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£5m scheme gets 50 per cent more on their bikes
Jack Lefley17 Feb 2009
A £5 million scheme to get people out of cars and on their bikes has seen the number of cyclists soar in south London.
The number of people cycling in Sutton has risen by 50 per cent. Smarter Travel Sutton also cut bike theft by 17 per cent after the introduction of 200 secure cycle parking spaces.
The number of people travelling by bus and on foot also rose significantly after the launch of the programme, which was jointly funded by Sutton council and Transport for London.
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: "The fact that this initiative has led many in Sutton to take to two wheels is great news for the environment and the wellbeing of people in the borough.
"Cycling currently represents just one per cent of journeys in London, so I hope the experience of Sutton will help to encourage more people to get cycling thereby reducing pollution and helping to tackle congestion."
Reader views (7)
Has some of that £5 million gone on lights for the bikes.
Police action is well overdue in getting bikes taken off the road, if they have no lights front and back.
- Mr S.Port, London, 18/02/2009 10:54
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As a Sutton resident I can honestly say this is the first I've heard of it, although I do know that the cycle lane on the A217 (which no one ever uses because it's falling to pieces, it floods and people park on it), initially cost over £1 million to install.
- Bob, Cheam, 18/02/2009 10:11
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I commute to London by motorbike, but as a member of the CTC, Audax UK, British Cycling and my local club, I am always dismayed by the cretinous comments some ‘cyclists’ make in support of not stopping at red lights.
The lack of consideration to other road users and the example that is sets angers me. I distance myself from these people and hope that the damage they do to the resurgence of cycling will be limited by direct and punitive Police action.
I’m sure that if I ran every red light I came to, there would be a whole bunch of deluded and selfish cyclists ready to berate my actions. Perhaps I’ll jump in my car and run a few red lights, just to see if I can get from A to B that little bit sooner. If I happen to collide at speed with a cyclist doing the same, can I simply argue that it was safer for me not to stop? I think not.
As well as red lights, perhaps these individuals could also stop, just one in a while, to consider those around them.
- Simon, Maidstone, Kent, 18/02/2009 00:06
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While I enjoy my daily commute by bike in London, I am most impressed that the ratepayers of Sutton are pleased for their elected officials to throw around five million quid on a cycling campain. No doubt it works out at about £3000 per convert to cycling.
Leave people to their own devices and they soon find that cycling is the easiest way to get around with the major obstacles only the red-faced 'antis' who like to write in to newspapers about red light running.
- George, London, 17/02/2009 16:59
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You need a change in the law to make people understand that driving is both a privilege and a heavy responsibility, but never a right. GBH and attempted or actual murder should be more regularly charged with motorists who kill, as is only infrequently done so far.
Then take away the general taxation subsidy of road maintenance and make motorists pay full whack through the pumps, and that's a cycle scheme to leave this one in the dust.
Would be interesting to know how it worked though. My employer refuses to implement CTW so I'm interested in anything that can help to claw back some of the double-paid tax lost thereby.
- Reg, London, 17/02/2009 14:57
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As reporting in the Guardian recently, cycling increases 50% every summer the reduces by the same amount in winter.
If you want to prove anything to do with cycling just time your questionnaire to co-incide with the seasons. Hence accidents have "increased by 50%" according to other studies..
- Marc, Hammersmith, 17/02/2009 12:26
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What was the name of this scheme? How did it work?
Did the council just give bikes to families?
- Alex Ball, London, UK, 17/02/2009 12:05
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