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magazine of the London Cycling CampaignJune - July 2011
2012 ELECTIONS Have your say on the new website forum
20's PlentyWe look at the socio-economic benefi ts of lower
speed limits
LCC's big summer ride
TESTED: Road BikesFour new models for fast commuting or weekend
sportives (p42)
Join us for picnics and theatre at Greenwich
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AND MUCH MORECHECK ONLINE FOR DETAILS
WWW.CHAINREACTIONCYCLES.COM - WORLDS LARGEST ONLINE BIKESTORE
FOLLOW USFREE DELIVERY TO UK, IRELAND, GERMANY AND FRANCEMINIMUM
SPEND FOR ALL OTHER COUNTRIES
BEST BRANDSBEST PRODUCTS
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June-July 2011 London Cyclist 3
Editorial contactsEditor: John Kitchiner;
[email protected]: Anita RazakCommunications: Mike
Cavenett; [email protected] contributors: Ashok Sinha, Tom
Bogdanowicz, Charlie Lloyd, Matt Mallinder, Gerhard Weiss, Rik
Andrew
Advertising contactMarcela Ahmeti, 020 7657 1831;
[email protected]
Contribute to the magEmail [email protected] to discuss
feature ideas
www.lcc.org.ukFor the latest news, campaigns and events info,
visit the LCC website. Also sign up for our fortnightly
e-newsletter
Editorial, copyright & printing policyLCC is not aligned
with any political party. All views expressed in London Cyclist are
those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the
editor, nor do they necessarily refl ect LCC policy. Editorial
content is independent of advertising. All material is copyrighted
and may not be reproduced without the written permission of the
editor. London Cyclist is printed by Wyndehams on paper made from
80 percent recycled waste and 20 percent sustainably-managed
forest.
London Cycling Campaign is a charitable limited company, reg no
1766411; charity no 1115789.
news, letters & opinionNews Local stories, city-wide
campaigns and launch of LCC's new website 4Letters Your bi-monthly
comments, queries, rants and raves 10Ashok Sinha Invites members to
join the online debate about 2012 campaigns 13 Zoe Williams
Considers the recent law change on dangerous driving 15
features2012 campaigns Looking forward to next year's Mayoral
and Assembly elections 1620mph Anna Semlyen explains the
socio-economic benefi ts of lower speed limits 20Last word on LIPs
What's your borough's policy on HGV safety awareness? 24Route
Assessment How to grade a route in terms of cycle-friendliness
38Best Rides in London Exploring the districts of Camden and Soho
30London interest How the campaign to save Herne Hill velodrome is
progressing 32Have Your Say LCC members discuss the pros and cons
of shopping by bike 36Tech Beginners' guide to electric bikes and
what to look out for if buying one 38
reviewsBikes Four sporty road bikes ridden and rated by our test
team 42Product Summer cycling clobber and useful accessories
reviewed 45 Books Vintage postcards, guidebooks and tomes on
professional racing 48
membersGroup news What's happening in your local area, plus
two-month rides listing 51Interview New series of mini interviews
with colourful London cyclists 58
2 Newhams Row London SE1 3UZ
020 7234 9310 www.lcc.org.uk
LCCS STRATEGIC AIMS Promote cycling to the people Redesign our
streets for cycles Promote cycling to our politicians Make cycling
diverse and inclusive(www.lcc.org.uk/strategy)
MEMBER BENEFITS Up to 15% off in bike shops Free third-party
insurance cover Exclusive deals on bike insurance Free bimonthly
magazine Free legal helplineCOVER: Steve Rutherford
LOCATION: Brockwell Park
WHAT LCC DOES Campaigns for change Supports our members Promotes
London cycling
Contents
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NewsVisit www.lcc.org.uk for campaign updates and latest news
reports
NEWS
+++ To receive a weekly e-newsletter on London cycling issues,
sign up at www.lcc.org.uk +++
4 London Cyclist June-July 2011
More than 10,000 cyclists have signed up to support LCCs call
for eff ective cycle awareness training for all council lorry
drivers. Even before the petition was completed in May several
London councils had begun to improve the training available. Most
of the Biking Boroughs in outer London included funds for driver
training in their bids for extra money made available by TfL in
March.
The petition's aim is to get every borough delivering the
on-bike training for drivers that was fi rst introduced by Lambeth
in 2009. We are also urging every council to become part of the TfL
FORS transport operators quality scheme.
Recent fatalities of cyclists in crashes with refuse lorries in
Hammersmith and Edinburgh have dramatically shown the need for
continuing these campaigns.
LCC will need the support of members in every borough to use the
petition to change the way driver training is delivered for your
councils HGV drivers.
Next step for lorry safetycampaign
Join the 2012 campaign debate on new website
Woolwich Coroner's Court heard recently that 31-year-old
Adrianna Skryzypiec, who was killed by a lorry in May 2009, had
been dragged for 140 metres, but that no witnesses saw what
happened. The lorry driver who killed her did not stop.
The fatal crash took place at the junction of Woolwich Road and
the motorway-style A102 link road from the Blackwall Tunnel, which
is on the proposed
route of Cycle Superhighway 4, due to be launched in 2014
According to the coroner's verdict (reported on road.cc), the
driver of the lorry which was believed to have killed her, John
Lashbrook of Sittingbourne, said he was unaware of Adriannas death
until six weeks after the incident. Lashbrook had initially been
charged with causing death by dangerous driving, but the case was
dismissed before trial.
A CPS spokesperson said: "CPS London decided it was in the
public interest to prosecute, but before the trial the defence team
argued that Mr Lashbrook could
not have seen the cyclist and was not aware of the accident
until he was arrested. The trial judge accepted the submissions and
ruled in their favour."
No justice for cyclist killed in Woolwich
As described in the last issue of London Cyclist magazine, the
LCC Board of Trustees has come to the view that changing our name
from London Cycling Campaign to London Cyclists would be in our
best interests. This change would be part of a package of measures
to increase our membership, give greater impact to our campaigning
and achieve better fi nancial security.
We announced that all members would be invited to feedback on
this rename during April. However, because the response was slow to
gain momentum, weve decided to extend the consultation period, with
full details on our new website (still at www.lcc.org.uk).
Were tremendously excited and proud to announce that our new
website has gone live. As described above, well be using the
website to poll members on the name change, as well as asking all
members what issues are most important to you for our 2012 mayoral
campaign (see p16).
Indeed, the results from the online feedback will determine what
campaign we run in the lead-up to the mayoral elections next year,
when well
push for bold and ambitious pro-cycling policies from the
leading candidates.
So go to the new website and have your say today!
DANGER ZONE: Blackwall Tunnel approach, earmarked for Cycle
Superhighway
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Documents requested by LCC show that Transport for London was
working on a more cycle-friendly double T-junction plan for
Blackfriars as long ago as 2007. The designs were originally
supported by the City of London and echoed similar proposals from
LCC and other campaigners.
TfL says the plan was dropped because of capacity and space
issues. In its response to the recent consultation on Blackfriars
junction, LCC has called for the cycle-friendly design to be
reinstated as a basis for improvements.
TfL has acknowledged that the current TfL/Network Rail junction
design is based on out-of-date 2007 statistics for the number of
cyclists riding over the bridge. Since 2007 cycle fl ows across
Blackfriars have increased sharply (they doubled from 2006 to
2010), while car use has dropped.
The 2007 proposal for the
Blackfriars junction would have eliminated the skewed gyratory
as well as the teardrop island in its centre. And a
straight-through route along New Bridge Street would have had one
T-junction at the Embankment and another at Queen Victoria Street.
The gyratory would also have been removed and the need for cyclists
to cross lanes of traffi c when approaching the bridge would have
been eliminated, plus all cycle lanes would have been retained,
with a public space created outside Unilever House.
LCC submitted detailed proposals to improve safety for cyclists
to the TfL consultation, which closed on 15 April 2011.
+++ LCC local groups organise bike rides throughout the year see
page 55 for a full listing +++
Extra 5 million to combat air pollution
TfL dropped bike-friendly Blackfriars plan
June-July 2011 London Cyclist 5
London's air quality is so bad that Transport Secretary Philip
Hammond has put 5 million into a 'Clean Air Fund', some of which
might be spent on measures encouraging cycling. However, it's
expected that most of the money will fi nance ongoing trials to
wash particulate pollution away from the dirtiest streets, and on
low-emission buses.
The Mayor of London also announced subsidies for businesses to
buy new vans and minibuses, replacing the worst polluting
vehicles.
London has been breaking legally-binding European targets for
particulate matter PM10 and nitrous oxides for several years now,
and is in danger of incurring fi nes that could run into hundreds
of million pounds. The Depart-ment for Transport has said the Clean
Air Fund could also pay for Travel Plans for local businesses,
traffi c-smoothing, no-idling zones, local cycling and walking
schemes, and tree planting. However, it's not clear how money would
be allocated, or which cycling and walking schemes
would be eligible. The money will be backed by a
new Clean Air strategy for London, which is also a condition of
the EU's temporary exemption from air-quality standards. The new
strategy must be in place by 11 June to satisfy EU offi cials.
Since coming to offi ce in 2008, the Mayor has introduced
several measures with a detrimental eff ect on air quality,
including: scrapping the western extension of congestion charge
zone; reducing twice-yearly inspections of black cabs to a single
annual
test, though vehicles regularly failed the bi-annual tests; and
delaying the introduction of the Very Low Emission Zone for central
London, which was due to come into place in 2008, and would have
required mid-sized vehicles like work vans to reduce the level of
pollutants in their exhaust emissions.
London has consistently been found to have some of the worst air
pollution of any city in Europe and it's estimated around 4,300
people die of illnesses related to air pollution in the city every
year.
Ruben de Rijcke
Community bike shop Druid Cycles in Bermondsey is appealing for
people to be on the lookout for a large number of distinctive bikes
stolen from its workshop on 25 March. The thieves stole 15 men's
bikes, one tandem and a tricycle with a sound system, as well as
all the shop's tools and new parts. You can see the bikes on their
website www.druidcycles.com.
Owner Thor Burkard said: "We're relying on tool donations from
other bike shops and cyclists so we don't go out of business."
Anyone who thinks they recognise one of the bikes should call
the police on 999, as well as contacting Druid Cycles on 07551
016380.
Have you seen these bikes?
We previously wrote that the Mayor had refused to amend the
London Plan as regards cycle parking standards in new developments.
We have now been told that while the Mayor will not amend the Plan
in the present mayoral term he has told TfL to draft a revised
version of the out-of-date standards. This is due in September. It
may come too late for some boroughs which are drafting their new
standards right now.
We are therefore asking each borough to adopt standards above
those in the present London Plan. Only Hillingdon currently has the
high standards that can meet the needs of local workers and
residents who cycle.
Cycle parking standardsamendment
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+++ Find a comprehensive archive of London Cyclist news and
features at www.lcc.org.uk +++
NEWS
A new report commissioned by the London Assembly's Health &
Public Services Committee, shows that London has the worst
childhood obesity in the UK. The report, Tipping the Scales,also
reveals that poor health caused by obesity in adults costs the
capital nearly 1 billion each year.
The cross-party report criticises the Mayor for not taking
strong enough action to tackle the obesity crisis, despite the
issue being named his 'number one health priority'.
LCC's Mike Cavenett said: "Cycling and walking are a proven way
to reduce obesity, but sadly it's now rare to see families riding
their bikes together on London's roads.
"Road danger, both real and perceived, is a major deterrent to
adults and children cycling regularly and the Mayor could address
this by putting high-quality cycle tracks on the busiest roads,
reducing speed limits and blocking rat-runs in residential
areas."
Obesity crisis costing 1 billion per year
6 London Cyclist June-July 2011
Make your mark on mapsThe 14 London cycling guides, fi rst
published in 2001 by Transport for London in partnership with LCC,
were the successors to LCCs own London cycle route maps. More than
three million maps have been distributed, making them one of the
worlds most popular cycling publications.
TfL is currently considering a number of amendments to what are
now known as the Local Cycling Guides, and plan to carry out a
small-scale audit of routes this summer.
LCC members have already submitted dozens of corrections and
suggestions for improve-ments. There was a unanimous call for the
central London map to include arrows showing one-way streets, as in
all the editions until the last one. TfL says it will be taking
this into account.
Another likely improvement will be the inclusion of all the
Cycle Hire docking stations. It has also been suggested that the
maps feature icons where cycle
shops are located. The fi rst edition of the maps had bike shop
addresses on the reverse side but this was dropped when the maps
became double-sided. It is expected that the new edition of the
maps will be released in Autumn 2011.
Join LCC for a special summer rideLondon Cycling Campaign is
inviting members, friends and family to join them on Sunday 26 June
for a leisurely social ride from central London following the path
of the Thames to historic Greenwich.
The ride follows a similar route to Colin Wing's Docks and Ducks
ride featured in the April-May issue. The free event is suitable
for all ages and abilities and will bring together cyclists from
all LCC local groups for the mass ride. The ride meets at
11am at Jubilee Gardens (next to the London Eye) before
meandering via Southwark and Lewishams places of interest, and fi
nishing at the Greenwich Fair. Riders will then have the
opportunity to picnic together and enjoy the family-friendly
event.
The Greenwich Fair draws inspiration from the fairs described by
Charles Dickens in Boz, where travelling menageries, dancing booths
and other traditional types of
Victorian entertainment drew in huge crowds. The Greenwich Fair
at the Monument Gardens , Old Royal Naval College off ers a wide
range of free events for all ages, with life-size Punch and Judy
puppets, an outdoor aquarium and a Catalan circus. There is live
entertainment along a tropical paradise theme with street theatre
perform-cances and live music.
For more details of the ride visit www.lcc.org.uk.
Sign up for Gift Aid and help boost LC fundsLondon Cycling
Campaign is now eligible to claim Gift Aid relief on all membership
fees, which could raise funds of to 70,000 a year at no cost to
members.
This is a vital boost to the organisation when funding for LCC
is increasingly under threat. If you are a UK taxpayer, by signing
the Gift Aid declaration, the value of your membership fee is
increased by 25 percent by the tax man, equivalent to the value in
tax that youve paid.
Members are being asked to tick the Gift Aid box when they renew
or online at www.londoncyclists.org.uk.
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Studio Meda a team of architects based in Camberwell has won the
competition run by Better Bankside to design a new bikeshed for
Southwark and the South Bank.
LCC's Ashok Sinha, who helped judge the competition, said: "The
elegant-yet-economical
design not only provides sheltered cycle parking, but does so
with an aesthetic that would hold its own outside any of Banksides
statement buildings."
There are plans to install the winning bikeshed designin various
locationsin the borough around the South Bank area.
+++ Dunwich Dynamo takes place on 16-17 July details at
www.southwarkcyclists.org.uk +++
Agewell cycling courses expanded for 2011LCC celebrates its
second year of funding from the Bicycle Association and local
councils with another raft of cycling courses for the over-50s.
The Agewell on Wheels courses are aimed at giving people aged
50-plus the confi dence to get around London by bike. The courses
were set up as a result of a pilot project in Hammersmith &
Fulham in 2008.
Cycling instructor Gwen Cook who led the pilot project said: The
courses enabled a number of older people to gain the confi dence to
get back on their bikes. These people are still seen cycling around
in London and have not only gained confi dence but improved their
physical fi tness too.
In 2011 the courses will take place in four locations across
London, targeting people from
10 boroughs. These are: Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington
& Chelsea, Camden, Islington, Brent, Southwark, Lambeth,
Lewisham, Ealing and Hounslow.
London Cycling Campaign is delighted to be running the courses
again, with the Bicycle Associations generous funding they kick off
in June and run through until the end of August. There will be
three sets of courses throughout the summer in each location and
LCC will supply bikes for everyone taking part.
LCC chief executive Ashok Sinha said: Cycling is an excellent
choice for over-50s looking for fun and convenient ways to stay
healthy and active. The Agewell courses are a friendly and
supportive way to get started.
In the future, LCC would also
like to expand the courses into more boroughs. We would like to
attract a broader audience of people to use bicycles regularly in
London. It is important to off er advice and intensive tuition
to
these less supported groups, said Lucy Cooper, LCCs marketing
manager. Call LCC on 020 7234 9310 and ask about Agewell On Wheels
cycle training.
Camberwell architects win Bankside bikeshed prize
June-July 2011 London Cyclist 7
Competition winner gets VIP bike servicingAs LCCs Double Our
Voice campaign moves into its summer phase, the winner of a years
VIP bike servicing from Cycle Surgery has been drawn Rosemary
McKeown (right) from south-east London. This competition was for
all members who had recruited other members during the initial
phase of the campaign.
LC asked the lucky winner a few quick questions:When did you
start cycling in London?I started cycling in London in 2009 with
LCCs Cycle Fridays, before then I just used to cycle locally to
shops/tennis club. I commuted in three times with the Greenwich
group and got hooked. I'm a lot fi tter as a consequence of going
up Croombs Hill fi ve times a week and I still enjoy my commute, in
fact I can't stand train journeys any more.Who, and why, did you
sign up as a new member to London Cycling Campaign?I encouraged my
partner to join because she started using the
bike hire scheme from Victoria to get to work in South
Kensington. I think the insurance is a really valuable benefi t and
I also enjoy the magazine, the riding tips are very useful, plus
Zoe Williams makes some funny and astute observations.What's your
favourite thing about your commute? Coming up over Blackheath and
through Greenwich Park in the morning rain, shine or mist it's
delightful. Then back over London Bridge in the evening, it makes
me love London.What's your worst thing about your commute?The
roundabout at Rotherhithe tunnel is daunting, you can feel
invisible and vulnerable on a bike.
BETTER BY DESIGN: artist's impression of how Studio Meda's
bikeshed will look
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A cycling blogger who reported eight bikes stolen to the police,
and highlighted the theft on her website, has had all the bikes
recovered and an arrest has been made.
Charlotte Barnes (right), who writes the velopoly.com blog,
appealed to readers to look out for the bikes on websites commonly
used to sell stolen bikes, in particular Gumtree and eBay. And when
a friend spotted one of them on eBay, Charlotte called the Met's
Cycle Task Force and they sprang into action.
Charlotte said: "Within not much more than a day, theyd been in
touch with eBay and got hold of the sellers details, paid him a
visit and discovered a
house full of bikes, many of which were ours.
Whats happened is nothing short of a miracle and were absolutely
delighted to have our bikes back. Of course, there are an awful lot
of people who have helped make it happen. From the thousands of
people whove read this blog, tweeted links or written about it on
forums, to all the fabulous police and civilian staff who have
worked on this case. I cant thank all of them enough.
You can read the full story at velopoly.com. Register your bike
for free at www.immobilise.com. And if your bike is stolen make
sure you report it to the police.
+++ Get a full listing of local maintenance classes at
http://tinyurl.com/LCCmaintenance +++
NEWS Police raid eBay seller
and arrest bike thieves
8 London Cyclist June-July 2011
A group of Newham youngsters protested outside the Olympic Park
on Saturday 19 March to bring attention to the poor cycling
facilities in their borough.
Earlier in the week, staff and young people from the Watersmeet
Woodcraft Folk club had expected to address Newham Council, but the
Mayor of Newham, Sir Robin Wales, refused them permission.
With no adequate cycling routes the young people had to navigate
their way through very
congested traffi c. Jasmine Forbes, who joined the protest,
said: "We wanted to ask the Mayor why the Cycle Superhighway wasn't
allowed into Newham."
Suzannah Walker, chair of Newham Watersmeet Woodcraft Folk club
added: The borough now has a multi-million pound velodrome, but no
safe way of cycling there. If you want to protest about the lack of
support for cyclists in Newham, contact the Mayor at
[email protected].
Newham youngsters protest about lack of cycle facilities
Charlotte Barnes
TAKING TO THE STREETS: young people from Watersmeet Woodcraft
Folk club
A 'London Marathon on Wheels' could be organised in the capital
by 2013, according to the Evening Standard.
The paper says it has seen proposals for four possible routes
and that the potential 3 million cost would be covered by entry
fees and sponsorship. Based on the popular Cape Town Argus in South
Africa, the ride would include 30,000 amateurs as well as
well-known professional cyclists.
The event is similar to one proposed by LCC Board member and
Argus participant David Love in 2004, which was for a
marathon-type cycle ride on closed streets across London. That
proposal was considered by Transport for London under then-Mayor
Ken Livingstone, but was transformed into the less costly London
Freewheel event, now the Skyride, which last year attracted 80,000
participants.
The proposed cycle marathon could initially use the 2012 Olympic
road race route before switching to one that includes more streets
in London itself. The race would be organised by the UCI, the
inter-national cycling federation, as a London leg of its World
Tour.
Argus-style marathon set for London by 2013
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Letters
LCC NAME CHANGEInteresting reading Ashok Sinhas column in the
April/May issue. I have personally thought for some time that LCC
would benefi t from a name change that sounded more accessible to
your average cyclist.
I believe that the single word Campaign in London Cycling
Campaign possibly puts off a fair few people who imagine, wrongly,
that LCC is purely a campaigning or political group. Yes its a very
important aspect of LCCs work and so it should remain but a
rebranding to something friendlier can only be a good thing in my
eyes. London Cyclists sounds much more inclusive, or even London
Cycling (just dropping the one word). Either way I think its a big
step forward.James M, Kingston
LCC NAME CHANGE 2Thank you for the April/May 2011 issue of
London Cyclist. For me, changing the name to London Cyclists
compares with the impression on page 33 that London Bike Hub needs
a skip as well as a spanner. Elsewhere in that issue, concentrating
on the
fear of lorries invites the rejoinder that each vehicle can
carry food of produce for residents of Greater London, while a rear
pocket on a jersey can merely contain a Mars bar. John Keane,
email
LCC NAME CHANGE 3I fully endorse the prospective name change and
freshen up as suggested by LCCs chief executive in the last issue.
My only concern is that the entire membership gets a say.
Im sure the overwhelming majority of members would welcome
anything that brought new faces in and helped boost the coff ers fi
nancially, but a vote or debate without being too protracted as to
miss the popular summer cycling season is surely the best course in
a democratic organisation?Carol Peters, Brixton
LCC replies: As youll read on page 4, the consultation period
regarding the name change to London Cyclists has been extended to
allow more members to join the debate. For all the latest info,
visit www.lcc.org.uk.
BRIDGE OF SIGHS Recent roadworks at the northern junction of
Chelsea Bridge and Grosvenor Road highlights the ongoing problems
with poor cycle provision and entrenched indiff erence by local
authorities (in this case by the London Borough of Kensington &
Chelsea) to the needs of making safe existing LCN+ routes across
busy routes and junctions.
The problem exists because people who make decisions about cycle
provision do not necessarily cycle and therefore do not understand
the conditions or circumstances that cyclists have to put up with.
Even when monolithic authorities likeTfLengage with cyclists, it's
often through an agent and formalised communication using formulaic
feedback forms and surveys which do little to get a real
understanding of what it's like commuting in the rush hour in busy
places.
This junction at the northern end of the bridge is currently a
potential deathtrap due to taxis and cement mixers doing right
turns off the northbound
carriageway of Chelsea Bridge intoGrosvenorRoad, or
viceversawith trucks speeding up to push through the lights turning
left fromGrosvenorRoad into the southbound carriageway of the
bridge.
What is really needed here is a Cycle Route Inspection Plan and
Cycle Route Inspection Meeting (CRIM) with 'offi cers' actually on
bikes doing turns at the junction during rush hour and observing
with a video camera. Only then will they really understand what is
needed, not a seated comittee of motorists debating behind closed
doors in an air-conditioned offi ce at a town hall.
I suppose nothing will be done with any serious consideration
until another cyclist is killed or maimed, Blackfriars Bridge being
a typical example. Only then will a serious consideration for
changes and investment be made at busy junctions in London.Martin
Ireland,Battersea
CRAZY SOCKS COVER-UPGreg Hall may wear crazy socks, but in the
photo on page 11 of the current issue (Letters, April/May 2011) he
is wearing a camoufl age jacket. This is a jacket designed for you
NOT to be seen in. Huh?
I wear bright colours, sometimes saturated yellow or orange, so
that if someone claims not to have seen me, I respond bylooking at
my jacket and asking"which bit of me didn't you see?".
Greg, love the bike, not sure about the socks but a camoufl age
jacket?Andy Bebington, Croydon
WOMENS GEARSo six shorts reviewed in the last issue great. But
only one pair identifi ed for women not so great. What about the
remainder, perhaps unisex? Women's sizes available? No info given.
Thanks brothers we hear where you're coming from.Terry, email
CHELSEA BRIDGE: local cyclists consider th e junction with
Grosvenor Road a potential 'deathtrap' from lorry dangers
Comment, opinion, rants and raves send yours to
[email protected]
LETTERS
10 London Cyclist June-July 2011
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LCC replies: Actually two of the six shown were women's-only
versions (Endura and Sugoi), while three of the remaining four are
also available in women's options (though not spelt out clearly in
the text). We have also featured plenty of other kit that's for
women rather than men eg the excellent Helly Hansen and AnaNichoola
kit in the last two issues, among others. We strive to review a
range of gear in the mag, ensuring no gender bias; in fact we've
featured more women's kit in the last two years than in the
previous 20!
CAR PARKING PROBLEMMy local council, Hillingdon, gave a positive
response after I emailed them about a car parking problem adjacent
to the John Ralph cycle crossing, sending supporting photographs
too.
The solution of a 'no parking' area is still open to objections
in the planning stage, but I think it is the best I could hope for
and shows that by highlighting problems to your council you can
help improve the local cycling infrastructure.
Dont suff er in silence; make your concerns known.Ron Ryband,
Hillingdon
HUB GEARED BIKESIn the review of the Genesis Day 01 Alfi ne
(London Cyclist, Feb/Mar 2011), is the statement unclipping the
gear cable to remove the wheel is a bit of a faff especially with
frozen hands but with practice its straightforward an indirect
reference to the misguided (in my opinion) practice of normally
removing the wheel to repair a puncture.
The chances of having to replace a tyre with frozen hands (when
out and about in winter are extremely small). For a puncture a more
likely scenario if removing a wheel is a bit of a faff , dont
remove it. Lever of the tyre (on the non-chain side) with the wheel
in situ, and pull out and patch the tube. To save valuable time,
you can start clearing up during the three or so minutes you need
to leave the rubber solution to dry.Colin Newman, Barking
HUB GEARED BIKES 2In describing the Genesis Day 01 Alfi ne
(London Cyclist, Feb/Mar 2011), your reviewer repeats the common
mistake of presuming that wheel removal is obligatory for puncture
repairs, whereas a previously published letter [also from Colin,
above Ed] negated this misconception.
Moreover, why didnt the reviewer question a bike fi tted with
hub gear, but no chain
enclosure? Its a missed opportunity to assess the Hebe
Chainglider a clip-on device that requires no fi xtures or
attachment points to install.
Then again, why does London Cyclist devote space to featuring
this kind of bike at all? Contrary to the articles claims, they are
anything but ideal for commuting or touring: no mudguards, luggage
rack, lights, chain enclosure, coat/skirt guard etc. And images
like that of the scruff pictured on page 42 opposite do nothing to
promote city cycling to the general public. The fact that the
Barclays Cycle Hire bikes have proved so popular with casual riders
would seem to endorse my point.
In 1995, I successfully took a motion to the LCC Annual General
Meeting to the eff ect that LCC should press for a wider choice of
bikes to be off ered to the UK buying public, to include more
fully-equipped user-friendly models. In the ensuing 16 years whats
happened? If they are mentioned at all, it is only the
old-fashioned examples, which represent a mere fraction of what is
available, and no-one from LCC has ever approached me to discuss
possible strategies to advance the principle.
Apart from any other considerations, those few enlightened
dealers who have taken a punt by stocking modern
comprehensively-equipped bikes need to be given all the support and
encouragement we can muster.David S Garfi eld, email
LCC replies: As we mentioned before, yes it is possible in some
circumstances to fi x a puncture by not removing the rear wheel on
hub-geared bikes but its often impossible to apply suffi cient
leverage to refi t a tight (usually new) tyre without removing it
from the frame. And wed say the growth of these urban crossers in
bike company ranges (expanding for 2012) is testament to their
popularity too. The fact that most manufacturers dont include what
you refer to as commuting extras is so they can keep prices as low
as possible and allow people to decide what accessories they
actually need; while the bikes themselves come with bosses that
make fi tting things like mudguards and racks a possibility if
required.
CYCLIST FATALITIESAfter the cyclist fatalities of recent months,
I am prompted to write. While I fully support the campaign for
better training for lorry drivers it strikes me that cyclists ought
to be able to learn from these incidents.
Could not the accident reports be made available so that, after
time, familiar bad behaviour from drivers can be identifi ed and
communicated. It's all very well saying "watch out for lorries at
junctions" but we cyclists need to see details of the collision to
learn from it. Is it possible for accident investigators to pass
this information on anonymously?Tom Wallace, Brixton
If you can't wait for the next issue of London Cyclist magazine,
you can fi nd a large archive of this subversive cartoon strip
(based in a Wisconsin cycle repair shop) by visiting
www.yehudamoon.com
Read more online
June-July 2011 London Cyclist 11
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p12.indd 12p12.indd 12 11/05/2011 16:2911/05/2011 16:29
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LCC's chief executive looks forward to the 2012 Mayoral and
Assembly elections, asking all members to join in the debate via
the new website
Many years ago, as a fresh postdoctoral researcher, I pitched up
at a university meteorology department to start some work on
climate change. Every Friday the old hands in
the department would run something they termed the weather game.
Basically the idea was to eschew computer models and forecast the
weekends weather by using only the tools that the founders of
meteorology had at their disposal (weather station reports, on-site
observations, looking up at the sky and experience). The winner was
the person with the highest accuracy over a whole term.
There was an unwritten rule that nobody would routinely take the
lazy option of persistence ie that the weather tomorrow will
basically be the same as today. Why? Because even in a country with
such famously capricious weather as ours, the safest guess for
tomorrows conditions is no change. But of course a typical days
weather does alter substantially, not least through the cycle of
the seasons and the Earths climatic variations. So even if it
sometimes seems like persistence is the norm, taking a less myopic
view tells us that the opposite is true.
Higher ambition needed from politicians For me at least there is
a little bit of a parallel between playing the weather game and
assessing the climate for cycling in London. When viewed over the
immediate horizon the outlook so often looks like persistence, with
seemingly no end in sight for the cramped road space, combative
road culture, poor routes etc that are the daily experience of so
many of us. Yet (as touched on in previous columns) much has
happened over a number of years to suggest that Londons political
leadership has gained greater appreciation of the potential cycling
off ers to enhance our city in so many ways. Nonetheless a
fundamental question remains: do the competing party leaders have
the requisite political courage to back the increased scale of
action necessary to put us on a longer term pathway to genuinely
cyclising London?
More of the same (however good) is not enough. The political
priority for cycling must now be taken to much higher levels of
ambition, with commensurate levels of delivery. Thats why, as
signalled in my last column, we aim to run one of the biggest
campaigns we have ever attempted during the lead up to the Mayoral
and Assembly Elections in just under a years time. Youll see from
the article on page 16 of this edition that we are asking every one
of our 11,000 members to vote on the theme for this campaign, from
a shortlist of ideas posted on our new online forum. I very much
hope that you will cast a vote, and indeed engage in the wider
online debates about what needs to be done
across a variety of issues relevant to cyclists, and how we as
an organisation can better press for change.
Join the online forum debatesWhich leads on to something else
touched on in previous columns: the above poll is part of a general
process of revitalisation that is well underway; from our image
through to our policies, from membership growth to fundraising, we
are striving to improve. This includes the very important question
of how we communicate, not just amongst ourselves but with the
wider public. The issue of segregation provides a good, if
hotly-debated example.
Quite correctly our policy is that segregated cycle tracks are
the right solution in select circumstances. But because so much of
our work focuses on individual junctions, cycle training for kids,
funding levels etc, we rarely mention the S-word in practice. This
gives the impression that we are antithetical to segregation. This
is of course false, and its perfectly possible to be clearer in
expressing ourselves without abjuring our belief that a complex mix
of solutions is needed London-wide. So, for example, lets state
right now that places like Stratford High Street, the Victoria
Embankment, Lambeth Palace Road and several other urban motorways
are (at least in part) prime candidates for segregated facilities,
as part of a wider package of measures. Saying so doesnt shift us
into narrow ideological territory, but instead actually underscores
the breadth and coherency of our policy. It also helps us
articulate that London can and must move beyond persistence and
adopt the full toolkit of measures that Londons diverse cyclists
and indeed all its citizens deserve.
Whatever we do at the centre however, amidst all the changes to
our work that are underway, we mustnt forget that the most
important voice in this organisation is yours. You can help us
become an even better advocate for the things you want and need.
You can determine the impact we have on the Mayoral election and
the infl uence we have on Londons authorities. So do log on, vote
and have your say.
Help us become an even better advocate for the things you want
and need. Log on and have your say
Ashok Sinha
BEST RIDES INLONDON
OPINION
June-July 2011 London Cyclist 13
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p14.indd 14p14.indd 14 11/05/2011 16:3011/05/2011 16:30
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How a free hi-vis vest got our regular columnist assessing the
AA's involvement in cycling and the latest rule change on dangerous
driving
While my beloved, C, was away on business, I got a parcel from
the AA, containing one enormous fl uorescent bib and one helmet
with one of those built-in lights that fl ashes
red on the back of your head. I cannot tell you how excited I
was. Only a couple of days before, a guy in a van had nearly killed
me, turning left right on top of my az (as they say in 80s disco),
and although I cant say he responded well to my torrent of
recrimination I dont think he did it on purpose. I could not,
whichever way I sliced it, divine a murderous subtext. So I could
only assume that he didnt see me, and Id already decided to dress a
bit less like Miss Marple and a bit more like a man doing
roadworks, even before the coincidental arrival of my free jerkin.
Imagine my delight. Plus, I didnt even know those inbuilt-light
helmets existed, I assumed whenever I saw someones head fl ashing
that theyd pinned a regular light to their head with some Kirby
grips or a Victorian hair comb.
The fi rst thing that happened was that C came home, found the
huge vest in the bedroom and immediately accused me of having an
aff air with an AA man, though I cannot to this day tell you
whether he thought I was having an aff air already with someone who
just happened to work for the fourth emergency service; or that Id
called the AA, with the specifi c purpose of commencing an aff air.
The second thing that happened was that the light stopped working.
I think they are a bit tinny and cheap, and if you want my advice
on the subject of rear-end lighting, I would just stick a red light
on your bike in the time-honoured way
The third thing that happened, unrelated to my AA gift, was that
new measures were suggested by the government, whereby dangerous
drivers would be issued on-the-spot fi nes, and cyclists were
supposed to be pleased. I struggled with this: any policy-making
that involves policemen going up and getting cash out of people
always strikes me as a bit juvenile. It sounds like a good idea for
about two minutes, but then you realise how much it would cost to
administer.
Fines for dangerous driving?You will recall, of course, that the
police already have this right over cyclists theres a 30 pricetag
on cycling on the pavement, jumping a red light, going the wrong
way down a one-way street, plus a hefty 1,000 on being drunk or
high, but apparently they rarely enforce it. I was threatened with
a fi ne for talking on my phone once, but they let me off . I
discovered later that theres no real law against that I mean,
theres a dangerous road use umbrella, but its never been put to a
test case whether a competent cyclist really
needs to use both hands and concentrate on the road. So I
probably didnt need to do all that shameful grovelling...
This is why were meant to be pleased that the fi nes might soon
apply to motorists: theres an expectation of sour grapes between
the two and four-wheeled communities, which is sort of absurd,
because so many of us do both. I mean, dont get me wrong, if you
had to write in your passport which you were, Id put 'cyclist'
before 'motorist' every time and not just because Ive been doing it
longer and am much less bad at it. Its part of my identity. Driving
is just part of my shame-ridden reality, like karaoke.
But anyway back to this confl ict, which is supposed to motivate
and enliven us, like men versus women or Man United v Man City. I
thought I was too big for that kind of petty-mindedness and then it
suddenly struck me: who does the AA think it is, sending safety
equipment out to cyclists? How would they like it if LCC
whimsically decided to send a home-breathalyser to motorists, with
a jaunty press release saying 97 percent of cyclists agree that the
roads would be safer if motorists werent drunk? Who put an
automobile association in charge of road safety? It is so
outrageously patronising and also slightly nonsensical, like
putting a lunatic in charge of an asylum.
Maybe some new fi nes are exactly what they need. Maybe its the
fact that we get fi ned and they dont that has made them so
holier-than-thou in the fi rst place. In fact, I have an even
better idea: forget the police, we could just authorise cyclists to
issue an on-the-spot fi ne to any motorist who nearly kills them.
Even if we kept the money, it would still work out cheaper than
getting a cop to do it.
Huh. All that rage, from a free, colourful waistcoat. And Im
still wearing it!
"Who put the AA in charge of road safety? It's like putting a
lunatic in charge of an asylum"
Zoe Williams
BEST RIDES INLONDON
OPINION
June-July 2011 London Cyclist 15
Zoe Williams is a freelance journalist and columnist who
contributes regularly to publications including The Guardian and
New Statesman.
OPINION
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"A cyclised city is a civilised city." So said Mayor Boris
Johnson in a now-familiar
phrase heralding his grandly-entitled Cycling Revolution. His
predecessor Ken Livingstone had previously set the tone (and done a
lot of the spadework), if less fl amboyantly: "We want nothing
short of transformation in London," he said when announcing the
highways concept that Mayor Johnson brought to fruition.
So far, so rhetorically good. We often focus on the past,
analysing the delivery of each mayors proclamations. This time lets
instead have a mini Socratic Dialogue about the future, seeing as
the mayoralty is once again up for grabs in a just under a years
time.
First question: is London a cyclised City? With only 2 percent
of journeys made by bike (compared to a target of 50 percent in
Copenhagen and a rate of 27 percent in the Netherlands as a whole)
and with cycling promotion woefully absent in so much of our city
planning and development, the answer must inevitably and
indisputably be no.
Okay, so has London been put on a one-way street towards
becoming a cyclised city? If the determinant of this is whether our
leaders and public bodies have declared a durable, long-term
commitment to continental-level cycling uptake with a concomitant,
credible plan of action and resource allocation to match then the
answer is again no.
Now a trickier question: if London is not on a trajectory
towards being a cyclised city, then how to remedy the situation?
This is where the devil lies.
Yet there is an answer that Im sure the vast majority of us
agree with, which is everything. Its not as glib as it sounds.
Everything means (hold your breath) more money for cycle
promotion, more road space for cyclists, lower volumes of motor
traffi c, slower motorised traffi c speeds, more cycle training,
safer lorries, more cycle awareness training for drivers, better
wayfi nding, more segregated tracks, more mandatory lanes, no
one-way streets for cyclists, ending rat-runs, providing ample and
secure cycle parking, integrating cycling targets into planning
gain, zero-tolerance cycle theft policing, opening up greenways,
car-free routes, places and/or times, integrating cycling into
public health, air pollution abatement and climate change
mitigation strategies, stricter liability for insurance claims
purposes. You get the picture.
Motivate mayoral candidatesBut, how do we get everything? With
great diffi culty, of course. However the quintessential
prerequisite for enabling everything to become possible is
political will. We can have it all over time (or most of it, as
other countries have) if our elected leaders consistently will it
to be so.
Aha, therein is the nub of the issue I hear you say: how do we
catalyse the necessary political will from those who would be
Mayor? There is of course, again, no one answer. In an ideal world
a charismatic leader of unimpeachable credentials would make the
case for a cyclised city that was so clear, unarguable and
compelling that the popular mandate for him or her to take the
16 London Cyclist June-July 2011
CAMPAIGN
Ashok Sinha looks ahead to next years Mayoral and Assembly
elections and their potential impact on cycling in the capital
London elections
2012Ph
oto:
Gill
Blan
d
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June-July 2011 London Cyclist 17
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WHY CAN'T ALL CYCLE PATHS BE LIKE THIS? The popular route
through Hyde Park sees thousands of cyclists each day
controversial decisions necessary would follow. But that doesnt
look too likely, especially in this time of economic hardship.
In which case what sort of mandate must we inspire to galvanise
the mayoral candidates? Another hard one, and it depends what we
mean by mandate. A majority of Londoners ardently supporting
pro-cycling measures will be diffi cult to build. But it may be
possible to generate a groundswell of popular support drawn from
across a wide-ranging cross-section of Londons population for the
mayoral candidates to feel that taking London to the next level of
ambition for cycling will have robust support and bring them
plaudits.
Good in theory. But how do we harvest that popular, diverse and
positive support for boldness from our next Mayor? Well, LCC
believes it will be by running a popular, positive single-issue
campaign that elicits energetic support from a large and diverse
number of Londoners. If we can target a single totemic issue that,
while not a panacea, is big enough to help pave that pathway
towards a
cyclised city then we may have traction. Moreover if we can
create a simple proposition to which the Mayor can only say yes or
no, and which must be achieved within a single mayoralty, then well
have something of real substance to which we can hold the winner of
the mayoral election to account.
This is the point where I stop asking the questions and ask you
to provide the answers. We want you, LCCs members, to decide what
that transformative, single issue should be. All you have to do is
go to our new website and vote for your favourite from a list of
three options. But we dont just want this to be simple poll.
We also encourage all of you to engage in the debates on the
particular merits (or challenges) of each of these options on our
new online forum or indeed any other possibilities that members
post there by way of alternatives. The more of you that vote and
off er your views and comments the better. That way we can make a
fi nal decision based on both the popular vote among members and
the issues that have been thrown up during the debate.
CAMPAIGN
18 London Cyclist June-July 2011
SHORTLIST OF OPTIONSBy the time you read this the fi nal
shortlist of options will have been drawn up and posted on our
website, each having coalesced from discussions involving active
members, particularly drawn from LCCs borough groups. To give you a
taster and hopefully to encourage you to log on to the vote as soon
as you can heres a quick tour of the front runners at the time of
writing.
Getting 100,000 children cycling to school regularlyChildren are
our future, as someone once said. When given half a chance most of
them love to get on their bikes and we know it does them good too,
by promoting healthy lifestyles, increasing confi dence and
independence and reducing the risks of obesity. To achieve this
target the new mayor will necessarily have to promote a wide range
of measures that will in turn help embed a wider cycling culture in
Londons urban centres.
Give cyclists spaceDid you know that in some areas of London
around 50% of journeys under two miles are made by car? Whilst
access to a car is a valued asset for many of us, this is exactly
the sort of distance that is well-suited to cycling. Think school
run, shopping, attending worship, gym visits, getting a takewayWhat
if we could encourage half of those short journeys to be made by
bike? The argument here is that for that to happen we would need to
make sure cyclists have much more share of the road on an ongoing
basis but isnt that just the sort of thing we are after?
Smart ZonesWe often talk of cycling, walking and public
transport (even staying put) being 'smarter travel'. Another take
on this idea is being smarter about how we organise our local
neighbourhoods. What if they were enriched through prioritising
walking, cycling, play and social interaction, with car access on
the periphery? And if such zoning were integrated into the planning
process it could become the norm for Londons development. What
better way to set the direction than a large, fl agship Smart Zone
in every borough?
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p20&211.indd 19p20&211.indd 19 11/05/2011
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20 London Cyclist June-July 2011
CAMPAIGN
Long considered the Holy Grail of transport campaigning, Anna
Semlyen from 20s Plenty for Us explains why lower speed limits can
benefit society
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June-July 2011 London Cyclist 21
Motor traffi cs impact depends on its speed and volume. Speed is
key. Tackling excessive speed
is crucial to reclaiming shared public space. Without lower
speeds how likely is traffi c reduction? How moral is it to ask
people to walk, cycle or use a bus without improving safety?
Fortunately 20mph speed limits help everyone share roads fairly and
improve quality of life for all.
In a collision at 20mph, 97 percent of cyclists and pedestrians
survive. 20mph has also been proven to be seven times safer than
30mph. Additional 20mph benefi ts include reducing traffi c and
pollution.
20s Plenty for Us, LCC and many others want default 20mph limits
where people live. Our own research has shown that limits cost
1,100 per kilometre to implement and are seven times more cost eff
ective per mile per hour reduced than zones (with traffi c
calming).
Total 20 is social engineering rather than highway engineering.
It relies on community engagement and driver agreement to signed
limits with 'light touch' police enforcement. Some roads will have
higher speeds where merited; zones and limits can be mixed.
30mph doesnt workOver half of British road deaths and serious
injuries occur on 30mph roads (Environmental Transport Association
report, 1997). Britain has the highest percentage of pedestrian
road fatalities in Europe at 22.5 percent and one of the lowest
levels of children walking or cycling to school.
Parents cite traffi c speed as the main reason why kids are not
allowed to walk or cycle. It's not surprising a recent report from
the London Assembly laments the still-growing obesity problem,
which costs the city around 1 billion each year.
Authorities committed to 20mphOver 5 million people live in
places like Islington, Warrington, Oxford, Bristol and Lancashire
which have already installed town-wide 20mph limits for residential
roads or are doing so.
Motorists benefi tFar from being anti-motorist, 20mph limits
make drivers better off , healthier and greener. In fact, according
to studies by the National Centre for Social Research (2005), 72
percent of drivers believe 20s plenty on residential streets. At
20mph there are fewer injured car users as there is longer to react
to hazards. In Portsmouth there were 23 percent fewer driver
casualties and 31 percent fewer injured passengers after two years
of wide area 20mph limits. Elderly drivers had 50 percent fewer
injuries and 40 percent fewer injured passengers.
Fuel use, CO2 and costs fall. In Germany, 30km/h (18.6 mph)
zones led to drivers using 12 percent less fuel. Congestion is
reduced and parking is easier. At 20mph more cars occupy the road
space due to shorter gaps between each relative to 30mph, smoothing
traffi c fl ow a favourite theme of the current London Mayor.
Junctions are more effi cient as drivers merge into shorter gaps.
Cleaner air quality particularly benefi ts those breathing in-car
air, which is three times more polluted than the pavement. Standing
traffi c reduces as traffi c smooths. Less fuel is burnt in transit
and fewer overall trips are made by car. Car costs drop as
insurance premiums fall; vehicles maintain value from less brake
and tyre wear and fewer potholes. There are fewer road rage
incidents. At 20mph independent child travel is safer, freeing up
parents for more productive activities. Fewer work days are lost
and there are widow, disability benefi t and care savings.
Unsurprisingly, the NHS fi rmly supports 20mph. The National
Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) specifi cally recommends
20mph near locations that children frequent eg near schools and
playgrounds.
At 20mph health inequalities reduce as fewer poor children die
(Prof Danny Dorling, 2010). And it needs to be noted that primary
age children cannot accurately gauge traffi c speeds beyond 20
mph.
The NHS in the north-west has even predicted that 140 children
could be prevented from being killed
Photos: Mark Churly
SUCCESS STORY PORTSMOUTHPortsmouth fi rst took advantage of
changes in transport guidance in 2006 to bring in a 20mph limit on
1,200 residential streets, without traffi c calming. Casualties
fell by 22 percent in the fi rst two years. Whats more there has
been a 7mph drop in average speeds on roads where previously the
average was above 24mph.
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22 London Cyclist June-July 2011
or seriously injured per year in its region if 20mph became
widespread. Fewer roadvictimsfrees up facilities for other health
needs.
Less risk encourages active travel whichcuts obesity and heart
disease. With casualties down people suff er less stress from their
liability for crashes and enjoy quieter neighbourhoods, improving
mental health and sociability.
Studies have shown that lowering residential speeds to 20mph
only increases urban trips by around 40 seconds.
What does it cost?Well Portsmouth spent 475,000 or 333 per
street. Oxford spent 300,000. Its the equivalent of a couple of
signal-controlled junctions. And payback is quick. Warrington found
a fi rst year rate of return on its pilots of 800 percent.
DfT guidance includes roundel signs 60cm wide on posts at
entrances and 30cm repeater signs. Most authorities use far fewer
signs than in the guidance to cut costs and clutter. Many signs are
due to re-entering 30mph roads.
Presenting 20mph to key decision-makersTotal 20 is winnable when
presented well. Infl uential people are executive members for
Transport (councillors in borough councils), directors of public
health and the police. Inclusion of all road users and establishing
it as a universal aspiration will gain
democratic change. We dont think it can be 'won' just
by cycle or pedestrian campaigners. If you are serious about
achieving Total 20 then join with cycling, walking, disability,
child, elderly and residents organisations as a 20s Plenty group to
create a collective community commitment. Use tangible evidence eg
petitions to empower councillors. Most councillors do not
understand the diff erences between 20mph zones (with humps) and
signed limits.
Campaigners must inform decision-makers of the benefi ts, costs
and methodology of Total 20 as social engineering. 20s Plenty for
Us has a huge array of quality research, advice, factsheets,
facebook, blog and video clips to help. For instance, we will
mail-merge press releases to local media/decision-makers if you
provide their emails.
70 UK places have local 20s Plenty campaigns and London urgently
needs more. Search online for www. 20splentyforus.org.uk to see if
a local group exists near you, or why not start your own. Were free
to join.
Ask for a starter campaigner pack and sign up to our newsgroup.
You'll also get a free local website and
[email protected] email forwarding; stickers,
posters, leafl ets and Powerpoint presentations are available. Make
use of our information and staff to win 20mph where you live. Our
aim is simple to maximise the number of UK Total 20
implementations.
MORE INFOContact Anna Semlyen on 07572 120439 or via
[email protected]. Or for more info on local groups
inyour area, go to www.20splentyforus.org.uk, or join the Facebook
group at http://tinyurl.com/ 20splentyonfacebook
CAMPAIGN
THE MESSAGE IS SIMPLE: 20mph limits not only save lives, but off
er signifi cant social benefi ts
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p23.indd 23p23.indd 23 12/05/2011 16:1612/05/2011 16:16
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The last word on Gerhard Weiss assesses the impact of the LIPs
across London's boroughs, particularly regarding HGV issues how
does yours shape up?
24 London Cyclist June-July 2011
CAMPAIGN
Local Authorities in London have fi nalised their Local
Implementation Plans (LIPs) setting out how transport
money will be spent over the next three years.
On the one hand cycling in London has never been so prominent in
the public arena, in the media or even at City Hall. On the other,
a new funding regime has done away with ring-fencing cycling money
in favour of a more holistic approach, leaving local authorities to
decide how much to spend on cycling. Has your borough seen this as
an opportunity for cycling or not? Here's our take on whats in
store for your area.
What are the Mayoral targets? 400% increase in cycling by 2026
5% cycling mode share across
London by 2026 Contribute to 66,000 new cycle
parking spaces by 2012 Reduce transport contribution to
carbon emissions Support Cycle Superhighways Support Cycle Hire
Scheme
How is your borough doing?The ultimate test for your local LIP
is, of course, the feedback from your local LCC group who will have
analysed and responded to the plan. Here the general view is that
most are nice in words but weak on action.
The phrase improve conditions for cyclists wherever feasible is
far too common. Hackney Cyclists is the only local group that has
fully endorsed its councils LIP asking for just a few minor
corrections.
LCC has criticised the 5 percent mode share for cycling to be
rather unambitious. Some of the 33 local authorities have already
passed it or have potential to do so without extra eff orts. Plus
13 outer London Biking Boroughs have committed to pioneer cycling.
Surely they cannot shy away from the modest targets set by the
Mayor. Or can they?
We have a detailed analysis of LIP criteria on the website
(www.lcc.org.uk).
A particular worry is cycle parking: TfL has acknowledged that
the London Plan (on which standards are based) is outdated,
resulting in under-provision at new developments. Whats more,
implementation of even these poor standards relies on rigorous
planning control, rarely enforced and easily ignored by developers.
There is real concern that growth in cycling may be held back and
we're urging TfL and councils to go beyond London Plan
standards.
Our map shows how the boroughs are doing on HGV safety. London
Cyclists is demanding cycling awareness training for all council
lorry drivers and subcontractors. Ideally this would be delivered
with on-road cycle training. At the very least a local authority
should be registered with FORS (Freight Operator Recognition
Scheme), a quality mark that ensures use of well-equipped and
maintained vehicles and a good system of drivers professional
development.
Our simple traffi c light system
therefore allocates green to those boroughs that already provide
cycling awareness training following London Cyclists lobbying.
Amber are those who are FORS registered; they could do better.
Boroughs in red have neither.
It should be noted that some do face special circumstances. For
example Barking & Dagenham has to deal with large amounts of
HGV traffi c from operators based in the borough. So a focus just
on the councils own HGV traffi c would only reach a fraction of the
lorry traffi c in this borough. Barking &
Dagenham does work with those operators on cycle safety, but we
believe FORS registration should be the least the borough could do
as well.
You will notice there are several Biking Boroughs which have no
plans for either becoming FORS members or providing cyling
awareness training. For these there is really no excuse. They have
made a commitment to improve cycling and they are receiving extra
funding from which the budget for cycle awareness training would
only be a fraction.
What LIPs reveal for HGV safety
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June-July 2011 London Cyclist 25
LIPs Borough (Biking Borough) HGV SAFETYBARKING & DAGENHAM
(BB)BARNET
BEXLEY (BB)
BRENT (BB)
BROMLEY (BB)
CAMDEN
CITY
CROYDON (BB)
EALING (BB)
ENFIELD
GREENWICH
HACKNEY
HAMMERSMITH & FULHAM
HARINGEY
HARROW
HAVERING (BB)
HILLINGDON
HOUNSLOW (BB)
ISLINGTON
KENSINGTON & CHELSEA
KINGSTON
LAMBETH
LEWISHAM
MERTON (BB)
NEWHAM
REDBRIDGE (BB)
RICHMOND
SOUTHWARK
SUTTON (BB)
TOWER HAMLETS
WALTHAM FOREST
WANDSWORTH
WESTMINSTER
MAP KEY
Provides cycle awareness training for HGV drivers
FORS registered, but could do better
Not FORS registered, no cycle awareness training
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Everyone in Greater London can understand that some streets feel
safer to cyclists than others. Indeed, some
routes are so appealing that they actually create cyclists by
the dozen: traffi c-free routes such as Regents Canal and the cycle
path through Hyde Park are two examples.
On the other hand, some roads are so unappealing that they deter
the vast majority from cycling; people either choose a diff erent
route or use another mode of transport entirely. Multi-lane trunk
roads such as Cromwell Road or Streatham High Road spring to mind.
In between
26 London Cyclist June-July 2011
CAMPAIGNCampaigning for better cycle routes needs solid
research, but it's easier than you
How to assess our these extremes, there are routes that are
variously less or more attractive to cyclists, and many of us
especially more experienced cyclists are able to make sophisticated
judgements about route quality.
Its nice to imagine that a typical project plan would work like
this: (i) planners measure how cycle-friendly the route is now;
(ii) they decide how best to spend the budget; (iii) then they
measure how cycle-friendly the route is when theyve fi nished, and
publish the results.
Unfortunately, city planning isnt always as organised or as
transparent as this, which is why cycle
campaigners benefi t from having their own effi cient and
low-cost method of assessing routes, with which they can enter a
meaningful dialogue with council and Transport for London offi
cers. As part of the Cycle Superhighways project, London Cyclists
has been submitting detailed critiques of those routes, pointing
out which roads and junctions are suitable for attracting new
cyclists, and which plainly arent unless changes are
implemented.
Showing how it's doneLCC member Rik Andrew, has developed, and
already road-tested,
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June-July 2011 London Cyclist 27
think, as Mike Cavenett & Rik Andrew explain
streetsa route-assessment system that was used to send comments
on routes to TfL.
Its a shame Transport for London doesnt always accept our
advice, but it did come to the conclusion, in agreement with an LCC
assessment, that the A40 was a poor choice of route for a Cycle
Superhighway. Rik argues that the system is particularly suitable
for planners when theyre choosing an upgrade path from two or more
alternative (perhaps parallel) routes. It provides a quick and
low-cost method of assessment, which they might not otherwise
have.
As you can see, using a workable assessment framework lets you
do all kinds of things; not least work out whether youre getting
value for money, and whether youre actually creating routes likely
to encourage more cycling.
So how exactly does one go about rating a route for its
cycle-friendliness in order to lobby for improvements, or to argue
with a council about investing money in it?
Unsurprsingly there are a number of diff erent ways, according
to circumstances, but the route assessment method is so simple that
pretty much any cyclist with a pen
and a notepad can use it to assess the route of their choice,
and heres how:
First, break down the route into its constituent parts, which
are sections of route between junctions, and the junctions
themselves. Second, ride or walk the route, scoring each section of
the route and each junction according to the criteria set out
below. At the end of the process, the information can be recorded
either as a spreadsheet, with a name for each section alongside its
score, or the information can be transferred on to a map, and
represented visually, with diff erent colours indicated the quality
of route.
TYPE OF ROUTE
CHARACTERISTICS RATING
Park, towpath, greenway VRS
Wide path; good sight lines; good surface; good access,
including evenings; well signposted
A1
Good attractive path, but poor access; daylight only
A2
Width adequate & surface okay; blind corners; poor
access
A3
Narrow; overgrown; poor ambience; poor surface; not legal
A4
Minor roads Through-traffi c excluded; safe junctions &
crossings; well-signed; well lit
B1
Traffi c calmed, but not excluded, or lightly used; 20mph; safe
junctions & crossings; well-lit
B2
Indirect; narrow; over-parked; poor ambience; unsafe junctions;
no main road crossings
B3
One-way street; used as rat-run; signed only (untreated)
B4
Distributor roads
Physically segregated track; protected lane; few breaks in
continuity and safe junctions
C1
Wide mandatory lane; available 24hr; good continuity across
(treated) junctions; no parking or loading
C2
Advisory lane; fragmented; obstructed; narrow/part-time/no
junction treatments
C3
No facilities; signed only (untreated); serious hazards
C4
QUALITY-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA FOR CYCLE ROUTES
A CYCLIST'S WORST NIGHTMARE: buses, cabs, lorries and limos,
combined with parked cars and narrow streets. Unsurprisingly not a
single bike in sight...
Herbie Boehm
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CAMPAIGN
28 London Cyclist June-July 2011
ASSESSMENT IN ACTION For the inner section of Cycle Superhighway
11, and on its extension to Grosvenor Square, Rik Andrew used the
route assessment method (see below). For alternative routes or
sections of route, some of which can then be proposed on the basis
that they would provide a better overall solution. All assessments
are accompanied by qualitative notes, highlighting the importance
of dealing with major barriers to cycling such as Swiss Cottage
gyratory.
The second table (right) shows the percentages of the route that
are at each level of quality ie, what proportion of the length of
the route is very good (1), good (2), poor (3) or very poor (4)
before and after intervention. As you can see, the percentage thats
very good or good would increase from 2% to 68%.
NAME OF ROUTE SECTION
SECTION DISTANCE
(KM)
CURRENT DESCRIPTION OF SECTION
CURRENT SECTION RATING
POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENT POTENTIAL RATING
Grosvenor Square 0.1 Key east-west route but one-way; logical
start point for this Superhighway C4Change to two-way operation
(all sides of square) and calm B2
North Audley Street 0.2 Rat-run for taxis etc; one-way B4 Make
2-way with closure/fi lter; divert A41 traffi c via Park Lane
B1
Junction: Oxford St 0.1 One-way southbound C4 Make two-way for
cyclists C2
Orchard Street 0.2 One-way southbound C4 Make two-way for all
traffi c; or install segregated two-way cycle track B2 / C2
Junction: Wigmore Street 0.1 One-way; left-hook risk C4 Make
two-way for cyclists C3
Portman Square 0.2 One-way southbound C4 Make 2-way: all sides
of square C2
Baker Street (Sth) 0.6 One-way southbound C4 Make 2-way for all
traffi c; or install segregated two-way cycle track B2 / C2
(Gloucester Place) One-way northbound C4 Make two-way for all
traffi c and sign as A41 (not Baker St)Junction: Marylebone Road
0.1 One-way southbound C4 Make two-way for cyclists B2
Baker Street (N) 0.2 One-way; severe bus congestion blocks
cyclists C4Make two-way for bus/bike only; other traffi c to use
Gloucester Pl B2
Junction: Baker Street /Park Rd 0.1 Useful bus lane but not
obvious C3 Blue lane would clarify route C2
Park Road 0.6 Wide fast road; no cycle facilities C3 2m cycle
lanes throughout C2Junction: Rossmore Road 0.1
No right turn southbound; important link to Harewood, etc B4 Add
toucan with jug-handle B2
Junction: Prince Albert / St Johns Wood Road
0.2 Fast roundabout with awkward tight approach; railings hazard
C4Redesign vital: signalise and make two-way; remove railings
C3
Wellington Road 0.4 Single wide lane; no cycle facilities C3 Add
mandatory cycle lanes C2Junction: Circus Road 0.1 Important
east-west link to Harrow Rd B3
Upgrade all ASL lead-in lanes to queue length B2
Finchley Road (S) or Wellington Road (N) 0.2
Two narrow traffi c lanes, no cycle facilities C3
2m cycle lanes both north and southbound; no need for two traffi
c lanes
C2
Junction: Marlboro/Queens 0.1 Pinch point caused by traffi c
island B3
Upgrade to single phase toucan crossing B2
Finchley Road (S) 0.4 Two narrow traffi c lanes, but not high
traffi c-fl ows; no cycle facilities C32m cycle lanes both north
and southbound; no need for two traffi c lanes
C2
Junction: Boundary Road 0.1 Good permeability B1 Already
satisfactory B1
St Johns Wood Park 0.2 Calmed by fi lter but inaccessible to A41
cyclists B3TfL proposal unclear; must work both north and
southbound
Swiss Cottage gyratory 0.2
Fast multi-lane traffi c; buses changing lanes; railings; very
poor for walkers & cyclists
C4 Two-way operation best option, otherwise very diffi cult to
make safe C3
Finchley Road (N) 0.7 Narrow lanes; railings; bus lane used for
off -peak parking C4Frequent HGVs; requires radical redesign and
less parking C3
5.2 Total distance (km) 5.2
QUALITY OF ROUTE (RATING)
DISTANCE (KM)
% OF ROUTE AT THAT RATING
DISTANCE (KM
% OF ROUTE AT
THAT RATING
Very Good (1) 0.3 2% 0.1 6%
Good (2) 3.2 0% 0.0 62%
Poor (3) 1.6 40% 2.1 31%
Very Poor (4) 0.1 58% 3.0 2%
However, the percentage of the route thats still poor or very
poor is 33%, which is why other routes were suggested that could
provide less of a barrier to creating new cyclists on the
Superhighway.
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START/FINISH
1 REGENTS PARK
Regents Park
London Zoo
Hyde Park
Judd Street
Evershalt Street
Russel Square
Guildfo
Gower Street
Bloomsbury Street
B loom
sbury
Oxford Stree
tNew O
xford Sreet
Tottenham Court Road
High Ho
lborn
Euston R
o ad
Great Portland Street
Portland Place
Oxford Stree
t
Regent Street
Baker Street
Picca
dilly
Green Park
Marylebon
e Road
Paddington S t
reet
Edgware Road
Bayswater Road
Park Lane
George Stre
et
KiAdelaide
Road
Elswo r th
y Roa
d
York
Way
MARYLEBONE
4 MARBLE ARCH
5 HYDE PARK
6 BRITISH M
BAR ITALIA
ROYAL ACADEMY
SOTHERBYSAMERICAN EMBASSY
Lisson Grove
Park Road
Suss
ex Ga
rdensP
raed S
treet
Shaf
tesb
ury
Aven
ue
Long
Acr
e
GreBLOOMSBURY
TottenhamCourt Road
Oxford Circus
Russell Square
UniversityCollege London
GoodgeStreet
EustonSquare
Euston
SOMERSKings Cross St Pancras
Kings Cross International
Albany Street
Mornington Crescent
BondStreet
Marble Arch
Baker Street
Edgware Road
MaryleboneRegents Park
GreatPortlandStreet
WarrenStreet
PaddingtonStreetGardens
BEST RIDES INLONDON Camden and Soho
1REGENTS PARK.The grand terraces around the park are the work of
John Nash, the town planner, developer and architect who shaped the
London of the 18th century. The park, formerly the kings hunting
ground and still the property of the Crown Estate was to be fi lled
with villas but Nash ran out of funds, and only three of the eight
that were built survive. Camden Cycling Campaign and LC have
lobbied for cycling to be permitted in the park. The Broad Walk was
opened up to cycling in
2010 following a trial period; in the winter it off ers a great
view of Nashs Cumberland Terrace. The park includes the American
ambassadors residence and the London Central Mosque. The garden in
the centre of the inner circle has a caf and bike stands.
2CAMDEN LOCK MARKET Set by the Regents Canal, the Lock market
was once a relatively small weekend art and crafts market and
popular alternative music venue. It expanded rapidly in the 90s to
encompass much of Camden High Street and is now a must-see
destination for any tourist under 30. The range of new and old
goods on off er is enormous and the food off erings include the
unique nitrogen-
frozen ice cream at Chin-Chin Laboratorists. Cycle parking is
limited; the little-known stands outside number 3 Jamestown Road
can be useful.
Tom Bogdanowicz takes us on a tour of two of Londons most
colourful districts, including buildings designed by architect John
Nash
BEST RIDES
FACTFILESTART Euston stationLENGTH 16km (10 miles)TIME 2.5
hoursTERRAIN fl at and easy; mostly quiet streets and paths
through
parks; some cycle lanes on busier roads.NEARBY STATIONS Camden
Road, Euston, Kings Cross and Victoria.
Its hard to imagine more colourful and energetic parts of London
than Camden and Soho. Camdens
centre throbs with a young clubbing and drinking crowd while
nearby streets house some of the wealthiest of Londons residents,
and Soho has a history as a red-light district despite bordering
the most expensive streets on the Monopoly board. Sights on the
route are dominated by the architecture of John Nash, planner and
architect.
This unusual ride takes you through the heart of both districts
along little-traffi cked roads and through Londons best known
parks, but its essential to follow the route precisely or you may
get caught up in complex one-way systems. Any bike is fi ne for
this fl at route.
The ride is extracted from Tom Bogdanowiczs London Cycling Guide
by permission of New Holland Publishers. It costs 10.99 from most
bookstores.
30 London Cyclist June-July 2011
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21:4016/05/2011 21:40
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Primrose Hill Park
e
Grays Inn Road
Kings Cross Road
Clerkenwell Road
Rose
berr
y Av
enue
Skin ner Str
Guildford
Street
Theoba
lds Roa
d Hatton Garden
Farringdon Road
CoramsFields
omsbu
ry Wa
y
olborn
Kingsway
Chalk Farm Road
Regents Park Road
King Henry s Road
ad
Prince Albert Road
CHALK FARM
CAMDEN
HOLBORN
CLERKENWELL
Cale
doni
an Ro
ad
York
Way
2CAMDEN LOCK MARKET
3 PRIMROSE HILL
TISH MUSEUM
Long
Acr
e
High Holborn
Fleet Street
Grays Inn ROad
Great O
rmand S
treet
Chancery Lane
Chancery Lane
Holborn
ll e
oss as
ss nal
Farringdon
moved to its present location, allegedly because the royal
carriage wouldnt fi t through it. It was used as a police station
until 1950.
4MARBLE ARCH was created in 1828 John Nash originally planned a
Royal route down Portland Place and Regent Street to Buckingham
Palace, where he erected the Marble Arch in front of the original
front faade of the palace (now hidden by a dull, but iconic, front
extension by Sir Aston Webb).
In 1855 the Marble Arch was
5HYDE PARK Like Regents Park, Hyde Park was once a royal hunting
ground, acquired originally by Henry VIII, and it remains one of
the Royal Parks. London Cyclists lobbied in past years for the
cycle crossings into the park and more recently for the cycle
access to two key paths in Kensington Gardens. The most
recent addition is cycle access in front of Kensington
Palace.
In 2007 the park formed part of the London stage of the Tour de
France to which local LC groups led thousands of cyclists of all
ages and abilities. At the destination was probably the largest
cycle parking facility ever erected in London (for 12,000
bikes).
3 PRIMROSE HILL Despite the eff orts of local playwright Alan
Bennett, cycling in Primrose Hill Park is still not permitted. But
this route takes you up a secret path from which its a short walk
to the top. The view is perhaps the best in
London. On Midsummers Night, cyclists gather there at 4am to see
the sunrise (watch website for details). Down below, in Primrose
Hill village, there is a selection of pubs and eateries where you
might run into the Millibands who live in the area.
6BRITISH MUSEUM Designed in grand neo-classical style by Sir
Robert Smirke, the BM houses an unrivalled collection of
antiquities. Within the museum is the largest covered square in
Europe, the Queen Elizabeth II Court, designed by the Norman Foster
practice (architects of the Gherkin). Within the square
Foster retained the museum librarys original circular reading
room, once frequented by Karl Marx.
The museums library has been moved from what is now the QEII
Court to a new building in Euston. Conveniently, the museum has
strange but plentiful bike racks outside. The QEII court has a
pleasant caf.
POINTS OF INTEREST
The American Embassy in Grosvenor Square was designed by the
Finnish Architect Eero Saarinen; its in the process of being moved
to Battersea. Further along Brook Street, number 67 bears a plaque
marking the residence of the Bee Gees in the 80s. Sothebys auction
house, in-between the elegant shops in New Bond Street, at number
31, often has interesting collections of paintings and antiques on
display. Slightly off route, the Royal Academy is a convenient stop
with cycle parking and an outdoor caf in the summer. The
exhibitions are ticket only. Bar Italia features regularly in bike
rides (like the Southwark Cyclists Midsummer Madness ride), and has
a high reputation for its coff ee; the original Patisserie Valerie
is in Old Compton Street. Also inventor Logie Baird used to live
there.
June-July 2011 London Cyclist 31
FOOD STOPSLoads of cafs and pubs on or near the route, like Bar
Italia (see right). Worth trying are the cakes at Berteaux