London cyclists might be getting a 136 miles of new bike path in the near future. What makes the project especially interesting though is the proposed plan will put the bike path above the city’s existing rail lines.
The project dubbed “SkyCycle” is the dream of Norman Foster developed with Exterior Architecture and Space Syntax. A vision of futuristic public transportation, the design would be suspended on pylons above the tracks, be 15 meters wide and have over 200 access points, allowing for up to 12,000 cyclists per hour.
Foster describes the plan as a lateral approach to the already congested city.“By using the corridors above the suburban railways,” he said, “we could create a world-class network of safe, car-free cycle routes that are ideally located for commuters.”
Though the project has the backing of the Network Rail and Transport for London, of course, the big issue is funding.
“We certainly don’t want to take money away from making cycling safe on the roads,” says Sam Martin of Exterior Architecture. “That should remain the priority. But our ambition is to redirect some of the money spent by central government on rail and road expenditure. Those billions can be used much more efficiently.”
Via The Guardian