London’s mayor has pledged to focus future investment for cycling infrastructure on producing 12 ‘high-quality radial routes’ into the centre of the capital, while improving conditions in suburbs.
Boris Johnson has announced just £10M for LCN+ schemes for 2009/10, compared with £19.7M this year and £17.6M last year. The boroughs had bid for £38M for schemes to help complete the LCN+ network of cross-London routes.
However, funding for non-LCN+ cycling schemes increased to £6.2M, up from £4.5M this year, and only £2.8M in 2007/08. Johnson also gave £7M to create Olympic walking and cycling routes, and allocated money to other schemes to improve conditions for cycling, such as the £1.7M project to overhaul Camden High Street.
A London Councils spokesman commented: ‘There are many ways to break down the barriers to cycling in London. The LCN+ is not the only show in town.’
London Councils backed the mayor’s proposed new strategic cycle corridors ‘to whisk commuters into London’ as offering the potential for better cycling conditions at gyratories and other major junctions.
A Transport for London spokesman said it became increasingly apparent that the final stages of the LCN+ would be ‘very challenging to deliver given, among other considerations, the complexities of the traffic arrangements and conditions at a number of locations’.
From 2010/11, there will be only five pots of money, rather than 23. Boroughs could deliver cycling facilities as part of ‘corridor’ schemes which include bus priority and better footways, or as part of ‘neighbourhood’ improvements.
The London Technical Advisers Group chair, Joe Weiss, said the mayor was ‘trusting boroughs to make a judgment as to what is best on their networks’. Boroughs ‘don’t just put in cycling facilities and leave the rest of the road untouched’.
But Charlie Lloyd, London Cycling Campaign development officer, was ‘concerned the most difficult parts of LCN+ routes will just be left’.
Register now for full access
Register just once to get unrestricted, real-time coverage of the issues and challenges facing UK transport and highways engineers.
Full website content includes the latest news, exclusive commentary from leading industry figures and detailed topical analysis of the highways, transportation, environment and place-shaping sectors.
Use the link below to register your details for full, free access.
Already a registered? Login
