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Sky and GSK back West London Cycle Superhighway plansCS9 Chiswick High Road

Sky and GSK back West London Cycle Superhighway plans

Blue-chip firms also call for route to be extended to Hyde Park in the east and Heathrow in the west
by Simon_MacMichael
Mon, Oct 30, 2017 19:58
14

Two of West London’s biggest employers – the broadcaster Sky, and pharmaceutical firm GSK – have backed plans for a Cycle Superhighway that will run from Kensington Olympia to Brentford.

Moreover, Sky – which until last year sponsored British Cycling, and still backs the UCI WorldTour team that bears its name – has called for the route to be extended to Hyde Park Corner in the east, and Heathrow airport in the west.

Both companies are signed up to the Cycling Works West website, which highlights how employers in the area are in favour of the planned infrastructure.

Bella Vuillermoz, director of Osterley-based Sky, said: “Like many organisations in London a growing number of Sky’s employees cycle to work, but an even larger proportion of our employees would cycle to work if they felt comfortable and safe on the roads.

“Sky has a long and passionate history with cycling, we have a professional cycling team and our partnership with British Cycling resulted in over 1.7 million more people now cycling regularly compared to 2008.

“We harness our passion through to our colleagues by providing excellent facilities to make it easier to cycle to work; free cycle servicing and discounted parts from our onsite cycle shop, showers, drying rooms, lockers, cycle parking and a Cycle to Work initiative with over 1,000 participants.

“However, we recognise that safe cycle routes are vital to increase the take up of cycling as a commuting option in outer London,” she continued,

“In light of this, Sky welcomes TfL’s CS9 proposals; as a Cycle Superhighway connecting Hounslow to central London, it will provide a continuous connection for more of our staff and visitors.

“In addition to the current plans, we would also like to see the original plan of extending the route to Hyde Park in the east, and Heathrow Airport in the west developed and progressed.”

Catherine Warwick-Wilson, UK Transport Development Manager at GSK which has its global headquarters in Brentford, said: “Safe cycle routes are vital to continue to attract increased take up of cycling as a commuting option in outer London.

“A Cycle Superhighway connecting Hounslow to central London will provide a continuous connection to retail and transport hubs for more of our staff and visitors therefore GSK are happy to support TfL’s CS9 proposals.

“In addition to the current plans, we would like to see the original plan of extending the route to Hyde Park in the east and Heathrow Airport in the west developed and progressed,” she added.

Other organisations backing the plans include the housing association L&Q, the charity Middlesex Association for the Blind, and creative agency Now Comms.

CS9
Sky
GSK
Cycle Superhighway 9
Simon MacMichael

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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14 comments

Avatar
redhanded | 7 years ago
0 likes

Over 100,000 people work at Heathrow so better cycle routes there are for people working rather than passengers.

The annual trips of one worker are equivalent to a couple of plane loads of passenger trips.

Avatar
Edgeley replied to redhanded | 7 years ago
0 likes

redhanded wrote:

Over 100,000 people work at Heathrow so better cycle routes there are for people working rather than passengers.

The annual trips of one worker are equivalent to a couple of plane loads of passenger trips.

 

And a lot of that 100,000 work in the area inside the runways, ie not at T4 or T5 or the cargo area.  They are not only not provided with safe cycling facilties, but forbidden to cycle to work.   There is no cycle access at all.

Avatar
BehindTheBikesheds | 7 years ago
3 likes

This statement right here replicated literally millions of tmes over "an even larger proportion of our employees would cycle to work if they felt comfortable and safe on the roads" is why

Jesse 'I'm a clueless fecker' Norman who says “I don’t know if there’s evidence about [people being] too scared to cycle" is a clusterfuck of epic proportions. Fix the real issues and any thought about hi-vis/helmets disappears even if you ignore the existing evidence!

Take back one side of the existing infrastructure and voila, if motors have to change their routes which takes more time, so be it, find a solution, people on bikes have being doing this and effectively pushed off the roads for best part of a 100 years!

 

Avatar
bobinski | 7 years ago
1 like

A fair bit of traffic to airports is of course workers and staff, many Low paid, simply getting to their jobs so any infrastructure improvements that allow safe cycling for them would likely be appreciated. 

Avatar
Edgeley | 7 years ago
4 likes

Part of the extension to Heathrow might include allowing bike access to the terminals inside the runways, ie 1, 2, 3.  It is currently forbidden to access them other than by train or motor vehicle.

 

Or plane.

Avatar
Grahamd replied to Edgeley | 7 years ago
0 likes

Edgeley wrote:

Part of the extension to Heathrow might include allowing bike access to the terminals inside the runways, ie 1, 2, 3.  It is currently forbidden to access them other than by train or motor vehicle.

 

Or plane.

Or boat.

 

Avatar
davel replied to Grahamd | 7 years ago
0 likes

Grahamd wrote:

Edgeley wrote:

Part of the extension to Heathrow might include allowing bike access to the terminals inside the runways, ie 1, 2, 3.  It is currently forbidden to access them other than by train or motor vehicle.

 

Or plane.

Or boat.

 

Or Santa's sleigh.

Avatar
kitsunegari | 7 years ago
5 likes

It's going to take a lot more companies coming out and saying things like this for it to get through the thick skulls of luddites wedded to the motor car, but chapeau Sky and GSK.

Avatar
kil0ran | 7 years ago
9 likes

Wow.

LHR to Central London would probably be quickest by bike if the infrastructure was there, this is how it should be done.

 

 

Avatar
kraut replied to kil0ran | 7 years ago
2 likes

kil0ran wrote:

Wow.

LHR to Central London would probably be quickest by bike if the infrastructure was there, this is how it should be done.

Not sure 22k with a suitcase will be quicker by bike than by Heathrow Express for most people...but yes, proper infrastructure really must be built ASAP!

Avatar
DaveE128 replied to kraut | 7 years ago
4 likes
kraut wrote:

kil0ran wrote:

Wow.

LHR to Central London would probably be quickest by bike if the infrastructure was there, this is how it should be done.

Not sure 22k with a suitcase will be quicker by bike than by Heathrow Express for most people...but yes, proper infrastructure really must be built ASAP!

Business opportunity for cargo bike hire from Heathrow? 3

Avatar
VonPinkhoffen replied to DaveE128 | 7 years ago
1 like

DaveE128 wrote:
kraut wrote:

kil0ran wrote:

Wow.

LHR to Central London would probably be quickest by bike if the infrastructure was there, this is how it should be done.

Not sure 22k with a suitcase will be quicker by bike than by Heathrow Express for most people...but yes, proper infrastructure really must be built ASAP!

Business opportunity for cargo bike hire from Heathrow? 3

The PedalMe guys would love that! 

Avatar
Peter12345 replied to kraut | 7 years ago
1 like

kraut wrote:

kil0ran wrote:

Wow.

LHR to Central London would probably be quickest by bike if the infrastructure was there, this is how it should be done.

Not sure 22k with a suitcase will be quicker by bike than by Heathrow Express for most people...but yes, proper infrastructure really must be built ASAP!

I suspect Sky and Heathrow are thinking that their 40,000 + employees, many of whom live in the local area would use it. I don't see many people with 30kg suitcases cycling to the airport!

Avatar
step83 replied to Peter12345 | 7 years ago
0 likes

Peter12345 wrote:

kraut wrote:

kil0ran wrote:

Wow.

LHR to Central London would probably be quickest by bike if the infrastructure was there, this is how it should be done.

Not sure 22k with a suitcase will be quicker by bike than by Heathrow Express for most people...but yes, proper infrastructure really must be built ASAP!

I suspect Sky and Heathrow are thinking that their 40,000 + employees, many of whom live in the local area would use it. I don't see many people with 30kg suitcases cycling to the airport!

 

Some nutter would to try an blag some suffer score on Strava

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