Darren Johnson, Green Party Member of the London Assembly, has responded to new TfL figures on cycling in London by urging the Mayor to reinstate his target of 5 per cent of all journeys being completed by bike across the capital by 2026.
The target, included in Boris Johnson’s transport strategy in 2010, is no longer being actively pursued by TfL who cite “population flux” as the reason.
If car trips increase and Londoners do not switch to another mode such as cycling, TfL predicts large increases in congestion and pollution across the capital to 2031.
Darren Johnson AM commented,
“The growth in cycling on London’s busiest roads is welcome but by recently dumping his target for the proportion of bike trips, the Mayor is giving up on delivering the real cycling revolution that he promised to Londoners.”
“TfL admit that the growth in cycling being reported today is mainly on busy roads with far slower increases taking place in outer London town centres and safety concerns remaining the key barrier stopping more people jumping on a bike.”
“The Mayor must stop underspending the cycling budget and properly fund schemes that would make safer for cyclists not just in the city centre or busy corridors but in outer London too. That means fully funding every unsuccessful mini Hollands bid, making all 500 junctions identified as dangerous in his original Better Junctions review safer and getting on with rolling out the cycle superhighways promised.”
“Cycling could save London from an air pollution and traffic nightmare. The Mayor should be setting his sights higher with an ambitious target to make cycling the first choice for more Londoners and then roll out schemes to make this a reality.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
1. Darren Johnson AM is available for comment
2. Darren has created an interactive map of London based on TfL's own predictions for traffic increases across London to 2031, available here: http://www.howcongestedismyroad.org.uk/map.php