punched in the face' (www.mylondon.news)
- ^ EastEnders' Walford name explained as hit BBC One soap turns 40 (www.mylondon.news)
- ^ cyclist (www.mylondon.news)
- ^ Transport for London (www.mylondon.news)
- ^ an online resource by London Cycling Campaign, (lcc.org.uk)
- ^ [email protected] (mail.google.com)
- ^ Subscribe to our daily newsletters here (www.mylondon.news)