Following uproar over the largely decorative, acutely central, Garden Bridge many Londoners today will be in part mollified by mayor Boris Johnson's proposal for 13 new practical London river crossings.
The announcement comes as part of the Mayor of London's vision for the future of the capital, and gives the go-ahead for crossings spanning the city, from Fulham to Dartford.
In particular, the need for more crossings between east and south east London has been well documented, and TfL is now consulting on crossings at Gallions Reach to link Thamesmead and Beckton, and another crossing linking Belvedere to Rainham. Both are planned to include a "range of transport options", which hopefully means cyclists are being taken into consideration.
Options are also being considered for a new pedestrian and cycle crossing between Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf.
Said Boris Johnson: “Building a series of new bridges and tunnels across the Thames is essential for the future prosperity of our rapidly-growing city."
Planning for some of these east London crossings is very much in the nascent stages, with TfL admitting "It has not yet been decided whether the crossings should be bridges or tunnels."
Conversely, many of the 13 proposed crossings are hardly fresh; some, such as the Crossrail link between Abbey Wood and Canary Wharf, and the Silvertown Tunnel — have been in the offing for a while. Another of the crossings mentioned is the Garden Bridge itself.
All 13 crossings are hoped to be delivered between now and 2050, "subject to funding".
