The coroner who presided over inquests into the deaths of two cyclists at either end of Cycle Superhighway 2 called on Transport for London to build a highly innovative solution at the Aldgate end to prevent cyclists being killed.
After hearing evidence in the case of the death of French student Philippine de Gerin-Ricard killed near Aldgate East station, Coroner Mary Hassell said yesterday: "I’m going to write to TfL to encourage an innovative response to the problems of this junction. When I say innovative, I mean: try to think of something that hasn’t been thought before."
Hassell described the death of de Gerin-Ricard – who died under the wheels of a lorry whose driver didn't see her because she was in a blind spot – as a "terrible accident".
Aldgate is a notorious cycling blackspot. A consultation that considered highway changes around Aldgate was held over the summer.
Hassell will combine evidence from de Gerin-Ricard's case with testimony from an inquest into Brian Dorling's death at the other end of CS2 at Bow Roundabout in a prevention of future death report.
The report will be sent to the Chief Coroner and Transport for London, reported the Evening Standard. Hassell, who described London as "a city with too many people, too many vehicles, too little space," in her full conclusion into the death of the student, also said more needed to do more to educate cyclists how to be safe.
She said: “The other matter about which I’m going to make a report is the education of cyclists. I think we could change our culture. I appreciate that change has already begun."
