Last night saw exceptional levels of traffic near my home in west London. This was caused in part by a serious car crash in Shepherds Bush. But there was also a massive surge onto the roads by people running errands, including Christmas shopping, before the second lockdown.

Disappointingly, a number of people have since used the exceptional traffic levels to argue that places like Chiswick, Kensington and Hammersmith should now rip out all their cycle lanes — which have only just been put in place after years of campaigning.

By way of example, this post from a prominent Chiswick councillor talked today about cycle paths as a “triumph of evil” that have resulted in “the destruction” of her home town.

This brings to mind a similar attack on the cycle lane from a local church, which tried to stop it being built by claiming it would “do more damage than the Luftwaffe.”

Addressing solely the issues arising yesterday, it is worth pointing out: shocking traffic and dangerous pollution have been a feature of London for decades.

Furthermore, the cycle lanes didn't cause the traffic yesterday — they simply allowed some people to avoid it. If all the cyclists used 4x4s instead, the jams would have been even longer.

Cyclists have been used to shoddy facilities for years.

It’s not people on bicycles who block emergency vehicles.

Cyclists are used to seeing drivers on the pavement.

But last night took things to a new level — drivers stuck in traffic, caused entirely by an excess of cars at a given moment, seeking to use their own behaviour to dismantle the tiny number of safe routes built for people who ride a bike.

For more info: https://twitter.com/jonburkeUK/status/1321049753166249986?s=19

Great cycling accounts to follow: @HounslowCycling @WeAreCyclingUK @MikeyCycling @IndieChris71 @cyclegaz @righttobikeit @bike_rogers @LocalTemple @anneramsey740 @PompeyCyclist @feckitdotcom @gazza_d @mzdt @PauloCampbell @_Dermatologist @RuthMayorcas @CloverSummers @RnFat

Apologies to anyone missed off this list, like @BobFromAccounts and @EalingCyclists

It's been pointed out to me that the local church also asked for people to pray that God would cancel the cycle lane