As part of the ‘Streets for People’ initiative, Southwark Council are consulting on making the London Bridge area safer and more pleasant for walking, wheeling and cycling. Overall there is lots to be positive about, and much of it comes as a direct result of campaigning by Southwark Cyclists members (so thank you!)

It only takes a few minutes to complete the consultation and we’ve included a step-by-step guide here. The consultation closes on Sunday 19th October, so there isn’t much time left to voice your support for cycling in Southwark. Don’t miss out!

https://engage.southwark.gov.uk/en-GB/projects/streets-for-people-london-bridge

Streets for People London Bridge Consultation – Southwark Cyclists Guide

The survey has a multiple choice section, and a box for further ideas. For each section, we suggest ticking support for all the multiple choices and add the following answers in the boxes. Even better, if you have the time, to put the responses in your own words. 

Great Suffolk Street, Lavington Street, Pocock Street and Union Street

• Filter more streets to ensure drivers can not rat run, especially ensure further filters are included on Great Suffolk St and Union St 
• Put a bus gate, or cycle tracks on Southwark Bridge Road
• Make the Marshalsea Junction safer for cycling

Webber St

• Support

Sawyer St

• Support

Crosby Row, Kipling Street, Porlock Street, Weston Street and Snowsfields

• Put a modal filter on Snowfields to avoid rat running between Crucifix Lane and Weston St

Abbey Street and Tower Bridge Road junction

• The goal should be to stop traffic on Bermondsey St and Tanner St. 
• Allowing a left turn will not necessarily achieve this. It also presents risks to cyclists.
• The best way to do this is to install a modal filter on Tanner St and make drivers go a different route altogether – eg Great Dover St/Bricklayers Roundabout

Overall feedback – last question

• Overall the intentions are positive but risks of rat running remain. The council should be more cautious of those risks and introduce more modal filters to ensure no rat running is possible.
• There are serious safety concerns on main roads and on junctions with main roads. Particularly dangerous junctions include Borough High St/Marshalsea Road; Borough High St/London Bridge; Southwark Bridge Road/Marshalsea Road.  The council should develop solutions, such as cycle tracks and protected junctions designs, for these.

Further reading on our proposed consultation response…

Southwark Council said they would stop rat runs, but these proposals don’t stop rat runs. We need more “modal filters” (where a road is blocked for motor vehicles at one end or in the middle but open to people walking or cycling) – especially to stop rat runs on Great Suffolk St and Union St; and on Tanner St and Snowfields. When streets have modal filters, they create a true feeling of safety and enable people to play and enjoy the street. Modal filters can also include more planting, seating and biodiversity in the middle of the road. When streets are left open on the other hand, just one dangerous driver speeding, can cause serious danger, and put people off walking and cycling. And of course, less of the street can be used for other things.

Southwark also need to deal with dangerous junctions and main roads. Southwark Bridge Road has an old-school (not very good) cycle track on it, but this must be improved. Especially the junction with Marshalsea Road and the section south of there. Tooley St also has a patchy cycle track that needs upgrading. Borough High St is a horrendous street for cycling and must be improved too.

Tanner St – it is important to reduce traffic on Bermondsey St and Tanner St. However, the best way to do this is to filter Tanner St. Enabling the Abbey St left turn onto Tower Bridge Road (as Southwark propose) would not necessarily solve the issue as drivers would still look to cut the corner, whereas filtering Tanner St would be guaranteed to work. Given enabling a left turn potentially presents risk to cyclists, it would be preferable to simply require drivers to pursue alternative routes (eg via Great Dover St/Bricklayers Roundabout).

Don’t miss the chance to have you say! Fill in the consultation here. It only takes a minute.

Deadline to comment: Sunday 19 October 2025