In response to TfL's call for feedback on the cycling superhighways and the year of cycling

Dear Mr. Jardine,

I'm writing to briefly provide some feedback on the cycling superhighways.

I live in Richmond, and thus have no immediate access to the highways, but I have followed extensive debate, videos and articles about them.

The general points I'd like to make are as follows:
1. None of the highways appears to comprise of a mandatory zone - i.e. one which may nto be used by bicycles, meaning that cyclists must still constantly assert their road position / rights. This is not, to my mind, a good way to encourage new cyclists.
2. None of the highways appears to provide a single unbroken route. They are regularly broken for parking, turns, and other car-centric road design. Once again, this is no way to encourage novices to get on their bikes.
3. All of the routes seem based on shared infrastructure - cyclists are expected to mix it up with cars as equals, when this clearly isn't the case.
4. I've seen no evidence that there is a link between the very low plans to increase cycling in London, and the volume of cycling traffic on the highways: in other words, do we have any conception that the highways will deal with a quadrupling of cycling traffic?

To be honest, I'm generally disappointed at the failure to consider independent infrastructure for cycling, and I'm disappointed that the overall goal (1.5m journeys) is so unambitious.

Sincerely,

Tim Lennon.