London to Brighton gridlock after traffic blocked event cycle lane — British Heart Foundation insists charity ride had "positive feedback"

Some of the British Heart Foundation's London to Brighton riders were faced with scenes of gridlock as they rode the final metres of the 54-mile charity ride on Sunday after a lack of segregation meant traffic filled a lane designated for the event.

In scenes seen in a video shot by local news outlet The Argus, and shared on Facebook, riders negotiating the final stages in Brighton can be seen weaving between stationary vehicles in both lanes.

Signs were put up to inform road users the left-hand lane was supposed to be used by the event, however it seems a lack of segregation meant by the time the riders seen in the video reached the Grand Parade it was full of traffic.

Despite the ugly pictures, Elizabeth Tack, operations lead at the British Heart Foundation said they received "positive feedback" from event control about traffic flow at the scene and the police reported "no incidents".

"We had positive feedback from the ground and event control said that the aquarium roundabout was working well and allowing all traffic to flow east and west when safe to do so. Police who were present on the ground at this point reported no incidents to us in event control," she said.

"While we're not able to close the Grand Parade, we have a dedicated cone line for cyclists for the last 250 metres of the ride.

Well done to the 14,000 riders who took part in the #LondonToBrighton Bike Ride yesterday - including the Mayor of London @SadiqKhan!
🚴‍♀️🚴🚴‍♂️https://t.co/IVZNib4Ef3 pic.twitter.com/QMtu4E87bt

— BBC Radio Sussex (@BBCSussex) June 20, 2022

"To help relieve traffic in the lead up to Brighton Pier, we started pausing cyclists from 9am at the top of Coldean Lane and the junction with Ditchling Road to minimise the flow of riders coming into town.

"We work closely with Brighton and Hove City Council to minimise any disruption caused by our London to Brighton Bike," she concluded, before adding that the event is organised following a "thorough" consultation with the city council and other relevant authorities.

Today is the day! 🥳 We can’t believe that after a three-year hiatus, we are finally welcoming you back to our iconic city to coast bike ride. 🚴‍♀️🚴Thank you to everyone who has fundraised for our cause. Good luck and we’ll see you on the finish line! 🏆#LondontoBrighton pic.twitter.com/xLEzENtGRJ

— BHF (@TheBHF) June 19, 2022

"A small section of the event route on Grand Parade, between Kingswood Street to the Marlborough and Old Steine junction, did not have a section of road dedicated to the London to Brighton Bike Ride," a spokesperson from the council explained.

"Working with organisers, we agreed a route that we felt would minimise disruption through the new-look Valley Gardens. As we do with all events in the city, we will review any issues raised with organisers during a thorough debrief and agree any changes needed for next year's bike ride."

The popular charity ride returned to the roads of the south of England on Father's Day following a two-year hiatus during the pandemic.

More than 14,000 riders, including Mayor of London Sadiq Khan took part in the event, which raises money for the British Heart Foundation's research into preventing, diagnosing and curing heart and circulatory diseases.

Home straight! #LondonToBrighton 🚴🏾‍♀️ pic.twitter.com/BR4rRZehIN

— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) June 19, 2022

At the finish, Khan said he had been "delighted" to take part, and "a fantastic crowd gave us riders a much-needed boost for the final push."

Jason Cooper, drummer for The Cure, raised more than £9,000 and took part in memory of his former drum tech, Paul 'Ricky' Welton, who died in 2019.

"It was a fantastic day," he told event staff. "The atmosphere was amazing, especially the crowds coming into Brighton cheering us on. I am so proud to be raising money for the BHF in memory of my great friend Ricky. He was a superb band member, and we shared some great moments together. But more importantly, he was a just a lovely guy. He was taken too soon, and we all miss him dearly."

London to Brighton riders have raised more than £70 million for the charity in its 45 years of running, with the BHF's Chief Executive concluding they are "thrilled to be back".

Did you ride the London to Brighton? How was your experience of the day? Let us know in the comments...