Cyclists are using the cycle lane on Kew Road more than twice as much since it was transformed last autumn, Richmond Council says.

In September the council introduced a mandatory 24-hour cycle lane in both directions using a system of raised posts (known as wands and armadillos) to separate cyclists and vehicular traffic.

Yellow line waiting restrictions were upgraded to double yellow lines and peak hour loading restrictions (7am-7pm) have been brought in.

The measures aim to make the road safer and more accessible for cyclists as part of the borough's Post-Covid Transport Action Plan.

Today the council announced that new data collected from cameras on the road recorded an average of 831 Kew Road cycle lane users per week, which is double the average from 2018 (397 cyclists recorded in a week).

Councillor Alexander Ehmann is chairman of the council's Transport and Air Quality Committee.

He said: "During lockdown conditions and variable weather, the fantastic doubling of the number of cyclists along the Kew Road should silence even the most strident critics of this scheme. Until Richmond Council provided these protected lanes, Kew Road was a free parking lot for coaches and cars. The northbound cycle lane was dangerous and inaccessible for many cyclists at most times of day.

"The changes we've made have seen an extraordinary surge in bicycle use on the Kew Road. These journeys by bicycle would almost certainly have been using more polluting forms of transport if the new protected lanes were not available.

"These higher number of cyclists mean we all benefit from the improved air quality, road safety and transit times that are direct impacts of this fantastic facility."

The Mayor of London's Walking and Cycling Commissioner Will Norman said: "It's great to see such a significant increase in the use of the Kew Road cycle lane following changes to make it safer and more accessible for cyclists.

"As the pandemic goes on and public transport remains for those who need it the most, more and more Londoners have turned to cycling for exercise and to complete essential journeys.

Read more: Dispute erupts over Richmond's first protected cycle lane

"These successful changes to the northbound cycle lane show how new and upgraded cycle routes across the capital are helping them do so safely.

"We hope to continue to see more people across the city making use of these improved cycle lanes."

The protected cycle lane will last for a trial period of 18 months with the first six acting as a consultation phase before a decision is made on whether to make it permanent. Questions, concerns and comments can be left by emailing [email protected]