Strava urged to delete popular London cycling segment after deadly crash

Strava has been urged to remove the roads of Regent's Park, London, from segments, after a pedestrian was killed in a collision with a cyclist.

The operator of Regent's Park, The Royal Parks, has written to Strava and other cycling apps to ask for the removal of the Outer Circle from its leaderboards. It follows a collision involving Hilda Griffiths, 81, a pedestrian who was hit by a cyclist, Brian Fitzgerald, in June 2022, and later died of her injuries.

However, no prosecution was brought as speed limits do not apply to cyclists, with it being recorded as an "accidental cycling collision death". At the Coroners' Court hearing, it was said that the cyclists had been travelling at up to 29mph in Regent's Park, where the speed limit for cars is 20mph.

The case has seen renewed calls for crackdowns on cycling speeds in the national media. 

The Royal Parks has written to Strava to ask for the removal of the Outer Circle segment. Regent's Park is one of the most popular places to cycle in central London, with more than 62,000 people completing the Regent's Park Outer Circle segment.

The theory is that with no segment, there would be less incentive for timed laps of the park. However, its popularity lies with it being a largely car-free space in the centre of one of the biggest cities in the world.

The fastest ever public completion of the Regent's Park CCW segment, which is 4.4km long, was 4:49 in September last year, which means it was done at a speed of 54.8km/h, or 34mph.

It was also reported that The Royal Parks had written to clubs that used the park to remind them that cyclists using any royal park are required "to observe the motor vehicle speed limits for the park".

A Royal Parks spokesperson said: "We were extremely sorry to hear of the incident which resulted in the death of Hilda Griffiths. We will continue to work with local stakeholders, including cycling groups, to inform our approach. We have made contact and will follow up with cycling apps such as Strava to request removal of the Outer Circle in the Regent’s Park as a segment on the app."

A document was sent to cycling clubs stating that "pedestrians have priority with the Royal Parks, as they make up the majority of park visitors". It added: "We do ask that cyclists observe the motor vehicle speed limit for the park." However, Cycling Weekly understands that this is not a new document, instead just the Royal Park's policy statement from last year.

"Park visitors, whatever their mode of transport, must comply with the Park Regulations," the Royal Parks statement read. "All road users must use the roads in an appropriate manner to the prevailing conditions, and with due care for themselves and for others."

A Strava spokesperson said that anyone could report a segment as "hazardous" through its app.

"At Strava, safety of our active community and those around them is a priority, and we have community standards that note that “sports happen in dynamic environments that we share with motorists, pedestrians, other people, equestrians, pets and wildlife'," the spokesperson said. "Strava expects those in our community to “prioritise everyone's safety and enjoyment of our shared resources and respect the law.” The behaviours related to this incident violate Strava’s community standards.

 "At the end of last week, we received a request from Royal Parks to discuss the cycling route segment where the incident occurred. The ability to flag a cycling route segment as hazardous already exists in Strava. Anyone can report a segment that they would deem as hazardous. 

"If segments are flagged as hazardous, achievements are not awarded for that segment and leaderboards are disabled. Any Strava community member who cycles on that same route segment will receive a warning of the hazards on that segment."

It is not the first time that Regent's Park and cycling have been in the news this year. In February, an umbrella body of London-based cyclists called for action from the Metropolitan Police to tackle a series of violent bike robberies which have affected their members.