Monday 29 December 2008

Lets get on our bikes this coming year

It's simple and it should epitomise London yet somehow the joy of cycling has not been embraced here yet.

This picture is from West End Lane of a bike scheme little rolled out across London. When I was in Spain(Valencia) and France (Paris) it's obvious that cycle schemes are supported and encouraged and they are not just tourist playthings.

The fact is this should be a cultural shift and I hope that this coming year will see Camden moving forward.

There has been a sudden rush of cycle lock up point across the boroughs of Brent and Camden - many of them in slightly illogical locations - but nevertheless welcome. It would be good if this process of making the committment to cycling can now be followed by an overt desire to engage with residents over this.

What could be done?
- public multi bike storage areas at all railway and tube stations (working with TfL and all user groups)
- all residents blocks to be offered bike lock-up points (eve of that means it effectively is located on private property)
- all area committees and public forums con-ordinated by the council to be on a constant hunt for suitable locations for cycle rack and bike lane facilities

There simple steps that would help instill a culture that encourages cycling...

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Start with the safety of cyclists on the road. Then move on to obeying the highway code (and enforcing it) . Then and only then free bikes. As a pedestrian it is only a matter of time before a cyclist will slam into me at the red lights or on the pavement. I know these are a minority but it needs sorting out.