Cycle Superhighway 3 (CS3) is a

cycle path A bike path is a bikeway separated from motorized traffic and dedicated to cycling or shared with pedestrians or other non-motorized users. In the US a bike path sometimes encompasses ''shared use paths'', "multi-use path", or "Class III bikewa ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, United Kingdom. It is part of the Cycleway network coordinated by TfL. It runs from Barking in the east to

Lancaster Gate Lancaster Gate is a mid-19th century development in the Bayswater district of central London, immediately to the north of Kensington Gardens. It consists of two long terraces of houses overlooking the park, with a wide gap between them openi ...

in central London. It is a popular route with both commuter and leisure cyclists, passing a number of major destinations in London along its route. For almost the entire route, cyclists are separated from other traffic in segregated cycle lanes, and

cycling infrastructure Cycling infrastructure is all infrastructure cyclists are allowed to use. Bikeways include bike paths, bike lanes, cycle tracks, rail trails and, where permitted, sidewalks. Roads used by motorists are also cycling infrastructure, except w ...

has been provided at major interchanges. CS3 will be renamed to Cycleway 3 (C3).

Route

CS3 begins in Barking and ends at Lancaster Gate in the

City of Westminster The City of Westminster is a city and borough in Inner London. It is the site of the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament and much of the British government. It occupies a large area of central Greater London, including most of the West En ...

Barking to Leamouth

CS3 begins to the south of Greatfields Park in Barking, at the intersection between River Road and the A13 (Alfred's Way). The beginning of the Superhighway can be found at the southern side of the junction as a narrow, two-way cycle track signed "Cycle Superhighway (CS3)" towards

Canning Town Canning Town is a district in the London Borough of Newham, East London. The district is located to the north of the Royal Victoria Dock, and has been described as the "Child of the Victoria Docks" as the timing and nature of its urbanisation ...

(25 mins),

Canary Wharf Canary Wharf is an area of London, England, located near the Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Canary Wharf is defined by the Greater London Authority as being part of London's central business district, alongside Central Lon ...

(35 mins) and

Tower Gateway Tower Gateway is a Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station in the City of London and is located near the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. It adjoins the tracks to Fenchurch Street station and is located on the site of a former station called Mi ...

(55 mins). The journey times are signposted and calculated by TfL. The cycle track is coloured blue. Heading westbound, the blue cycle track is intermittent, sharing its space with the pedestrian footpath. This continues for around 500 metres before the blue, two-way track returns as a constant feature running in parallel with the A13, separated from the main carriageway by a kerb. CS3 and the A13 cross the

Barking Creek Barking Creek joins the River Roding to the River Thames. It is fully tidal up to the Barking Barrage (a weir), which impounds a minimum water level through Barking. In the 1850s, the creek was home to England's largest fishing fleet and a Vic ...

alongside one another, at the same time crossing from

Barking and Dagenham The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham () is a London borough in East London. It lies around 9 miles (14.4 km) east of Central London. It is an Outer London borough and the south is within the London Riverside section of the Thames Ga ...

into

Newham The London Borough of Newham is a London borough created in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. It covers an area previously administered by the Essex county boroughs of West Ham and East Ham, authorities that were both abolished by the ...

. After crossing Barking Creek, CS3 branches southwards so as to avoid clashing with traffic at the busy junction between the A13, the A406/North Circular and A1020. Having passed beneath the A1020/Royal Docks Road, CS3 continues to run parallel to the A13 (Newham Way), segregated from traffic on the main carriageway. On this section, the Superhighway passes through

Beckton Beckton is a suburb in east London, England, located east of Charing Cross and part of the London Borough of Newham. Adjacent to the River Thames, the area consisted of unpopulated marshland known as the East Ham Levels in the parishes of Barki ...

, where there is a short cycle link southwards towards

Beckton DLR station Beckton is the eastern terminus of the Beckton branch of the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) in the Docklands area of east London. It is in Travelcard Zone 3. History When the London Docks and Beckton Gasworks were active, they were served by ...

, and then to the east of

Canning Town station Canning Town is a London Underground, Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and London Buses station in Canning Town in London, England. It is designed as an intermodal metro and bus station, fully opening in 1999 as part of the Jubilee Line Extensio ...

, before running in parallel to the A13 once more to cross Bow Creek. The entirety of this section through Newham is shared with route 13 of the 1980s-era

London Cycle Network Cycle routes in London that have been waymarked with formal route signage include "Cycleways" (including "Cycle Superhighways" and "Quietways") and the older London Cycle Network, all designated by the local government body Transport for Londo ...

Leamouth to Tower Gateway

To the west of Bow Creek, CS3 enters

Tower Hamlets The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough covering much of the traditional East End. It was formed in 1965 from the merger of the former metropolitan boroughs of Stepney, Poplar, and Bethnal Green. 'Tower Hamlets' was originally ...

and heads south of East India Dock Road (A13) into

Leamouth Leamouth is a locality in the Blackwall area of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The area takes its name from the former ''Leamouth Wharf'' and lies on the west side of the confluence of the Bow Creek stretch of the Lea, at its confluence ...

on the western pavement of Leamouth Road. Still signposted but no longer a blue cycle track, CS3 then heads westbound on Sorrel Lane, southbound on Oregano Drive, then westbound on Saffron Avenue. Cyclists share road space with other traffic in this more residential area. CS3 passes through Poplar, just north of

, sharing

Poplar High Street Poplar High Street is a street in Poplar and partly in Blackwall, Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. Although the street became less used after 1860, it had previously been the principal street in Poplar. Notable buildings on Poplar H ...

with other road traffic. At the western end of Poplar High Street, the Superhighway continues along Ming Street and Premiere Place, passing

Westferry DLR station Westferry is a station on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), at the junction of Limehouse Causeway and Westferry Road in Limehouse in London Docklands, England. The station is located in Travelcard Zone 2. To the west is Limehouse station, whi ...

to the north. Continuing westbound, CS3 follows

Limehouse Limehouse is a district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in East London. It is east of Charing Cross, on the northern bank of the River Thames. Its proximity to the river has given it a strong maritime character, which it retains through ...

Causeway and Narrow Street, briefly running parallel to the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

. Still signposted, CS3 then heads roughly north, joining

Cable Street Cable Street is a road in the East End of London, England, with several historic landmarks nearby. It was made famous by the Battle of Cable Street in 1936. Location Cable Street starts near the edge of London's financial district, the City ...

at its eastern terminus. On Cable Street, the Superhighway is segregated from other road traffic on a narrow, two-way cycle track. The track itself pre-dates the Cycle Superhighway, constructed as part of the London Cycle Network, but CS3 introduced wayfinding and blue surfacing to aid routefinding. The Superhighway runs the entire length of Cable Street, passing both the

Cable Street Mural The Cable Street Mural is a large mural painting in Shadwell in East London. It was painted on the side of St George's Town Hall by Dave Binnington, Paul Butler, Ray Walker and Desmond Rochfort between 1979 and 1983 to commemorate the Battle ...

and Shadwell DLR and

London Overground London Overground (also known simply as the Overground) is a suburban rail network serving London and its environs. Established in 2007 to take over Silverlink Metro routes, (via archive.org). it now serves a large part of Greater London as w ...

stations. CS3 leaves Tower Hamlets on Royal Mint Street, entering the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...

Tower Gateway to Lancaster Gate

The Superhighway crosses London's Inner Ring Road near Tower Gateway station.

Tower Bridge Tower Bridge is a Grade I listed combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, built between 1886 and 1894, designed by Horace Jones and engineered by John Wolfe Barry with the help of Henry Marc Brunel. It crosses the River Thames clos ...

and the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sep ...

are visible to the south of CS3. Entering the City of London, CS3 is a wide cycle track segregated from other road traffic. This remains the case until CS3 reaches the

Palace of Westminster The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parliament, the Palace lies on the north b ...

. In the City, the Superhighway avoids the busy centre, instead running in parallel to the Thames. Remaining segregated from other traffic, CS3 meets C6 in a

grade-separated junction A grade-separated junction is a transport junction where at least one bridge or tunnel is used to separate traffic flows (known as grade separation). Relevant articles include: * Road interchanges Interchange may refer to: Transport * Interch ...

at Blackfriars. At this point, the Superhighway crosses

Victoria Embankment Victoria Embankment is part of the Thames Embankment, a road and river-walk along the north bank of the River Thames in London. It runs from the Palace of Westminster to Blackfriars Bridge in the City of London, and acts as a major thoroughfar ...

, following the Embankment until it reaches its southern terminus at the Palace of Westminster and

Westminster Bridge Westminster Bridge is a road-and-foot-traffic bridge over the River Thames in London, linking Westminster on the west side and Lambeth on the east side. The bridge is painted predominantly green, the same colour as the leather seats in the ...

. CS3 crosses the boundary between the City of London and the

At the end of Victoria Embankment, CS3 heads westbound on Bridge Street, again as a wide, segregated cycle track, passing

Parliament Square Parliament Square is a square at the northwest end of the Palace of Westminster in the City of Westminster in central London. Laid out in the 19th century, it features a large open green area in the centre with trees to its west, and it contai ...

on its northernmost edge. CS3 then passes several government offices as it continues westbound, running along the entire length of

Birdcage Walk Birdcage Walk is a street in the City of Westminster in London. It runs east–west as a continuation of Great George Street, from the crossroads with Horse Guards Road and Storey's Gate, with the Treasury building and the Institution of Mech ...

(the southern boundary of

St. James's Park St James's Park is a park in the City of Westminster, central London. It is at the southernmost tip of the St James's area, which was named after a leper hospital dedicated to St James the Less. It is the most easterly of a near-continuous ch ...

). CS3 then heads briefly north, passing

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

, before continuing westbound again on Constitution Hill as a segregated bike freeway. The Superhighway then passes through the middle of

Hyde Park Corner Hyde Park Corner is between Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Mayfair in London, England. It primarily refers to its major road junction at the southeastern corner of Hyde Park, that was designed by Decimus Burton. Six streets converge at the ...

, sharing space with pedestrians. Leaving Hyde Park Corner to the north, CS3 heads sharply westbound along a wide bike freeway which runs along the southern edge of Hyde Park (South Carriage Drive). At the end of the Drive, CS3 heads sharply northbound, following West Carriage Drive to its terminus at Lancaster Gate. The beginning of CS3 at Lancaster Gate is signposted towards Hyde Park Corner (11 mins), Westminster (20 mins) and

Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensington Garden ...

Destinations

Barking and Dagenham

* Greatfields Park

Newham

Newham University Hospital Newham University Hospital is an acute general hospital situated in Plaistow in the London Borough of Newham. It is managed by Barts Health NHS Trust. History The hospital was built to replace Queen Mary's Hospital for the East End in Stratfo ...

Bow Creek Ecology Park Bow Creek Ecology Park is a small open space along Bow Creek (England), Bow Creek tidal estuary of the River Lea in Canning Town in London Borough of Newham, Newham, in east London. It is operated by the regional Lee Valley Park system. Descr ...

Tower Hamlets

East India DLR station East India is a station on Docklands Light Railway (DLR) in Leamouth, east London. It takes its name from the nearby former East India Docks of the Port of London, where ships trading with the Indian subcontinent used to dock. It is on the Bec ...

Blackwall DLR station Blackwall is a Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station in Blackwall area of Poplar in London, England. It is located very close to the northern entrance to the Blackwall road tunnel under the River Thames. The station is on the Beckton branch ...

* Shadwell DLR station *

Shadwell Railway station Shadwell is a London Overground station in Shadwell in East London. It was formerly a London Underground station on the East London line until 2007. The station is between to the north and to the south. It is located near to Shadwell DLR st ...

City of London

* Tower Gateway station * Tower Hill station *

Cannon Street station Cannon Street station, also known as London Cannon Street, is a central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in Travelcard zone 1 located on Cannon Street in the City of London and managed by Network Rail. It is ...

Blackfriars station Blackfriars, also known as London Blackfriars, is a central London railway station and connected London Underground station in the City of London. It provides Thameslink services: local (from North to South London), and regional (Bedford an ...

City of Westminster

* Temple station *

Embankment station Embankment is a London Underground station in the City of Westminster, known by various names during its history. It is served by the Circle, District, Northern and Bakerloo lines. On the Bakerloo line and the Charing Cross branch of the North ...

and

Big Ben Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England, and the name is frequently extended to refer also to the clock and the clock tower. The officia ...

* Westminster station *

Churchill War Rooms The Churchill War Rooms is a museum in London and one of the five branches of the Imperial War Museum. The museum comprises the ''Cabinet War Rooms'', a historic underground complex that housed a British government command centre throughout the ...

HM Treasury His Majesty's Treasury (HM Treasury), occasionally referred to as the Exchequer, or more informally the Treasury, is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, department of Government of the United Kingdom, His Majesty's Government ...

Green Park Green Park, officially The Green Park, is one of the Royal Parks of London. It is in the southern part – the core part – of the City of Westminster, Central London, but before that zone was extended to the north, to take in Marylebo ...

* Wellington Arch *

Hyde Park Corner station Hyde Park Corner is a London Underground station near Hyde Park Corner in Hyde Park. It is in Travelcard Zone 1, between Knightsbridge and Green Park on the Piccadilly line. History The station was opened by the Great Northern, Piccadilly and ...

* Hyde Park *

Exhibition Road Exhibition Road is a street in South Kensington, London which is home to several major museums and academic establishments, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum. Overview The road g ...

Serpentine Gallery The Serpentine Galleries are two contemporary art galleries in Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Central London. Recently rebranded to just Serpentine, the organisation is split across Serpentine South, previously known as the Serpentine Gallery ...

* Lancaster Gate station

History

CS3 was constructed in 3 sections: # Barking to Tower Gateway in the east, opened July 2010 # Tower Gateway to Parliament Square, opened April 2016 # Parliament Square to Lancaster Gate in the west, opened September 2018 The route which became known as CS3 was originally proposed by the former

Mayor of London The mayor of London is the chief executive of the Greater London Authority. The role was created in 2000 after the Greater London devolution referendum in 1998, and was the first directly elected mayor in the United Kingdom. The current m ...

Ken Livingstone Kenneth Robert Livingstone (born 17 June 1945) is an English politician who served as the Leader of the Greater London Council (GLC) from 1981 until the council was abolished in 1986, and as Mayor of London from the creation of the office ...

. In 2008, Livingstone proposed a "cycling transformation in London," at the same time announcing the "biggest investment in cycling in London's history." CS3 was one of the original twelve "motorways of cycling," and was designed to take cyclists along the route it currently occupies from Barking to Lancaster Gate. It was proposed that CS3 would then join up with two further superhighways - CS9 and CS10 - to extend the network in to West London. When

Boris Johnson Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (; born 19 June 1964) is a British politician, writer and journalist who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He previously served as ...

became mayor in 2008, he proceeded with a modified Cycle Superhighways plan, which retained some of these radial routes, including the Barking to Tower Gateway CS3 as one of the first 2 routes to be delivered. But Johnson's plan initially excluded any major routes through the very centre of London. This decision to drop the central London routes was reversed 4 years later with a manifesto commitment made by Johnson in the 2012 London elections, which followed criticism of the design quality of the first Cycle Superhighways to be delivered, and a high profile campaign by

London Cycling Campaign The London Cycling Campaign (LCC) is an independent membership charity lobbying for better conditions for cycling in London. Its vision is to make London "a world-class cycling city". It is one of the largest urban cycling organisations in the ...

calling for upgrades and for the missing links across central London. Johnson dubbed this central section of the route a "

Crossrail Crossrail is a railway construction project mainly in central London. Its aim is to provide a high-frequency hybrid commuter rail and rapid transit system crossing the capital from suburbs on the west to east, by connecting two major railway l ...

for cyclists," hoping to create a "cleaner, safer, greener city."

References

{{Reflist Cycleways in London