What will the Liberal GLA Candidates for Greenwich & Lewisham do for cyclists?
Alex Feakes - Liberal Candidate
Views on cycling in London
In an increasingly congested city and with a renewed focus on our health and fitness, cycling is a mode of transport and a leisure activity that needs public investment and encouragement. With the huge increase in cycling over the past few years, the need for the investment in improved cycle lanes, security and enforcement is all the greater. I've recently returned to cycling as a great way to get around my area and to get fit. Consequently, I experience the need for this investment at first hand.
Specific questions:
Will you be prepared to support the LCC's Cycling Manifesto in full if elected to the Greater London Assembly in June? Please state any reservations.
As a general point, it's worth noting that the GLA has few powers to force the Boroughs to act, but can be very effective in encouraging and supporting the Boroughs in implementing proposals such as these. However, I'm pleased to be able to support the Manifesto's objectives, with the few qualifications on specific points stated below:
Fully support this proposal and would be sympathetic to additional investment to improve cycles lanes as a vital part of the transport infrastructure, not just as part of leisure policy.
Support the principle and the practical implementation of this proposal, but would want to include local consultation on variations to speed limits and also would want to take account of regional road transport needs when designing the 20mph and home zone strategies.
Fully support this proposal and am surprised that cycle and road sense training isn't currently more widespread.
Support provision of cycle parking and storage at schools. Would like safe routes to school to be an integrated strategy to include walking buses and other schemes to reduce car use on school runs and encourage walking and cycling.
Support inclusion of cycle parking facilities in new transport developments: this can easily be achieved by asking local authorities to include such facilities in Section 106 agreements with developers. Increasing provision at major transport hubs is more of a funding challenge due to resource constraints in Network Rail particularly, but I would like this proposal to be targeted by TfL alongside the LCAP initiative in any case.
Have doubts as to whether borough targets for reducing cycle-theft would be the most effective way of tackling the problem. While there is a lot of work to be done by the Police in targeting gangs of organised cycle thieves, a great deal of cycle theft is opportunistic and is not easily tackled by physical policing. Improved cycle parking and CCTV at transport hubs and residential developments would be much more effective. I would support the establishment of a London-wide database to aid cycle recovery.
Fully support this proposal and would sympathetic to extensions of the idea, such as green box cameras.
Fully support this proposal and would integrate with plans for safe routes etc.
What would you say is the highest priority for encouraging cycling in Greenwich borough?
The highest priority for encouraging cycling in Greenwich, as in all London Boroughs, must be to improve the provision of separate safe cycle lanes on major roads.
If elected to the GLA, how would you make sure that this issue is addressed?
The London Assembly's power lies in the influence in brings to bear on the actions of the Mayor and the public scrutiny it can bring to issues so that they are acted upon. If elected to the GLA, I would work to ensure that the provision of separate safe cycle lanes across London was included in the Mayor's transport strategy and, crucially, that funds are allocated in the Mayor's budget to support the development of these lanes on routes controlled by TfL and to encourage their development on routes controlled by the Boroughs.
Do you support Eric Martlew MP's Bill to make cycle helmets compulsory for children? Please give your reasons.
I would support making it compulsory for children to wear helmets when cycling along roads, or cycle lanes beside roads, but would not extend this to other areas. As a consequence I could not support the Bill in full; before doing so, I would want to delete clause 1(b) and also 2(b), but would amend 2(c) to include the owner of the cycle.
The reason for these amendments is primarily to give a workable and enforceable piece of legislation that would allow effective enforcement in the public arena without exacerbating any drop in cycling due to the compulsion to use, or the cost of, cycle helmets.