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Super-highways in Ken's £500m cycle revolution
Pippa Crerar, Political Correspondent11.02.08
A massive network of cycle superhighways and thousands of "hire-andride" bikes were announced today as part of a £500 million bid to boost cycling in London.
Ken Livingstone unveiled an ambitious programme that also includes cycle zones in suburban town centres and more bike parks at Tube and railway stations. It aims to stimulate a 400 per cent increase in people pedalling round the capital by 2025, reducing congestion and carbon emissions.
The cycling proposal is one of several green announcements expected from the Mayor in coming weeks. He is expected to announce his decision to raise the congestion charge for drivers of high-polluting "Chelsea tractors" to £25 a day and proposals to refit hundreds of civic buildings across the capital to make them more energy efficient.
The environment will also be the focus of a debate this Thursday which will bring Mr Livingstone face to face with all three main rivals - Tory Boris Johnson, Liberal Democrat Brian Paddick and Green Sian Berry - for the first time. However, before the cycling schemes can go ahead, Transport for London will need to get agreement from local councils. The cycling programme includes:
• About a dozen radial cycling corridors for commuters into central London, mostly on existing London Cycle Network routes. The first will be in place by 2010 with five more by the time of the Olympics in 2012. They will include routes from Balham, Hackney and Uxbridge and will have continuous, wide cycle lanes, dedicated junctions and clear signs.
• A Paris-style cycle hire scheme with 6,000 bikes parked in docking stations every 300 metres across central London, including at railway stations and major tourist attractions. The first will appear in 2010 and passengers will be offered a free period of use.
• Around 850 extra bike parking spots at suburban rail, Tube and DLR stations over the next two years.
• A series of "bike zones" in 15 suburban town centres such as Richmond and Croydon. With cycle priority streets where cars give way to bikes, 20mph speed limits and quick and clear routes linking residential areas to schools, stations, parks and shops.
The proposals come after a campaign by the Standard to promote safer cycling. Mr Livingstone said: "We will spend something like £500 million over the next decade on cycling - the biggest investment in cycling in London's history - which will mean that thousands more Londoners can cycle in confidence, on routes that take them quickly and safely to where they want to go."
Jenny Jones, Green Party member of the London Assembly, said the plans were exactly what was needed to persuade Londoners out of their cars.
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Reader views (13)
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Existing cycle lanes are a joke, whoever built them has clearly never ridden a bicycle to work. They are bumpy, cracked, strewn with rubbish and don't go where you want them to. They are not Ken's legacy but he is reforming them. I'm very excited about the super highways. They are a step in the right direction by a politician with conviction. Ken gets things done. Most of his detractors have this absurd notion that driving in London is something to be protected and maintained. This is lunacy. Look at the world's greatest urban infrastructures- Zurich, Amsterdam, Paris... the car is at the bottom of their transportation infrastructures for very good reason. Let's hope Ken gets to finish what he's started.
- Sandor Hatvany, London, UK
I think Livingstone probably misunderstands cyclists and cycling. I await with interest his plans, but I suspect they have been drawn up with out any consultation with cycling groups, and will probably end up being an unused resource because they won't be maintained properly, and probably won't go where people want.
The biggest single thing to make cycling safer in London (and by extension, making pedestrians safer), is to make car drivers financially responsible if they hit a cyclist or pedestrian, whoever's fault it is.
This has been done in some European countries, and lowers traffic speeds a touch, and makes drivers more wary of junctions (where most incidents happen).
- Roger, Guildford
What a waste of taxpayers money, he (Ken) has created a travel infrastructure nightmare, since he came to power, the tube is no better, the trains are over priced and no better, the roads are as congested as they ever were, but we pay for the pleasure of sitting in traffic now. Traffic wardens administer tickets like concentration camp commanders.
Taxi fares have also increased, its the only city where you can't get a cab to take you to any part of the city "Sorry mate I'm going home now". "Sorry mate I don't go South of the river", utterly absurd.
- Jim Bob, London
