A two-mile cycle lane installed along the A1000 Finchley High Road has not led to an increase in vehicle journey times, according to Barnet Council.

Although some residents and businesses have raised concerns over increased congestion along the route – which runs between Bishops Avenue and Tally Ho Corner -overall journey times in both directions did not change following the scheme’s introduction, a council report claims.

However, the report adds that recent traffic survey data “reflects a transport situation that has been evolving to reflect the impact of Covid restrictions”.

More than 200 responses received during a subsequent council consultation claimed the lane – parts of which have reduced the carriageway used by cars from two lanes to one – had led to increased congestion or air pollution.

But the report states that a comparison of manual journey time surveys taken in July 2021 with historical mobile phone data indicates that journey times have not changed.

Data also showed average levels of nitrogen dioxide had reduced since the lane’s introduction, which the report states is likely due to the loss of parking spaces and the increased distance of the monitors from traffic.

The council is now considering several changes to the cycle lane before holding a consultation on whether to make it permanent. Proposed changes set out in the report include reintroducing two lanes to the A406 flyover by transferring cyclists to the footways.

The town hall is also holding talks with Haringey Council over linking up routes between the two boroughs, which could lead to the A1000 scheme becoming a “strategic cross-borough cycle route towards central London”.

Daniela Boyce, chair of Lodge Lane N12 Residents Association, said the general consensus was that cycle lanes were needed but congestion and air pollution had worsened following the A1000 scheme because of the lanes being “either too wide or non-existent”.

David Clare, North London area lead at the Federation of Small Businesses, said safe cycle lanes were a “really important component of the local travel mix”, but the way the A1000 lane had been implemented was “not the way to go about it” and had caused “a whole lot of associated knock-on problems”.

He said the use of physical barriers had limited pick-ups and drop-offs, which was “only doing more to deter people from shopping in their local high street”, and restricting the width of the road at some points had led to a “massive increase in congestion at peak traffic times”.

Mr Clare said the biggest objection from local businesses had been the way the lane was implemented “out of the blue”, with no prior consultation.

But Jon Klaff, from Barnet Cycling Campaign and Better Streets for Barnet, said there was a “clear demand” for the lane to be extended to High Barnet and beyond.

A council spokesperson said: “The council has been monitoring responses, traffic data and operation of the route. Following feedback, the council recognises that changes to the design need to be considered.”