The City of London is busy tearing up bike lanes in the Barbican tunnel to re-introduce a problem they recently fixed; have they got cycling amnesia?

The City of London are currently busy digging up one of the busiest bike routes in the Square Mile, but not to improve conditions for cyclists.

The Beech Street tunnel runs beneath the Barbican estate, connecting Finsbury Square in the east with Smithfield Market in the west. 

Until recently the westbound cycle lane stopped short of the western junction, when the carriageway split from one lane to two.  This resulted in cyclists being pinched and almost inevitably a considerable number of cyclists mounted the pavement to get ahead of stationary traffic and large vehicles waiting at the lights.  This in turn led to problems between cyclists and local residents on foot, so much so that the City of London spent a considerable sum reconfiguring the western end from two lanes of traffic to one, and creating a wide cycle lane that brings cyclists safely all the way up to the junction, where an Advanced Stop Line allows them to get ahead of traffic pulling away or turning.  (There's a great video on Youtube showing the problem before, and the solution after.)


The improved west bound carriageway, continuous cycle lane and bike box. Problem solved.

The fact that the City spent so much time, money and effort reconfiguring the western end of the tunnel two years ago, makes what they are now doing at the eastern end even more mind boggling.

See the full plans for Beech Street and Silk Street here (Opens in PDF)

The eastbound cycle lane used to run all the way through the tunnel, becoming zig zags just before the pedestrian crossing and junction with Whitecross Street. Motorised traffic often stacks up here - especially at peak times - because the pedestrian crossings are so busy.  The cycle lane got you through this safely, without having to mount the carriageway.

It's worth pointing out that in the cycle census of 2013, there were the same amount of cars and bicycles traveling westbound in the morning peak, and only a few more cars than bicycles in the evening peak (542 private cars, vs 436 bicycles)  This is also a very popular rat run for taxi drivers, with some 2316 of them traveling this route every day (compared to 1305 bicycles in total.)  Clearly, this is a popular and useful bicycle route that could benefit from the space for cyclists being enhanced, but for some inexplicable reason the City are seeking to make it worse.


The cycle lane will follow the new stone curb on the left towards the centre of the carriageway - effectively replicating the problem the City paid to elliminate at the western end of the tunnel.

In order to widen the pavement outside the Barbican cinema and to push the pedestrian crossing further east (to meet the desire line of pedestrians crossing from Whitecross Street) the pavement is being built out in to the carriageway in to the path of the cycle lane.  Cyclists will be expected to "taper" in to the carriageway, and will be expected to take the centre of the lane, from the pedestrian build out all the way past Whitecross St junction.  This may not seem so bad, it is only a few metres after all, but I can't believe money is being spent to replicate the same conditions at the eastern end of the Beech Street tunnel that the City spent money eradicating at the west end.  With traffic so often backed up here, if cyclists take the lane they will be left sitting in stationary traffic sucking on the exhaust pipe of idling taxis going nowhere fast.  In reality this simply will not happen - as was demonstrated at the western junction - cyclists will either squeeze themselves down the artificially induced tight space remaining - in close proximity to queuing traffic - or they will mount the pavement and ride along that instead.  Exactly the sort of outcome the City should be seeking to avoid.

I've written to the City asking them what they think they're playing at, and received a very polite "thank you, but we know best" note.  The project manager argued that there was already a pinch point at Whitecross Street (there is, it is a few feet, and can be navigated by getting ahead of traffic held up at the pedestrian crossing) and that the cycle lane will merge alongside the newly built out taper, which will apparently encourage other traffic to shift right to the side of the carriageway (the current existing central reservation is being removed, meaning the carriageway width will be 4m - in line with the new London Cycling Design Guidance)

I'm not convinced.  I'm not convinced the argument in favour of a few feet of extra paving outside the cinema has been shown to be more important than the needs of hundreds of cyclists who will loose safe space for cycling here.  And if the experience of Cheapside in the City of London has taught us anything, I am not convinced that narrowing the carriageway and expecting cyclists to take up the middle of the lane is anything more than wishful thinking.  And I am not convinced that the City of London is truly thinking "put cyclists first" if this is the way they go about re-designing their streets.  If anything, bicycles seem like a total after thought here.  Update at 11.55AM on 14/7/14: It seems as though the influential residents of the Barbican estate are entirely unhappy with this scheme as well, so just who exactly is it supposed to benefit?

Spot any safe space for cycling in this lot? No, me neither.  You wouldn't believe this is one of the Square Miles' busiest bike routes, the way it is being chopped about. (Pic via @HackneyCyclist on Twitter)

They could have created a simplified system of pedestrian crossings, more space for pedestrians on the south corner of Silk Street and still had enough room to create a really fantastic treatment to get cyclists safely across the Whitecross Street junction.  Instead, they're opting for some fancy paving, tapered out bicycle lanes, crossing their fingers and hoping for the best.  Once the works here are complete, I would not be surprised if cycle rates decrease, perhaps significantly.

The Beech Street / Silk Street upgrade works are just one of many being planned across the Square Mile that will have an impact on cyclists; from the Aldgate gyratory to the introduction of a trial 20mph zone and two-way cycling on key one-way routes.  The Beech Street route is part of my journey to work, but the first I knew of the plans was when they started digging the street up.  It just goes to show how important it is that as many cyclists and campaigners are involved in the street planning process as possible.

The next City of London Cycling Forum is on Thursday 31st July at 6PM in the City Marketing Suite (on the corner of Basinghall Street and the Guildhall Buildings)  An opportunity to talk informally with City Members and officers and comment on future plans will be available; I'd urge you to get involved.

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Want things to change for cyclists in London? Then ask for it!

There used to be a time when cycle campaigning in London had a somewhat meek approach to making demands.  A fluster here about cycle parking, a flap there about cycle route signs...  Whilst well-meaning, there was little to engage the wider public - and their politicians - to really dare them to dream big.

Times have changed, and a resurgent London Cycling Campaign has led the way with bold and exciting campaigning that everyday and ordinary Londoners can get involved with and really care about.  In 2012 their "Love London, Go Dutch" election push saw 10,000 people take to the streets in protest in London's biggest ever cycling demonstration.  That led directly to the newly elected Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, pledging to spend nearly a BILLION pounds on making London's streets safe for cycling over the next ten years, and the construction of the first section of fully segregated Cycle Superhighway in Stratford.  On other fronts, campaigning at Blackfriars Bridge led to the speed limit being reduced to 20mph to keep people safe, and plans to completely re-design the northern junction of the bridge.  A 20mph limit shortly to be introduced across the whole of the "Square Mile", the City of London, was a direct consequence of a letter writing campaign by concerned cyclists.  A new junction proposed in Camden that will design out the possibility of left-hooking cyclists, whilst the opening up of the Docklands Light Railway network to passengers with bikes are both responses to campaigner's efforts.

In short, campaigning works.





But politically, London is a complicated beast.  In addition to the Mayor (who as the Chair of TfL controls the city's biggest and busiest roads) we also have MPs who represent local boroughs in our national Parliament.  And within each borough, local Councillors look after separate wards, and help to control how money is spent from one authority to another.  Whilst the "Love London, Go Dutch" campaign of 2012 has helped to ensure that safe space for cycling will be created on our busiest roads, this is just part of the jigsaw.  There are 33 local authorities across our city, who control 90% of London's streets.  The Councillors who will lead these areas are running for election very soon, on May 22nd 2014.  (You have till the 6th of May to register if you're not yet on the electoral roll where you live.)

The London Cycling Campaign are once again on the ball, running an incredible campaign across all of Greater London in an effort to get every political candidate standing in the May 22nd local elections to sign up to demands for space for cycling in their ward.

Local authorities control whether resident's streets are rat runs or family-friendly environments.  They can bring in 20mph zones, or close off unnecessary through roads to help create quiet routes for cycling.  School runs, town centre cycle parking, routes through local parks, which street to resurface next... all this, and more, will fall under the control of the politicians elected in May.

A perfect example of why these local elections are so important to cyclists on the ground can be seen by comparing the neighbouring boroughs of Camden and Westminster.  In Camden there's been cycle-friendly Councillors and cycle-friendly policy for many years, meaning most roads have cycle lanes, there's ample cycle parking and you can find some of the best cycle infrastructure in the city.  In neighbouring Westminster, bicycles have not been the same concern for politicians long enthral to the demands of motorists, and you'd be lucky to find an Advanced Stop Line, let alone somewhere to park your bike.  To put it in a nutshell, these elections could decide whether your ride to work is a pleasure or a pain.

London Cycling Campaign are asking people across London to use their simple and easy to use tool to find out what the space for cycling demands are in your area, and to contact election hopefuls.  It takes just a few seconds, but in local elections where turnouts are traditionally low and every vote counts, contacting prospective Councillors like this can really help to make a difference and secure pledges for cycle-friendly change in the future.

Over 600 ward-specific cycling improvements have been mapped across London by LCC's local volunteers, and 20,000 messages have already been sent to election hopefuls, with more than 400 election candidates signing up to the demands of the Space for Cycling campaign and committing to change on the ground in the future.

But as the elections approach, the LCC are asking for more people to come on board.  Signing up takes just a few seconds, and could help secure change where you live.  If we want Space For Cycling, we've got to ask for it!

You can sign up to the London Cycling Campaign's #SpaceForCycling campaign on their website in just a few moments, and follow updates via their Facebook and Twitter pages.  And keep Saturday 17th May free in your diaries, when the campaign will culminate in a Big Ride through central London, just days before the city goes to the polls.

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"Smoothing traffic flow"? It's FINISHED - we won the battle for Blackfriars Bridge!

In 2011 Transport for London proposed to tear the cycle paths out of the north junction of Blackfriars Bridge, increase the lanes for motorised traffic from two to three, increase the speed to 30mph and take out vital pedestrian crossings - all on one of the busiest river crossings in central London where people on bikes make up the majority of all traffic.

Cyclists had been killed on the bridge before, and the cycling community's response to Transport for London's plans was unified and unequivocal; if they went ahead then cyclists or pedestrians would be killed there again.  Thousands of you signed petitions and added your image to a picture protest wall.  Cyclists forced the Mayor of London Boris Johnson (who is Chair of TfL) to state that "more work needs to be done on cycling over Blackfriars Bridge".  All of the major parties (including the Conservatives) backed an Assembly motion calling for TfL to retain the existing 20mph speed limit and "revisit the plans for the bridge".  Campaigners even discovered that TfL's own safety audit recommended they review their own plans.

Protests on Blackfriars Bridge captured the media's attention - and helped to put pressure on TfL and the Mayor.

Exhausting all democratic options, cyclists and pedestrians joined forces to demonstrate on the bridge.  Called to the streets by myself and fellow blogger Danny Williams from Cyclists In the City, there were three demonstrations on the bridge, each larger than the last.  The demonstrations - which saw thousands of cyclists cover the entire bridge as BBC and ITV cameras looked on - were the beginning of a resurgent and more direct force for cycle campaigning in London.  The London Cycling Campaign also joined the demonstrations and were overwhelmed by the response their own proposed designs for the bridge received.  As a battle ground, Blackfriars became the launch pad for the Love London, Go Dutch campaign and the biggest cycling protest ever seen in London, not to mention more guerrilla campaigns such as Stop Killing Cyclists with their die ins and Bikes Alive with their Kings Cross flashrides.  This zeitgeist of protest inspired The Times to be bold in their reaction to one of their own journalists being run over, launching their Cities Fit For Cycling campaign and financing the Get Britain Cycling parliamentary enquiry.  And the Mayor, re-elected on the back of the cyclist vote, announced the largest and most comprehensive cycle spending program ever seen in the UK.

Politicians of all political colours join the protests on Blackfriars Bridge

In short, the battle for Blackfriars Bridge marked a turning point in London cycle campaigning where the space provided for safe cycling was seen as the key to success, as oppose to just the competence of the cyclists who use it (or perceived lack of).

And now, two years after those initial heady protests, people power has finally won on Blackfriars Bridge.

This week Transport for London announced they will shortly introduce an 18 month experimental traffic order reducing the speed limit to 20mph limit on the bridge, and surrounding roads - one of the protest's key initial demands.  

Furthermore, the bridge's north junction will now be completely redesigned and reconstructed in order to accommodate a new largely separated north-south cycle route from Elephant and Castle to Kings Cross, which will intersect with the Mayor's east-west "Crossrail for bikes" which is slated for construction later this year.

TfL's proposals for Blackfriars Bridge Road - we're not quite there yet, but we're a thousand miles away from the rhetoric of 2011.

Whilst we haven't quite yet got to the point where construction is underway, this week's news is nevertheless a highly significant turning point.  In 2011 the Mayor stated "...a speed limit of 20 mph isn't necessary and could be a serious impediment to smooth traffic flow".  On Blackfriars Bridge we've shown that the 'smoothing traffic flow' arguments simply don't add up, and that people have to be put first.  In my opinion, it's a milestone that everyone who wrote letters, signed petitions and protested should be extremely proud of.  

The 20mph 'test zones' on Blackfriars and London Bridge will join with a larger 20mph zone across the City of London which will be consulted on shortly after being voted for by the Corporation last year; another scheme initially requested by cycling and pedestrian campaigners.

In real terms this means that the the authorities are now proposing to make possible exactly what they said was impossible just two years ago.  Their old argument that it would disrupt too much the smooth flow of traffic has been an impediment to progress on schemes across London; now the lid of that Pandora's box has been lifted there can be no turning back.

In short, it may take a lot of blood, sweat and tears, it may take a long time -and we may have to wait before organisations like TfL are prepared to admit to losing face - but above all campaigning works.

Well done London!  Next stop, space for cycling 2014....

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Another small success: where the City of London leads, Transport for London should follow

Some of you may remember, about a year ago, my encouraging a lot of you to write to the City of London regarding their Draft Local Implementation Plan.  It was the first joint-measure where myself and Danny from Cyclists in the City teamed up and, well, we haven't stopped since to be honest!

And now it seems we have a success in the City. After many, many of you wrote to the City to tell them that their plans weren't bold enough and that if they wanted to get serious about 10% of all people travelling to or through the Square Mile, they had to get serious about road danger reduction and making cyclists feel safe, secure and welcome.

City of London Cycle Style event, 2010. More of the same on our streets, please!

Last Friday, the City announced that TfL have signed off on the revised Draft plan.  The City has now committed to thinking seriously about inviting cycling and making small steps towards making the Square Mile a nicer place to ride a bike. The revised LIP now includes these points:

(1) More ambitious road traffic casualty targets to reduce the number of persons killed or seriously injured to 50% below the 2004–2008 average by 2020 and the total number of persons injured to 30% below the 2004–2008 average by 2020.

(2) A commitment to provide continuous high-quality conditions for cycling on several routes through the City, including both the London Cycle Network (LCN) routes on City Corporation streets and several north–south and east–west quieter back-street routes through the City.

(3) A proposal to formally investigate the desirability of a 20 mph speed limit or a 20 mph zone covering the whole of the City, with a preference for a speed limit or zone that incorporates the Transport for London road network (red routes)

And there are more encouraging words from the LIP - it talks about walking and cycling throughout, and recognises that they can (and should!) be key ways for people to make their way around.  "Standards that were possibly acceptable when cycling was a minority activity, such as narrow cycle lanes, shallow or non-existent advanced stop lines and minimal levels of employee and visitor cycle parking provision will not be adequate. Cycling will continue to increase in popularity and become an even more important City mode of travel."Bold words in the political world, and words that Transport for London's Chair, Boris Johnson, could do with reminding himself of. 




The City of London politicians and planning department should be applauded for listening to all those (all 108 of you!) who took the time to write and to get involved in the LIP process, and those of you who were involved should feel very proud indeed - you've hopefully helped the City to take a step towards making itself a better place.

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It's nice when we get results, no?  Onwards and upwards!

City of London Cycle Style photography exhibition opens to the public

Last night I attended the Lord Mayor of London's launch of the City Cycle Style photography exhibition at the Royal Exchange.  This was not your usual cycling event; there were bankers and brokers, lawyers and designers and all sorts of City types furiously exchanging business cards, catching up on their Blackberries and bidding vast sums of money in the auction.  But they did so for a good cause (all in aid of the Lord Mayor's charity, Bear Necessities) (His name is Michael Bear, geddit?) and did so whilst surrounded by gorgeous pictures by photographer Horst A. Friedrichs of cyclists in the city. 

From snaps of Paul Smith, local celebrities and even the Mayor himself, to photos of local couriers and everyday riders - all were given the glamorous treatment and committed to celluloid.  And it seemed to work; around me people were over heard talking about cycling "Why don't you ride a bike?", "Why is it so hard to ride in London?", "Wouldn't it be great if it was like Amsterdam..?"  These are the seeds with which people begin to think about cycling, and perhaps start to tune in to the sort of questions raised over at the Cyclists in the City blog.  Fun though last year's event format was, sometimes it's good to break out of the crowd of usual suspects who normally make up these events and bring cycling's positive message to a new audience. 

And whilst some of these photos might force the chic urban cycling concept a little, anything that offers an alternative to the more prevalent Lance Armstrong look that surrounds bicycle promotion in the UK gets a tick in my books.

Donna Ida Thornton of denim boutique Donna Ida rides a 2010 Specialized Globe Carmel 3

Drag artist extraordinaire and local personality Johnny Woo rides a 3 speed Dutchie in some serious heels!

Chocolatier and local businessman Paul A Young rides a Gazelle Tour Populaire

If you weren't there last night, you haven't missed your chance to catch the fabulous photography of Mr Friedrichs.  His prints will be on display in the open air to the general public 24 hours a day in the streets around the Royal Exchange until October 29th.  Be sure to check it out!

This is the second cycle fashion photography exhibition I've attended so far this year, the other being mounted by the Royal Borough of Kensignton and Chelsea and which included fantastic photographs of local residents who cycle.  Be sure to check out my write up of the "Like Riding a Bike" exhibition here.

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20mph zone and better bike lanes coming for the City of London?

You'll remember earlier in the year I urged you all to respond to the City of London's Local Implementation Plan.  It was a key opportunity to get cycling firmly on the agenda in the Square Mile, and many of you took the time to write in to tell the City to wake up and smell the energy drink - it was time they started to put their money where their mouth is when it comes to providing for cycling.

Holborn Circus, in the City of London

Some 113 people wrote to the City - thank you! - and it would seem the City is prepared to listen.  Cyclists in the City blog reports that's 100 more than the last time the Guildhall consulted on its transport plans, and there were letters supporting cycling from representatives of some of the biggest employers and financial institutions in the Square Mile.  The consultation, having worked its way through various meetings, has now been discussed by the Policy Committee who voted to support the three following amendments to the original LIP document, formulated as a direct consequence of all those letters you sent:

"(1) More ambitious road traffic casualty targets to reduce the number of persons killed or seriously injured to 50% below the 2004–2008 average by 2020 and the total number of persons injured to 30% below the 2004–2008 average by 2020.

(2) A commitment to provide continuous high-quality conditions for cycling on several routes through the City, with a further recommendation that these routes include both the London Cycle Network routes on City Corporation streets and several north–south and east–west quieter back-street routes through the City.


(3) A commitment to formally investigate the desirability of a 20 mph speed limit or 20 mph zone covering the whole of the City, with a further recommendation that the preferred option for such a speed limit or zone incorporate the Transport for London road network in the City."

This is a huge break-through for all of you who took the time to tell the City to step up to the plate, and a potentially game-changing decision for future plans for the City's streets. (Although, of course, saying this in a Local Implementation Plan is no promise of change on the ground in the future - but it's a start!)

But this is good news only in principle...  Whilst the City has shown it is prepared to listen to its own consultation process, the Policy Committee can only recommend the above points be included.  The ultimate decision rests with the Chair (Stuart Fraser) and Deputy Chair of the Policy Committee along with the Transport and Planning Committee.  If (and it is a very big if) they approve the above recommendations, the LIP will then have to be signed off by Mayor of London Boris Johnson, who, with his own policies about 'smoothing traffic flow' may well not be keen on the 20mph zone himself (Blackfriars Bridge, anyone?!).

Making space for cycling?

But the first challenge for people on bikes is to get the Chair (Stuart Fraser) and Deputy Chair of the Policy Committee with the Transport and Planning Committee to approve including the 20mph zone, road casualty reductions and continuos cycle lane provisions in the LIP.  If we succeed it will be a great victory - being the financial heart of London and a uniquely important local authority, what happens in the City will hopefully soon be followed by other Boroughs.  But as Cyclists in the City report, some of the gentlemen on the Committee who have been charged with approving these amendments have a somewhat tabloid view of us cyclists.

So, the question is... remaining positive, professional, upbeat and engaging, how do we get these City politicians to say 'Yes' to better conditions for people on foots and people on bikes?  Any and all ideas are welcome!



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Time is running out to have your say on City of London LIPS

Regular readers will remember my recent post on the City of London Local Implementation Plan - the plan and budget which will affect the street development and cycling programme in the City for the next 3 to 5 years.

The City has some catching up to do if it wishes to stay ahead! 

The LIP makes lots of very promising noises about cycling;

2.60 Provision [for cyclists] needs to be planned for now, or unacceptably poor conditions will result or intensify. Standards that were possibly acceptable when cycling was a minority activity, such as narrow cycle lanes, shallow or non-existent advanced stop lines and minimum levels of employee and visitor parking provision will not be adequate.

3.12 The City Corporation considers that there is the potential for 10% or more of journeys to and from the City to be made by bicycle.

3.1 Achieving this step-change increase in cycling will be essential if the transport objectives set out in Chapter 2 of this plan are to be met. No other mode of travel has the potential to have this degree of influence on the achievement of the City Corporation’s transport objectives...

...but fails to put its money where its mouth is and actually stump up any cash to go about achieving that aim of 10% mode share.  In fact, the City has allocated just 0.45% of the LIP budget to cycling, which will allow the City to implement a handful of two way streets for cycling at best.

The LIP is currently available for public consultation, but in order for it not to be waived through regardless they need to hear from many many people who think that the City should be a market leader and doing more to invest in a comprehensive cycling plan.

You can download my response, and are more than welcome to use elements of this in your own response, or, you can hop on over to the Cyclists in the City blog which has a template email you can use and the list of Councillors you should send your response to.

But hurry! Consultation ends on February 21st, so time is running out.



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City of London cyclists: we're off!

Those of your who tuned in on Monday will know I have grave concerns about the City of London's plans for cycling and the tiny amount of budget they intended to allocate over the next three financial years.


Well, the City has finally published it's plans and they're now open for consultation.  The time has come for you all to pick up your quills and have carrier pigeons at the ready in order to get in touch with those good folk at the Corporation and to let them know what you think.


Of course, the easy option is to write in and moan about how crap they are, but the better option would be to tell them where they should be spending the cash, why, and what a good thing it would be.  Not just for cyclists, but for those who would like to cycle, for those who walk around the City, for all the people who would like to be able to move about in a better way but are currently constrained by the status quo.  If that's not a big deal, I don't know what it is.


Cyclists in the City have penned a draft letter to get you inspired, but don't forget to add your own experience, ideas, and support - if you want better bike parking, now is the time to say why.  If you dream of Copenhagenizing London, tell them why and how.


If it's going to be, it's got to be me.


So go on already, get going, hop on over to Cyclists in the City now!


Felling sufficiently revved up?  Here's a little video from Streetfilms about Copenhagen to give you a taste of what were all fighting for here;

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Lick your LIPS; it's time to get the City to listen to cyclists!

Do you ever ride along a certain stretch of road and think 'This is so poorly designed, I could do better than this?", or swing out around a traffic calming island and exclaim "Who on earth thought this up?  Didn't they think about bikes before building this junk?!".  As cyclists I'm sure we've all been there, and sighed in exasperation as we've cycled on, wondering why our streets aren't more cycle-friendly.

Over in the City of London they are today launching their 'Local Implementation Plan'.  It sounds like a bureaucratic yawn-fest, and to be frank, it is.  But bear with me here, because for us cyclists (and indeed anyone who might like to cycle) it does mean a lot.  Essentially, the LIP outlines how the cash-rich Corporation of London will implement the Mayor's Transport Strategy for the next four years.  This strategy, in turn, is a 20 year action plan and so could have consequences on the conditions for cyclists in the City for generations to come.  The Mayor's strategy includes three key areas;

-  Improving interchanges
-  Smoothing traffic flow
-  The cycling revolution

We all know that 'Smoothing Traffic Flow' includes things like removing pedestrian crossings, or indeed scrapping the Western Extension of the Congestion Zone.  Us cyclists can forget about that for just a minute. What should really get us interested is 'improving interchanges' (by far the most dangerous area for cyclists in the City' and of course 'the cycling revolution'.

Danny and his colleagues over at the excellent Cyclists in the City blog have found that the Corporation of London's LIP essentially just pays lip service to 'the cycling revolution'.  Whilst outlining fancy targets like "achieving 10% modal share by 2020", it fails to outline what radical measures it intends to make to bring about this change.  And of course, they've made fancy statements like this before - Danny writes;

"In 2005, the City of London Cycling Plan which you can read here set the following objective:

“Target 3: To increase the proportion of cycling to at least 12% of all vehicular journeys in the City by 2010 and to seek further increases thereafter.”

The actual result was 2.6% of all journeys. And the City did virtually nothing to reach that 12% target, it seems to me, other than wonder why the number of cyclists being killed on its streets was rising. To be fair, we have some more contraflow streets where bicycles can now travel in two directions. And that's a huge step in the right direction. But it's not enough. In Paris, almost every single one way street is now two-way for bicycles. In Berlin there are 250km of these streets (not to mention 400km of segregated bike lane). In the City, we have a few streets."

Despite their written commitment to 'the cycling revolution', it doesn't look like they City will achieve that 10% modal share for cyclists this time round either.  Why?  Because they have only allocated 0.45% of the City's planned budget to cycling.  Sure, we'll get a few new cycle stands, or maybe even a few painted cycle lanes, but no coherent master plan incorporating A-grade excellent facilities.  To be frank, any bonus to cycling brought about by this 0.45% budget spend is likely to be cancelled out by the City's insistence on narrowing streets (see here) and building more 'shared space' in unsuitable locations.  As one local source confided to Cyclists in the City, with the current financial allocation "We'll be able to build a handful of new contraflows".



One thing I dream of on this blog is a truly cyclist-friendly London where everybody can feel safe on two wheels, and I know many of you who come here and share your thoughts and comments often wish for the same, dream of mass cycling levels, and frequently feel frustrated with the way in which local authorities seem to conspire against these ideals.  Indeed, I've even been called a dreamer for daring to demand better but here's the perfect opportunity to hold a cash-rich borough to account and get them to truly put cycling first.  The fact that it's the very centre of London and is criss-crossed by many thousands of cyclists every single day makes it even more important.  I don't see why it's fare or appropriate for the City to spend just £528,000 on their cycling revolution programme over 3 years when road danger reduction gets £780,000 (which in the City seems to consist mostly of their police stopping RLJing cyclists, as oppose to chasing after speeding drivers), and major public space projects are allocated a whopping £30million - public space projects, like Cheapside and St Paul's Churchyard where cyclists are the highest volume of road users and yet have to contend with new street designs which make riding a bike more difficult or dangerous.

So, how do we go about changing this situation and getting our voices heard?  Well, we could hope in earnest that the London Cycling Campaign will do their bit and wake the City up, but sadly they've been strangely, awfully quiet on the issue - the last correspondence I had from them was asking me to try and recruit more members to 'double their numbers', as oppose to being about anything so concrete as what we are discussing here.  Besides which, a broad statement from a campaigning group is not what the City of London needs to hear in order to change their ideas - they've admitted as much that in order for the LIP not to be waived through Council without any amendments they'd need a mass response from individuals who live, work, or travel through the City (which must be just about anyone crossing London at any time, right?).

Danny has an email you can send to friends and colleagues or your local cycle group with plenty of back up information, plus a draft email and a list of Councillors whom to send it to, which you can amend to include your own ideas and experiences.

I know its a bit of a struggle to take some time out of our busy schedules to pen letters to Councillors who probably don't even fully grasp the issue, but if it is to be, it's to be me (and you, and you, and you!)  As I said at the start of this blog post, the nust and bolts of it all are unnervingly yawnsome, but the potential of what is at stake is most certainly not.

I urge you all, dear readers, to hop on over to the Cyclists in the City blog to find out how you and your friends, colleagues and family can get involved and demand better facilities and more space for cyclists - in a generation or so your kids, and their kids, might just thank you.  I'm off to write a strongly argued letter to my local City Councillors...



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City cycle style? Can't it be like this everyday please?

Last Friday the City of London's historic Smithfield meat market played host to the first City Cycle Style event.  Bike manufacturers, cycle clothing designers and chic cyclists united to put on a new kind of cycle trade show, combining music, food, fashion and fun. 

There were glamorous girls kicking back in cargo bikes from Velorution, hot young guys on tricked out bikes looking dapper in spats.  The latest on offer from those fleuro-weavers Dashing Tweeds graced the catwalk as did some nice-but-a-bit-expensive panniers from Michaud.  A great range of town bikes suitable for city exploring were on view; Viva made a great impression, whilst Moulton showed off two of their very latest designs, with the stripped-down belt-driven TSR-2 especially popular with those taking test rides after the event.  All set against the iconic/ironic back drop of a couple of gleaming red London buses parked under the beautifully lit Smithfield market hall roof.

I've written before how cycling in the UK has a major PR problem surrounding the wider public's perception of people who choose to get about by two wheels.  The vast majority of people who don't choose to cycle just can't see themselves riding because they don't subscribe to the current dominant image of cyclists; that 'Lance Armstrong look'.  Perhaps events like last Friday's can go some way towards showing that you don't necessarily have to armour up in lycra, day-glow and helmets in order just to ride a bike to the shops and back.

Mikael Colville-Andersen, of Copenhagen Cycle Chic would probably be quite perplexed by there even being the need to hold such a show.  He is as equally dismissive of those who would try to set cycling's stall out as purely the reserve of sports riders as he is of people who seek to sell you 'urban cycling clothing'.  His thinking (from this blog post) is quite clear on the subject; "You have a closet filled with clothes, don't you? If you're walking about town, you'll wear them. You have clothes for hot weather and clothes for cold weather. Whatever clothes you wear as a pedestrian are suitable for riding a bicycle. You KNOW this. You were young once. You did it then....  ..If you want to ride a bicycle to work or the supermarket over short distances, you do not need 'gear'. Just open your closet."

David Hembrow, from A View from the Cycle Path, takes a different view.  Commenting on a previous post of mine about 'What's stopping women from cycling', he explained that he thinks 'cycle chic' (if you want to call normal, everyday and ordinary utilitarian cycling that) comes not from a desire by cyclists to be stylish but as a consequence of cyclists no longer being under stress.  "The hats and hi-vis come from the conditions. They're a symptom of cyclists under stress. Once cycling becomes subjectively safer, these things disappear. I don't think you can force it."  He writes eloquently on his blog what he thinks the steps are that the authorities ought to be taking to make cycling a less stressful and subjectively safe activity for all: it starts, of course, with providing top class decent cycling infrastructure everywhere, and then building on that.

Me?  I take a view somewhere in the middle.  There's no doubt that there is a sense that the bourgeois are early adopters of 'chic cycling' here in the UK.  But the idea that it somehow costs money and you have to buy another form of expensive gear to subscribe to everyday and ordinary cycling doesn't sit easily with me either. In the same breath there is no doubt that the wider public view of cycling as being a physical, sporty activity is unhelpful and events like Friday's can help to dispel that view.  All in all, Friday night's bikes and fashion show was a great showcase of the potential and opportunity that lies in cycling in the urban environment and shows that perhaps, one day, the streets of London could be filled with effortlessly cool cyclists just like Copenhagen.  Part of that will come from how people choose to present themselves as cyclists, much more will come from 'non-cyclists' taking up riding as a consequence of how our roads provide for those who do so.  Perhaps events like Friday's can be a useful stepping stone towards that path?

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WANTED: Twenty seven thousand bike parking spaces

Much was made of the revelation last week that the new ‘Shard of Glass’ skyscraper at London Bridge will provide just 250 cycle parking spaces for it’s 6,500 inhabitants. What will ultimately become the tallest building in Britain falls short when it comes to cycle-friendly credentials. Sadly, in our car-centric capital city, it’s not alone.

The City of London planning officer will admit in a meeting today that there is existing unmet demand for some TWENTY SEVEN THOUSAND cycle parking spaces within the City. That is not projected demand; not figures dreamt up to predict what demand for cycle parking might one day be; but demand as it stands NOW.

To me this says two things loud and clear:

One: There are an awful lot of cyclists on Inner London’s roads now and clearly a lot of people are cycling into the City to work. This is a good thing.

Two: The City (and, to be fair, Westminster Council too) are totally unprepared for the volume of cyclists apparent on our roads, and have been caught napping. This is a sad thing.

The planning paper notes that a number of major City businesses (particularly in the financial quarter) report that more than 10% of their workforce are already cycling to work, and the City sees no reason why this would not be the case with the majority of businesses. If the City has a workforce of some 374,000 people, 10% equals some 37,000 pedal-powered office workers.

At present, there are just 834 on-street cycle parking racks in the City, providing parking for 1,668 cycles, and approximately 100 cycle parking spaces in the City’s off-street public car parks.

The Bicycle PlantLock beautifies the traditional bike stand and adds a touch of greenery to the urban landscape (this one seen near Bobbin Bicycles in Islington. Available to purchase here.)

Having acknowledged that they have been caught unawares by the volume of cyclists present, and must do more to provide for them, the planning agenda goes on to be more encouraging:

“A 10% modal share is very significantly below the existing cycling modal share of some English cities (such as Cambridge with 25% cycle journeys to work) and of some overseas cities in countries such as the Netherlands that are not greatly dissimilar to England culturally or geographically (such as a 38% cycling modal share in Amsterdam). It would therefore seem appropriate to treat a 10% modal share as the absolute minimum that the City should be aiming to provide for.”

(Someone should tell Mayor of London Boris Johnson about this and ask him to revise his rather wet aims for just 5% modal share by bike by 2026 – wakey wakey Mr Mayor!)

Cycle parking is more serious an issue than at first it seems: being able to secure your bike once you’ve reached your destination is a serious consideration for most cyclists, and with cycle theft at record levels in London, cycle security could in fact be a stronger deterrent to would-be cyclists than even the road environment and perceived safety in traffic, as London Cycling Campaign communications office Mike Cavenett explains:

"Bike theft is cited as the most common reason for people giving up cycling. In 2008 there were over 17,000 bikes reported stolen in London. It must be tackled more seriously by the police. The costs to Londoners and to the city are phenomenal."

Over-subscribed bicycle parking in the Borough of Hackney.

The City of London, just like the City of Westminster, proclaims to love uncluttered streets. As a consequence they don’t love street parking for bicycles. They’ve never been fans of Sheffield stands or worse still; bikes parked at random locked to any convenient railing. Indeed, it took a House of Lords decision to stop Westminster from chomping through locks and throwing away the bikes without telling the owner in a fit of ‘clean street’-loving, ‘railing-liberating’ bicycle removal. Strangely, they have a less than vigorous approach when it comes to revenue-spinning automobile parking and the various signage, parking metres and street clutter that come with it...

And so it is no surprise that the key strategy being proposed in today’s planning meeting to deal with the City of London’s famine of cycle parking is to provide off-street secure bicycle parking bays in council-run car parks. Indeed, they have already allocated £25,000 towards providing off-street cycle parking this year.

This is great; secure cycle parking is a fantastic thing, especially as cycle theft is such a blight on London. But it is no ‘cure all’ and cannot be the only strategy adopted.

Off-street cycle parking isn’t always immediately obvious to the passing cyclist (and signage is usually pretty poor), and it’s not of any use to visiting cyclists calling into buildings for brief meetings or just passing through.

In order for cycle provision to truly succeed there needs to be a tapestry of cycle parking available:

Large, secure off-street cycle parking, in a well-signed, well-lit and convenient place (there’s no point putting push bike parking on the top deck of a multi-story car park for instance!)

Clusters of Sheffield stands making up mini bicycle hubs – such as the 150 or so stands in groups of 20 around the perimeters of Berkeley Square in Westminster.

Smaller groups of stands at the end of most roads, or in every public space.

And individual cycle parking facilities along streets and outside individual business premesis, such as the innovative and easy to install Cyclehoop. Products like this can help give a formality to the perceived blight of ad-hoc bicycle parking as well as help to improve bike security. Furthermore it's designed and based here in London; supporting a newly-established business like Cyclehoop is the sort of thing that local Councils ought to be doing!

The Cyclehoop is fixed to existing street furniture such as lamp posts and sign posts. (http://www.cyclehoop.com/)

Two last points about cycle parking; having somewhere to store your bicycle is a matter of convenience (and as we’ve discussed here before being able to access your bicycle conveniently is a key to encouraging cycling) but it will never stop determined thieves. Consequently, cycle theft MUST be taken seriously by the Police. Indeed, the City of London has its' own exclusive Police force: we need to ensure that they are fully au fait with just how important reducing cycle theft is and they must be seen to be proactive in dealing with the issue. (I’d encourage them to start at Brick Lane market...)

And we need to get over this idea of a bicycle locked on the street being an aesthetic inconvenience – it’s just the product of lots of people using a smart means of transport. Of course if I left a ten by eight foot box of my stuff in the street that WOULD be selfish, but somehow bikes chained to railings are not okay whilst private cars parked in our gridlocked street are...?

You go figure it out, I’m off to oil my U-lock.

City of London Council: good on you, but you've got some catching up to do!