We would like to draw your attention to the following:
1. The communciation about the closure has been desperately inadequate. There is no information whatsoever about the closure on the heavily-promoted “Get Ahead of the Games” website. In addition, the TfL cycling planner still directs cyclists to use the closed part of the towpath. Personally, I discovered the closure whilst half way to work one day (which, as you can imagine, did not go down well). Many local residents I have spoken to are totally unaware of it, and those that are aware are furious.
2. The closure appears to be totally unnecessary. There was never any plan to close the towpath originally – hence a huge amount of money being poured into renovating it this year. A last minute change of plan has clearly occured, for reasons as yet not communicated by LOCOG or the Met, despite questioning by the Press. There is already an £80m, 6-metre high electric fence and CCTV in place along the perimeter. In addition, there has been absolutely no explanation of why it was deemed necessary to close the towpath on July 3rd, a full 23 days before the Opening Ceremony.
3. LOCOG and the Met have behaved with astonishing ignorance and arrogance towards those of us who rely on the towpath. Many people depend on it to get to work every day; this campaign has been co-ordinated by two such people. We don’t believe any such decision would have been made about a road. The Lea towpath is not just a pretty place where people go for walks at the weekend: it is a busy, heavily-used ‘green lane’ through East London, already coping with increased usage due to the Greenway closure.
4. There is no direct, safe, alternative. There is a diversion in place which is significantly longer (described by the London Cycling Campaign as ‘tortuous’), and considerably more dangerous. It passes the notorious Bow roundabout, where two cyclists were killed in a single month last year. Such road diversions are already forcing less-confident cyclists and families with young children onto already-stretched public transport.
5. This is all in direct contravention of the Olympic spirit of promoting physical activity, and also of the marketing of the Games as ‘green’. The London 2012 Olympic Games are supposed to leave behind a permanent legacy and transformation for the people of East London. However, there is increasing concern amongst local residents, walkers and cyclists and shared by the London Cycling Campaign, that the opportunity to create world-class walking and cycling facilities will be squandered.
Posters and adverts exhort us to ‘walk or cycle’ instead of using public transport. All over London this is becoming increasingly difficult and dangerous due to short-sighted decisions.
As Mayor and cyclist I very much hope you can support us in our campaign
Sincerely
Ruth-Anna Macqueen, Hackney resident, mum, junior doctor and cycling commuter
Steve Wakeford, local engineer and cyclist
Dee O’Connell, local resident and business owner
CounterOlympics
Prof Trisha Greenhalgh, Barts and the London School of Medicine & Dentistry and Medical Officer 2012 Olympics
James Eagle, Leytonstone resident, Hackney Wick worker, cycling commuter
Hazel Potter, local resident
Mr Marc Burden, E10 6LL
Vicky Taylor, Bamboo Court, E5 9GJ
Elisabeth Downe, local resident
Dafydd Williams, local resident and cyclist
Caroline Day, local resident
Zerrin Kellam, local resident
Neil McGoun
Kevin Mark Moody
Esther Adelman and Gideon Corby, local residents
Ceri Williams, Tottenham resident and cyclist
Rosanna Gould , local resident, cyclist and runner
Pedro Reyna, local resident and frequent user of this route
Dr S Wilmore, Hackney resident, junior doctor, cyclist commuter (with no Olympic tickets)
Jack Fortescue, cycling commuter and local resident
Gareth Hays, local Resident & cyclist
Andolie Marguerite, Kamile and Claude Gowan, Local residents and cyclists
Catherine Kenyon, local resident
Mike Foulkes, local resident
Jono Kenyon, local resident
Tabitha Tanqueray, local resident
Felix Kenyon, local resident
Paddy Looney, Meadow Close resident
Paddy Prendergast, local resident
Adam Thompson, local resident and Cycle shop owner
Juanjo Ruiz Martin, local resident
Suzy Fogg, local resident
Adam McAlavey, local resident
Gerry Matthews, local resident and Campaigns Officer, Tower Hamlets Wheelers
Simon Hughes, local resident
Michael Alexander, Ferry House resident
Lisa Gowland, local resident
Shahron Shah, local resident
Ian Hodge, local resident and regular user of this path
Roswen, runner on the towpath, Bow E3
Caroline Staines, local resident
Steve Dowding, regular cyclist between Hackney and Three Mills (I’ll be using the A102(M) instead meanwhile)
Natalie Clarke, live and work in Tower Hamlets
Katie Hames, regular cyclist
Christina Curry, regular cyclist
Tom Davies, Walthamstow resident
John Mulvey, regular cyclist
Lydie Greco, local resident.
Carolyn Deby, local resident, cyclist and regular user of this route
Andrew Graves
Graham Freer, Tottenham resident and regular user of the towpath
Mandy McCartin, Artist with studio in Stratford -used to cycle there from Dalston until the safe quiet bits were blocked off….
Bastien Bourdeaux, local resident
Stephen Broadhurst
Kriss Lee, local resident
Chantelle Le Poidevin, local resident
Amy, Sebastien and Tyler Le Podevin, local residents
Emma De Mornay Davies, local resident and cyclist
Susanne Parkhouse, resident of Forest Gate, cyclist
Meghna Gupta, Hackney resident, cyclist
Anna Kidd, Hackney resident, cycle commuter and this was my planned route for my Gamesmaker volunteering
Alastair Murray. Deputy director Housing Justice (Christian housing and homelessness campaign charity). Tower Hamlets.
Paul Treloar and Angie Fenn, N16 and regular users of the tow-path
Malcolm Coles, Hackney resident – use the towpath every day to commute by bike to Canary Wharf
David Fathers, author of ‘The Regent’s Canal’ London N12
Kerry Johnson, E11
Andrew Macgregor, Fish Island
Kerena Fussell, Forest Gate, PA & voluntary Towpath Ranger
Graham Wheeler, cyclist towpath user
Rachel Wooldridge, cyclist and towpath user, N1
Tom Harding, cyclist, N1
Richard Williams, Haringey cyclist resident and regular towpath user
Martin Togher, local resident, walker
Bill Foster, Walthamstow, runner, walker, cyclist and marsh lover
Bhavesh Hindocha, E5 resident, cyclist commuter
Hilary Guedalla, local resident
Veronica Pasteur, cyclist
Laura Goodman, local resident and cyclist
John Tumbridge, local resident
Ian White, local resident and business owner
Malcolm Macqueen, E5
Keith Flett, Secretary, Haringey TUC
Robin Samson, Hackney resident and cyclist
Nick Rau, cyclist and regular towpath user
Alice Widger, Hackney resident, cyclist and regular tow path user
Julian Cheyne
Emma O’Connell, E9 resident
Petra Francis, cyclist
Ros Banks, local resident, frequent towpath user and cyclist
Luke Johnson, Cyclist, Runner and local resident
Vivian McClew, Cyclist, London resident
Massimo Alessio Zeppetelli Cyclist, Walthamstow resident
Annie Nichols local resident in Hackney Wick
Keir Philip, cyclist
Arnab Ghosh, Local resident, regular towpath user
Tom Manning, local resident and cycling commuter
Mick Cairns, Homerton resident, cyclist, runner with Victoria Park/tower hamlets AC, walker
Sarah Janes
Steve R, local resident, keen cyclist and frequent towpath user
Ian Godfrey
Nick Mason
Damien Weighill, E17
David Beadle, Enfield resident, River Lea towpath user
Paul Findlow, Edmonton – cyclist and walker, regular towpath user
John Grew Regular towpath cyclist and inconvenienced local. N16
Julian Walker, former Hackney cyclist
Cate Boyle, cyclist and regular towpath user
Matt Purver, N5, regular towpath user
Anna Kenyon, local resident, towpath and marsh user
Jonathan Mayes, regular cyclist/runner along towpaths
Glen Mehn
Justin de Deney , cyclist, N7
Bronya Deutsch, N16 cyclist and runner on the path
Alan Perryman, local resident and towpath user
Rachel Stevenson, N16, towpath user
Olivia Hoare, local resident
Cheryl Jenkins, N17 Cyclist and river walker
Andy Reetz, local resident and towpath user
Tessa Robertson, local resident, towpath user
Jennifer Haydon, cycling granny who has used the towpath regularly
Matthew Wyatt, cyclist and physiotherapist
Steven Kealey, E17
Zaki Dogliani, local resident and cyclist
Peter Carruthers, Haringey resident and cyclist
Please add me – Zaki Dogliani, local resident and cyclist
Andy Northwood – Resident Millfields E5 regular user of the towpath from Lea Bridge to Limehouse
Please add my name too – Helen Stacey, local resident and cyclist
Please add my name to the letter: Tony Roelich, cyclist
. My family and I recently visited London on our bikes and wanted to travel this route but were dismayed to be sent onto the road instead. Poor reflection on the Olympic ethos.
Please add my name to your list. Adrian Morcinek, local resident and disabled cyclist.
Please add my name to the letter. Ruth Alderson, Local resident (E11) and nervous cyclist.
Please add me too. Damian Rafferty (E9)
Please add me:
Gavriel Hollander, local resident, cyclist, runner, journalist
Tom Bowker, river-lover and occasional tow path cyclist
I TRIED to cycle from Finsbury Park to the Olympic Park on Sunday. No sign posts anywhere (except contradictory “Cycle Hub” signs) Got lost. Twice ended up on dual carriageways. Not a single “guard” was able to offer suggestions. Even Google Maps couldn’t help me. Joined the Towpath protest briefly before admitting failure and went back home. Ludicrous!
Please add me. James Dixon, E3 2PD
Please add me. Will Stewart from MadeGood.bikes (E8)
Sophie Talbot, King’s Cross Community Projects, N1 9UA. http://www.kccp.org.uk (our aims include improving access to public amenities)
Please add me. Dr. Rachel Aldred, local resident and transport researcher.
Please add me: Mark Morreau, towpath cyclist and walker
Please add me James Woodcock, Hackney cyclists and physical activity researcher, E5
Jocasta Allwood, Poplar resident, Hackney Wick worker, cycling commuter
Please add me. Scott collins.
local resident and cyclist
Vienna Man, E8 2HE
Please add my name, I’m a local resident, cyclist and runner E9
Tilly Hemingway, local resident, towpath cyclist and runner
Please add my name. My lovely friend Jocasta deserves better Boris!
local resident, runner and cyclist
Please add my name: A very worried mum of a cyclist who cannot get to work without crossing dangerous road junctions
Add me too: Samantha Smith, bike rider and wanderer
Please add me: Annisa Chand, N19, cyclist and co-founder of Radiant Riders bike club.
Please add my name – Zoe Allwood, Local resident
Please add my name, local commuter
Local resident, cyclist and walker
Please add me. Local resident (E9), runner, cyclist
local resident and cyclist between E17 and E1
Heck yes:
Jon Reades E9 (regular cyclist and runner… [when not being stopped by security barriers])
Please add me.
Cristabel Horne – frequent towpath cyclist
Laura Fountain – runner, cyclist E1 resident
Please add me.
please add me,
as a frequent cyclist in London, I am getting very fed up of the cycle lanes and routes that are being closed on a whim, with no (or little) advanced notice, or suitable safe diversions when TFL’s web site says we should all consider cycling
Steve
Please add me Nigel Winn to the letter.
Please add Dr Hilda Kean historian and local resident
Please add us, Tina, Tim and Andrew (13mths)) Fish Island Resident it was our route to walk to Tesco’s, The DLR, our Allotment and to visit our friends, now we have to take the bus, which adds 30 minutes to our journey, and costs money!!, When the Olympics start, it will add possibly 50 – 60 minutes to our journey!!!! DISGRACEFUL
I’d be grateful if you’d add me. I requested this on the Facebook page but perhaps it was missed?
Mike Newman, Walker
Please add Kevin Cooper RM11 2BD
Regular commuter that was using the greenway, then forced onto the canal towpath diversion as the only remaining safe route and now since its closure forced onto the highly dangerous Bow Roundabout and having a 20 minute longer commute from Stratford High Street to Victoria Park.
How many more lives are going to be lost on Bow roundabout before they take notice of the deaths they have caused by these closures.
Please add me to your support. E9. Daily cyclist and runner. Being told cycle, and then having the best places to cycle taken away by people who have clearly never cycled before is hard to take.
add me to i frequent towpath cyclist
Please add me..I used to use this route to cycle to work AND for leisure – just as we are being encouraged to do – and this closure is totally against the Olympic spirit as well as against normal Londoners! It does nothing for “the legacy”, our health, safety or enjoyment of London!
Am in total agreeement with many of the comments on here… I live in Wapping with my 8 year old girl – we cycle everywhere – but the olympics are a nightmare for many of our daily routes…. The overground service has banned bikes for the summer (including children’s bikes) – and many other of our regular journeys through east london have been closed (including the towpath). The games are supposed to be encouraging a legacy for young people to enjoy sport and exercise – but would seem to be limiting this possibility by the heavy handed approach being applied to their delivery.
Please add me. Cyclist and regular user of towpath
Please add me
Local resident and regular user of the towpath